The best keyboards to improve your gaming performance, will all have the same qualities we list down below. Although there will be room for personal taste, and game-specific variations, we will show you what you should be looking for in game-enhancing keyboards.
Mechanical Keys
Out of all of the types of keys you can buy, mechanical keyboards are ideal for gaming. Their spring-loaded mechanisms created fast processing signals which allow you to maneuver through your game faster.
Being faster is just one way in which a mechanical key can improve your gaming performance. These keyboards are more durable than other types, as they can be pressed 100 million times before needing to be replaced. Better yet, when they do need to be replaced, you can opt to change them one at a time instead of getting a whole new set.
Being able to change the key tile whenever you want means you can edit the keyboard to match your gaming style. You can add custom keys to your board to represent the move you are doing. This can increase your performance by making it easier to find the button you are after.
There are three types of mechanical keys. They are linear, tactile, and clicky. Linear keys are silent. They use the mechanical keys function but do so quietly with smooth movements. This does slow down the overall process, but you will still have a customizable and long-lasting key.
Tactile keys are fast and create an ASMR-like noise when they are pressed. This sound can make it easier to know when you have pressed down the correct key, as well as being pleasing to the ear.
Clicky keys are the loudest and many players use this sound as a badge of honor, but in reality, the extra sound boost means you need to press the key harder. Out of the three you should choose tactile keys for the best performance-improving setup.
Keep It Wired
Wireless gaming is becoming more and more popular, but stylish designs and moveability mean nothing in the PC world. Where a wireless controller makes sense for a PS5 or Xbox game, you won’t be moving around a lot on your PC, so why use slower technology?
That’s right, wireless keyboards don’t have a direct connection to your PC which means they will be slower even if it’s just by a millisecond. And when the charge starts to run low, the difference will get bigger and bigger. It isn’t uncommon for wireless keyboards to miss some of the signals you are sending when the charge is running low. And if you’re going to die in your game, you want it to be because of a decision you made, not because your keyboard isn’t listening.
Wired keyboards don’t have this problem. They don’t have lag issues as they are directly connected to your PC. You don’t have to worry about charging them, as they are always connected to power. And you know you can rely on them, as nothing is stopping the direct connection from your keys to the game.
Admittedly, wireless technology is getting better, but if you want to get the best-performing keyboard on the market, there is only one real option – wired.
The Best Gaming Keyboard Manufacturers
With so many manufacturers in the gaming industry, it can be easy to get confused about which brands are good and which ones are cashing in on an industry boom.
The good news is that more competition in the market means that we are getting higher-quality keyboards every year. It also means that low-brand companies are catching up to high-brand ones, allowing us to buy amazing keyboards at a cheaper price.
We want to give you a distinctive list of great manufacturers, so you can use our information above to pick out high-performance keyboards while still searching for something in your style.
Just go to these manufacturer’s websites to find good-quality keyboards:
- Acer
- Asus
- Corsair
- Glorious PC Gaming Race
- HyperX
- Logitech
- Razer
- Roccat
- SteelSeries
- Whirlwind
The best of the bunch are Corsair, Logitech, Razer, and Roccat. But the new guys on the block such as HyperX and Glorious PC Gaming Race are constantly matching the big name’s quality and sometimes even beating them.
Summary
To summarize, you should be looking for a keyboard with mechanical keys – specifically tactile ones. The keyboard should be wired, to allow for fast connections, and you should choose one of the 10 brands above.