The best mechanical gaming keyboard delivers seamless responsiveness, precision, and tactile feedback. Whether you prefer shooters, puzzles, adventure, or platformer games, you need a keyboard that can keep up in competitive matches and delivers in-depth macro and hotkey customization.
While there are hundreds of mechanical gaming keyboards out there, we want to focus on only the best and the most useful to improve your gaming experience. To be considered a top choice, a keyboard had to meet the following five requirements:
- Be widely used and recommended by the gaming community
- Handle the cruelty of millions of key presses without compromising performance
- Have RGB backlighting
- Allow key rollover (KRO) and customization for multiple-press and combos
- Actually, mechanical
Here are the top four mechanical keyboard options.
#1. G. Skill Ripjaws KM780 RGB Gaming Keyboard: The Best Overall
Price: $108, Newegg
Reasons to Buy
- Offers a full-scale mechanical keyboard gaming experience without an aggressive price bump
- Has 6 dedicated keys to allow you to use macros without taking over the existing keys
- Delivers onboard profile storage, allowing you to switch between three profiles, all from the keyboard
- LED volume display and dedicated media control keys allow you to control all your media playback directly from the keyboard
- Gets you the ultimate keyboard gaming experience without compromising durability
- 6-KRO allows you to press multiple keys simultaneously to execute a game function
The G. Skill Ripjaws KM780 RGB is widely accepted and successful in the gaming world because it offers the ultimate keyboard gaming experience without costing a fortune. The keyboard offers a lot for less money — a factor that makes it a clear best buy.
Why is G. Skill Ripjaws the best mechanical keyboard? The G. Skill Ripjaws wins over all its rivals because of its value for money. The keyboard starts at $130. However, it gets you detailed RGB modes, macro keys, media control keys, onboard profile storage, LED volume display, and a full suite of pass-through — features that you won’t find even on the closest competitors at that price.
Clicky mechanical key switches: The G. Skill Ripjaws keyboard presents a wide choice of Cherry MX switches. You can choose Cherry MX Reds, Blues, or Browns, depending on how smooth you want your presses to be.
The lifespan of millions of key presses that Ripjaws guarantees is nothing to scoff at — like a brick wall, the company built the switches to last.
Excellent RGB Spectrum: The Ripjaws keyboard has a superb RGB spectrum that you have full control of. You can choose the colors to display on every key. Plus, you get ten red key caps to highlight your most important hotkeys.
#2. Corsair K95 Platinum RGB — The Best MMO (Massively Multiple Online) Keyboard
Price: $199, Corsair
Reasons to Buy
- Rugged durability to withstand a lifetime of gaming
- 8 MB profile storage that allows you to switch up to three profiles independent of external software
- Fully customizable RGB backlighting
- 100% Cherry Max Brown RGB mechanical key switches that offer light tactile feedback for faster performance
- Six programmable macro keys for in-game macros
While many consider Corsair a high-quality gaming board maker, most gamers in the MMO circles agree that the K95 Platinum helps them outdo themselves. The keyboard stores profiles and complex macros to allow you to unleash great performance.
Why does Corsair K95 Platinum RGB rank second? The board isn’t as cheap as the top-ranking competitor, but it’s the best option for most people because of its comprehensive features that improve the MMO gaming experience. The huge memory of profiles makes the keyboard excellent for multiple games or characters. While slightly expensive, it takes all the praise for good value for money.
The detachable wrist rest: K95 platinum features a solid wrist rest to make your gaming experience more comfortable. The wrist rest provides ergonomics when playing games.
In-build software: K95 keyboard comes with Corsair iCUE software that allows advanced macro programming, dynamic lighting control, and full system lighting synchronization with compatible peripherals.
#3. Logitech G910 Orion Spark RGB — Best Mechanical Keyboard for First-Person Shooter (FPS) Games
Price: $165, Amazon
Reasons to buy
- Unique Romer-G mechanical switches with faster actuation make it suitable for first-person shooter (FPS) games
- Customizable RGB backlight with a pallet of 16 million colors
- Nine programmable G Keys that allow you to customize game macros and execute complex commands fast and accurately
- Dedicated media control that gives you quick access to media on your device
If you want to game at a new level of speed and customization, the Logitech G910 might be the right fit for you. Orion Spark makes this keyboard with the Romer-G mechanical switch to deliver a 25% faster performance
Why Logitech G910 ranks 3rd: While Logitech uses different switches for G910 to make it faster, some users complain that the switches give a mushy feel — like the membrane keyboard. G910 is an excellent option for FPS play if you can forgo the limitation.
The right balance of money and value: While you won’t get flagship features with the G910, you’ll get nearly everything you need for an enhanced gaming experience, such as gaming macros, full spectrum backlighting, and wrist rest.
#4. Velocifire VM01 — Best Mechanical Gaming Keyboard on a Budget
Price: $45, Amazon
Reasons to Buy
- Excellent for gamers on a budget
- Low-noise key switches that deliver tactile bump for feedback on every key press
- Decent value for the price
The Velocifire VM01 is an excellent choice for gamers looking for a stater mechanical keyboard or who are under budget. While the board doesn’t have flashy features, it offers the decent advantages of a mechanical keyboard for $45.
Why Velocifire VM01 ranks 4th: The board is among the world’s most pocket-friendly mechanical keyboards, with features that the gaming community wants. However, the keyboard is as clicky or tactile as the high-end options.
Backlight: Like most mechanical keyboards, Velocifire VM01 has a backlight. However, it isn’t as customizable as its competitors. Many people find the backlight a bit dimmer.
Which Mechanical Gaming Keyboards Should You Go For?
Choosing a gaming keyboard depends a lot on what’s important to you and what works best for you. If you want a mechanical keyboard that gives you the right balance of features and price, G. Skill Ripjaws would be the perfect fit.
If you want it all, and budget isn’t a factor for you, you’ll appreciate that you can find what you need in Corsair K95 Platinum RGB. However, if you’re on a budget and looking for a starter mechanical gaming keyboard, Velocifire VM01 will suit your needs.
