The perfect gaming and media keyboards, based on Polygon staffers

It most likely comes as no shock that we at Polygon have sturdy opinions in regards to the keyboards we use every single day. It additionally could not shock you to study that these sturdy opinions typically range wildly from individual to individual. A few of us favor that our keys sound as clicky as potential, whereas others dream of typing silently. Many people are devoted to our private curated aesthetics, with customized keycaps or all-pink equipment. Nonetheless others simply need one thing practical and inconspicuous.

Product suggestions aren’t one-size-fits-all. What one particular person is searching for in a keyboard for his or her flight simulator cockpit is perhaps completely unsuitable for somebody who needs a brand new keyboard for taking part in Overwatch.

Contemplate the Polygon employees a small pattern measurement of specialists, right here to advocate our favourite keyboards for every of our particular wants.

Finest Gaming Keyboards

Corsair Ok70

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Photograph: Corsair

The Corsair Ok70 is just about my go-to suggestion for strong gaming keyboards. (Whereas I haven’t but tried the second-generation MK.2 mannequin, I’ve each confidence that it’s simply nearly as good or higher than the unique.)

The characteristic that I take pleasure in probably the most is the aluminum body, which raises the keys up a good bit and makes for straightforward cleansing beneath. There’s additionally a metallic rocker for quantity, a full slate of media keys, an enormous pleasant mute button, and built-in dimmer switches so that you don’t need to futz with the software program when it will get darkish. It’s additionally accessible in a full vary of Cherry MX switches, together with the graceful and quiet Cherry MX Silent switches, often known as the Pink switches. The software program has additionally been very dependable over time.

– Santorini Corridor

HyperX Alloy FPS RGB

Photograph: HyperX

I’ve flirted with the concept of getting a tenkeyless (a keyboard with no numeric keypad) over time, however I’m simply hooked on utilizing that proper hand quantity pad and phrase processing buttons that include a full-size board. Nevertheless, taking part in spacefaring video games and flight simulators as a lot as I do, desktop actual property comes at a premium. Gotta make room for the stick and throttle, in any case. That’s why I opted for the HyperX Alloy FPS RGB for my latest journey to the sting of the universe in Elite: Harmful.

It’s a full-size board, however with an especially small footprint. The bezel is sort of nonexistent. It’s additionally received the identical raised keys because the Ok70, and it weighs a ton so it’s not as more likely to transfer round on you whereas in VR. I’m not as large a fan of the software program, sadly, which could be a bit inconsistent from model to model.

– Santorini Corridor

Finest Customizable Aesthetic Keyboards

Akko And Ducky Keyboards

Photograph: Akko

Akko and Ducky keyboards are excellent for individuals who wish to cater one thing to their tastes.

They’ve keyboards in all kinds of types. You may get a small model with no quantity pad, an even bigger board with a quantity pad, or an excellent smaller board with scrunched up arrow keys. There’s additionally a fairly good number of switches, so in order for you a selected kind of clicky sound or really feel, Akko and Ducky most likely have what you want.

I exploit the Akko 3087s 87-key in Sakura Pink, which is a collaboration between the 2 corporations, however there’s such a wide range of boards, you’re sure to search out one which fits your fancy. Simply don’t blame me if you find yourself spending some huge cash on artisan keycaps.

– Julia Lee

Razer BlackWidow Chroma – Pink Gaming Keyboard

Photograph: Razer

This keyboard is unquestionably a Gamer Lady accent within the “simply make it pink!” pattern, however I’m a gamer lady, gosh darn it, and I like this vivid pink keyboard. (Actually all of my different gaming equipment are angular and black with some neon inexperienced accents, and so they’re completely practical however they’re not very enjoyable.)

I programmed this dream Razer BlackWidow Chroma keyboard with a wide range of lighting results. At relaxation, it’s gentle orange with a number of choose keys (WASD, quantity up and down) highlighted in neon violet. Once I’m typing, the keys gentle up with a vibrant ocean blue, delayed in order that they flare up and disappear as I kind.

Along with being — and I can not stress this sufficient — extraordinarily aesthetic, the keys are tremendous responsive and satisfying to clack, and it’s received a built-in wrist relaxation that’s snug and ergonomic. It has all the comforts of a high-quality keyboard with not one of the drabness.

– Jenna Stoeber

Finest Media Keyboard

Logitech Ok400 Plus

Photograph: Logitech

I typically stream video from my PC to my TV, however I received uninterested in having to stroll over to my desk each time I wished to make use of the mouse and keyboard. Plus I’d need to crane my neck to see the cursor on the TV — uncomfortable! Ultimately I picked up Logitech’s Bluetooth keyboard with a built-in trackpad that was particularly constructed for this precise function, full with quick access media buttons.

Whereas this low cost little man can be a nightmare to make use of for gaming, it’s excellent for shopping YouTube on my TV from my sofa.

– Emily Heller

Finest Mechanical Keyboards

Keychron K2: One Of The Best Entry-level Mechanical Keyboard

Photograph: Keychron

I can’t justify my fascination with mechanical keyboards in any sensible manner. They aren’t meaningfully higher at typing than the alternate options. However they do look cool, and so they do sound nice, and I don’t know, man, that simply presses just a little pleasure button in my mind and makes me marginally pleased.

It’s taking place now, these marginal bursts of enjoyment, one faucet at a time, as I write this on my pretty new, totally beloved Keychron K2, about as easy and cheap as entry into the world of mechanical keyboards as you can moderately anticipate for Home windows PC or Mac.

Mechanical keyboards might be an costly pastime, however the Keychron K2 will get you began at $79.99 (which is cheap, comparatively). It’s an 84-key or tenkeyless design, which is a flowery manner of claiming that it doesn’t have a (10-key) quantity pad (get it? tenkeyless!), which is necessary to me as a result of I don’t work at a financial institution anymore, so I don’t want that, and I’d moderately have my mouse nearer to my keyboard. It additionally has, as you’ll be able to see, full-size arrow keys, which I’m at all times a fan of, and performance (or media) keys, too.

I’ve the brown change model, which is completely a dorky mechanical keyboard factor. Kychron makes use of Gateron model switches, and brown is clicky with out being obnoxious and piercing. The phrase individuals have a tendency to explain brown switches is tactile, which suggests you don’t need to press too arduous to kind, and likewise it’s not so loud that it’ll harm anybody’s ears. They need to put me on advertising.

One final little bit of warning, should you’re considering of dipping your toes into the world of mechanical keyboards: They will take some getting used to. You might spend per week (learn: I did) or extra (re)studying find out how to kind precisely on them. It was value it to me.

OK, I lied. One other little bit of warning: Watch your wrists. In case you prefer to kind along with your wrists on the desk, you’ll must transition to floating wrists or purchase some pads to raise your wrists up off of the desk. Or purchase a keyboard tray. Or modify the peak of your desk, if that’s an possibility. In any other case, the angle will wind up hurting your treasured wrists. And that may be very dangerous. But additionally most likely don’t kind along with your wrists resting on something.

– Dave Tach

Anne Professional 2: One Of The Best Small Type Issue / 60% Keyboard

Photograph: Anne Professional

Moving into smaller mechanical keyboards is an train in delicately balancing efficiency, value, and compromises. There will not be a keyboard that may test off all of the containers you want, however the Anne Professional 2 is the one which has come closest to hitting the mark for me.

The Anne Professional 2 is a 60% keyboard so it cuts off the whole numpad, perform row, different operation keys, and even removes the arrow keys which can be a dealbreaker for some. However every key on these smaller models might be remapped, have a number of capabilities, and even have totally different properties relying on the way you press the keys.

All the things in regards to the Anne Professional 2 might be tweaked to your choice with software program, together with a brand new replace that provides a enjoyable however pointless characteristic that lights up the keyboard to the beat of my music. Both manner, I arrived on the altar of small keyboards first with a little bit of worry, however I’m a convert now. I can by no means return to something bigger than a 60%, and I’ve come to completely consider the adage that much less is extra.

In case you’re ordering the Anne Professional 2 on Amazon, you’ll have the choice for 3 totally different key switches relying in your choice. If that’s a selection that offers you some evaluation paralysis, go for the Gateron browns, that are the right stability between the choices. Additionally, it’s value figuring out that this keyboard works nice as a wi-fi keyboard too, nevertheless it has issues with repeating keys. With the quantity of typing I do all day, it may be fairly annoying, so in the intervening time I’ve it wired.

– Jeff Ramos

Bonus: Finest Macro Pad

Koolertron Macro Pad

Photograph: Koolertron

In case your keyboard doesn’t have macro keys or should you want extra of them, this three-by-three macro pad will do the trick. Its software program shops the info within the {hardware}, which suggests you’ll be able to set it up, plug it into different laptops and PCs, and it’ll bear in mind what it’s speculated to do. You may customise the lighting, the instructions, and all that great things. I’ve a key macroed simply to kind “é” since I don’t have a numpad anymore. Helpful stuff!

– Julia Lee