Best Budget Gaming Keyboard (2024)
Finding a gaming keyboard that meets your needs, whether you’re a casual or serious gamer, can be difficult, especially if you’re on a tight budget. To help you find the best budget gaming keyboard, we’ve compiled a list of our favorites.
While some of these keyboards won’t have as many extra features as more expensive models, they are still dependable enough to play all of your favorite games. When looking for a gaming keyboard, it’s important to think about the switches you’re most comfortable using. Some keyboards have rubber dome switches and others have a variety of mechanical switches.
We’ve tried over 225 keyboards, and below are our recommendations for the best budget gaming keyboards available. If you’re looking for budget keyboards that aren’t focused on gaming, you can check out our picks for the best budget and cheap keyboards. All of these options are suitable for gaming.
Although many of these picks are mechanical, you might find something more suited to your needs in our recommendations for the best budget mechanical keyboards. If not, feel free to look into the best budget gaming keyboards under $100
Best Budget Gaming Keyboard (2024)
1 Razer Huntsman Mini
The best financial plan gaming console we’ve tried is the Razer Huntsman Scaled down. This board makes use of optical switches, which can be linear or clicky. These switches feel like standard mechanical switches yet utilize a light emission to enlist keystrokes. The result is a gaming experience that feels
extremely fluid and responsive when combined with the lightness of these switches. This keyboard, like others on this list, has all of the standard customization features that come with Razer’s Synapse 3 software.
These features include macro programming, RGB backlighting effects per key, and onboard storage for custom profiles.
This keyboard also has excellent build quality, and it feels very sturdy even when compared to more expensive options in Razer’s lineup. Another significant selling point for this console is its smaller size, which occupies next to no space in front of you, giving your arrangement a negligible look and leaving a lot of space for dynamic mouse developments.
Tragically, this board has a genuinely tall profile and does exclude a wrist rest, so you might consider getting one independently for the most open to gaming experience.
2 Keychron V5 Max [V1 Max, V2 Max, etc.]
The Keychron V5 Max isn’t marketed specifically as a gaming keyboard, but there are a few good reasons why we recommend it here. First and foremost, its raw gaming performance is superior to that of numerous dedicated gaming keyboards.
Second, it integrates numerous personal satisfaction features frequently found on more expensive custom keyboards. Some of these features include high-quality PBT keycaps, a gasket mount system that makes typing feel softer, and various layers of acoustic foam inside the keyboard that balance the sound profile.
There’s even an included toolkit, so you can completely disassemble your board to swap out parts, and the hot-swappable PCB means you can quickly pop out the stock switches for those of your preference.
Even though it has full RGB lighting, the keycaps do not have shine-through legends, and it has south-facing LEDs. This means you won’t be able to read the legends on your keyboard as easily.
This really stands out as a highly versatile, high-performing option if that isn’t a deal breaker for you. It is also important to note that the V Max lineup includes this keyboard.
The main significant difference between these variations is their size and key layout. On the Keychron website, you can look through the models in this lineup to find one that meets your requirements and setup.
3 Corsair K55 RGB Ace XT
Non-mechanical gaming keyboards have advantages over mechanical options, which frequently take center stage. Take the Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT, the best budget gaming board that didn’t use mechanical components. It uses membrane switches that are concealed beneath a solid piece of frosted plastic.
This makes it more resistant to spills and crumbs for people who like to eat and drink by their keyboard because there are no moving parts that can be seen. When in use, these switches are nearly silent, making them an excellent choice for gamers who play late into the night or who must play in cramped, shared spaces.
It has almost every feature a gamer could possibly want in terms of performance and features. It has dedicated macro keys for easy access, extremely low latency, RGB backlighting that can be customized per key, a detachable wrist rest for ergonomic support during those marathon sessions.
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4 SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL
We recommend the SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL if you want a cheaper, non-mechanical option. Its rubber dome switches are relatively light to press and very quiet compared to most mechanical switches, and its compact TenKeyLess form factor gives you more room on your desk for dynamic mouse movements.
In any case, they have a more extended pre-travel distance and feel a piece mushier contrasted with additional costly choices.
We do not recommend this keyboard for competitive play because it does not provide the same level of raw gaming performance as the other options on this list. However, it is an impressive pick for any type of casual gaming.
It additionally has a few additional highlights that are uncommon around this cost, similar to the capacity to set macros to any key, dedicated media keys, and a volume wheel. RGB lighting is also present. However, the software only allows you to customize eight zones because the keys are not individually lit.
Is it worth buying a cheap gaming keyboard?
We would say as long haul PC gamers, we’ve found, by and large, that the less expensive models perform similarly well for gaming as the top-of-the-line branded flagship models do.
Assuming that you’re on a restricted peripherals budget, which many of us have been in our gaming lives, then you can absolutely enjoy PC gaming on a budget gaming console, especially now that they are becoming cheaper than ever before.
How much should a gaming keyboard cost?
There’s no conclusive response with respect to the amount you ought to need to spend on a budget gaming keyboard, however we generally recommend anything around or over the $50 mark to be worth your time and money, especially when they’re from the more established names in the scene.
Having said that, some of the $25 models in our roundup are also excellent; ultimately, the feature set and build preference will determine the final price.
Is a mechanical console worth the effort for gaming?
During our time as PC gamers, we have used a variety of mechanical and membrane gaming keyboards. In the end, it comes down to personal preference rather than one build type having advantages over the other.
A mechanical deck, for instance, will provide you with more tactile and clicky responsiveness, but these gaming keyboards will also be louder.
Membrane gaming keyboards tend to be quieter, but lack such a definitive feedback for gaming. We recommend investing in a cheaper mechanical keyboard if you’re on the fence about taking the leap, as it is not going to fit everyone’s tastes.
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