These Reliable, Cheap Gaming Keyboards Won’t Break the Bank

It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a MOBA, MMORPG, FPS, or some other acronym of a video game genre: if you’re playing on a PC, you’re going to need a good keyboard. Just like the best gaming chairs, keyboards can come with several special features that’ll drive up cost. But, like any gaming product, budget-friendly alternatives exist.

You don’t have to buy the brightest, most button-heavy keyboard to get the most out of your gaming sessions. You can easily find a cheap gaming keyboard with a handful of premium features from reliable brands like Logitech and SteelSeries. The best budget gaming keyboards are responsive, durable, and, thankfully, under $100.

What to Consider

When searching for budget-friendly gaming keyboards, look for those made by trusted brands like Logitech, SteelSeries and Redragon to ensure you’re grabbing something reliable and durable. These companies also sometimes offer limited warranties, protecting against potential hardware failures and key damage.

Switch Type

Gaming keyboards are often mechanical, using spring-loaded switches underneath their keycaps. These are the classic-looking, generic keyboards we often envision and the opposite of the pillowy soft, rubberized membrane keyboard.

Switches fit underneath keycaps, and the type of switch a keyboard uses relates to the noise it will make in action and a key’s response. Most brands have proprietary or markety-sounding names for their keyboard’s switch type, but three main categories exist: linear, tactile, and clicks. Every switch type also has a corresponding color to show which category it belongs to, which can be viewed after lifting a keycap from its place.

• Linear: These are smooth, often quiet switch types that produce the least amount of noise when using a keyboard. These are represented by red, yellow, and black-colored switches. These may suit your gaming needs but won’t satisfy the daily use of a typing machine.
• Tactile: Generally recommended for most gamers, tactile keyboards produce a moderate noise level and provide a small bump underneath a press to confirm a key was used. Tactile key switches are brown and clear-colored.
• Clicky: These are similar to tactile keyboards, but provide even more responsive bump when used. They also, as their name implies, produce the loudest click-clack sound. Blue and green-colored switches indicate clicky keys.

If you’re looking for a keyboard to customize an individual keycap’s switch type, look for one deemed “hot-swappable.” It’s tough to find a reliable gaming keyboard with hot swap switches under $150, but we have a single nominee on this list, just in case you’d like a custom keyed experience.

Keyboard Size

Keyboards come in various sizes, but we’re sticking to the three most common for gaming keyboards: full-sized, tenkeyless (or TKL), and 60%. Their differences will inform which type is best for you and your gaming style.

• Full-Sized: These keyboards feature between 104 and 108 keys—any more than that is typically a bonus, programmable key. They include a numeric pad, arrow cluster, and navigation buttons.
• Tenkeyless: A keyboard labeled as tenkeyless, or TKL, does not feature a numeric pad. The omission of the number pad, usually found on the right side of a keyboard, results in a smaller, more compact device, helping conserve space. This also helps keep your gaming mouse closer to your keyboard, resulting in a tighter space for quicker reaction.
• 60%: These compact gaming keyboards lack a number pad, navigational cluster, and a function row. This makes your gaming space more concise as your hands move inside a smaller area, resulting in faster reaction times. These are preferred for those playing first-person shooters.

Macro Keys

Some keyboards come equipped with macros, programmable keys that help gamers perform tasks at the push of a button. These buttons can be customized to auto-run tasks as simple as opening a program or as complex as performing a sequence of keystrokes. How useful they are depends on the game that you’re playing.

Wired/Wireless

Although wireless keyboards may seem convenient for travel and getting rid of wire clutter, they present a latency issue. Because wireless keyboards connect to laptops, mobile devices, and desktops using Bluetooth, users often experience input delays and lag between keystrokes. Wired is the best option when choosing a gaming keyboard to prevent that lag from happening, especially when hitting more than one button at once.

How We Evaluated

To find the best cheap gaming keyboards, we consulted video game publications IGN, Games Radar, and PC Gamer. We also asked our technology test editor, Hunter Fenollol, what he recommends for sub-$100 keyboards. We also scoured through hundreds of products at retailers like Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy, checking out bestselling and highly rated products based on users. This list presents a balance of budget gaming keyboards based on a variety of play styles, budgets, and features.

Looking for more PC gaming goods? Check out our picks for the best gaming mouse, best webcams for streaming, and best gaming chairs according to Reddit.