Best mechanical keyboard 2020

Features that add a twist to backlighting include separate lighting zones, adjustable colors, and the highlighting of the most used keys. Some keyboards will even allow you to customize the lighting behind each individual key instead of entire zones. In a scissor switch, the silicone still plays the role of the spring but it is typically slimmer in profile. Moreover, there is an “x” mechanism added to stabilize the whole thing. Scissor switches are pretty common in laptops, but they are sometimes used on budget gaming keyboards as well. These are bottom tier switches, which you will find only among the cheapest gaming keyboards, or among keyboards that weren’t built for gaming in the first place.

You can get tactile razer orange, clicky green, or linear yellow switches, and the orange switches we tested provide nice tactile feedback and are light to press. It has dedicated media keys, a volume control wheel, and a windows key lock button.

There are even more features that a gaming keyboard may let you customize. Two of the most popular of these are macro-commands, also known as macros, and dedicated shortcut keys. Others will go the extra mile and introduce in-game statistics, text communication, and touchscreen displays built right into the keyboard. Others include dedicated profile keys for toggling specific sets of keyboard functions for particular games as well as dedicated media keys. Some of them also have usb passthroughs which allow you to connect other usb peripherals to the keyboard rather than the pc. Things get interesting here because keyboard backlighting and customization would be irrelevant features on a regular keyboard. Backlighting is pretty important when you’re in a dark room and you need to see the keys you’re pressing.

It also feels very well-built, and gamers should appreciate all the customization options, such as programming the rgb lighting or setting macros. Unfortunately, the companion software is only compatible with windows, mouse keyboard reviews but at least there's onboard memory, so you can save your settings on it and use them when you switch to any other device. When shopping for the best gaming keyboard, it's hard not to be confused by all of the options and switches available on the market right now. Some keyboards use standardized switches like the cherry mx or kailh, while other companies create their own.

Generally speaking, a mechanical keyboard is better for gaming, but it might not be for everyone. Whether you're after a speedy keypress for fast-paced games, or you simply want to make the humdrum task of typing a little more enjoyable, this guide will help you find what you need. There is a lot of crossover with the best mechanical keyboards featured on this list—because, for a lot of us, mechanical keyboards are the best gaming keyboards. But because some people don't appreciate the feel or the noise, we've also included a couple of less expensive, high-quality membrane switch variants too. A marvel of a mechanical gaming keyboard, the logitech g915 provides top-class switches and keys to deliver incredibly good performance, and its ultra-slim form will take up minimal space on your desk. This is the fastest gaming keyboard with mechanical switches we’ve seen. As the corsair k70 rapidfire switches are mechanical and don’t feature laser actuation systems, unlike the razer huntsman elite and hp omen sequencer, it’s not quite as quick off the mark as its rivals here.