Best High-End Gaming Keyboard 2023

Go for speed with optical switches and an up to 8,000Hz polling rate on a wired keyboard full of RGB lighting and five onboard memory profiles.

Most keyboards tote the classic mechanical switches, but if you’re into competitive gaming, where winning or losing comes down to milliseconds, optical may be the way to go. These switches offer up an even quicker actuation and don’t suffer from the same debounce electrical interference that can add input delay to mechanical keyboards. The Razer Huntsman V2 offers up solid linear optical switches that are both consistent and responsive. And with a polling rate of 8,000Hz to register inputs even faster, this keyboard is all about clicking first to win the game

At $200, the Razer Huntsman isn’t cheap, but it offers impressive value considering its performance and features. Naturally, you’re getting some slick visuals with Razer’s RGB lighting. You can also set up five profiles to save on the keyboard itself, and a dial along with media buttons add to the convenience. As far as ergonomics go, there’s a large, plush wrist rest that attaches with magnets. The keyboard also doesn’t take up more space on your desk than it needs to.

6. Logitech G915 TKL

Best High-End Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Interface: Wireless | Key switch options: GL Clicky, GL Linear, GL Tactile | Features: Per-key RGB lighting, onboard profiles, dedicated media controls, Bluetooth | Size: 15.2″ x 5.9″ x 0.9″

The Logitech G915 is pretty great, so if you want a slightly more compact keyboard, you're in luck. The Logitech G915 TKL takes what was already a winning keyboard, and trims it down to a compact gaming champ. You, of course, lose out on that num pad, but do you even need it? Keeping it even sleeker is the slim design afforded by its use of low-profile GL switches. These mechanical switches are still speedy and tactile, but half the size of your average mechanical switches. It's truly impressive that even at its reduced size, this keyboard manages to include dedicated media controls and a volume wheel.

And did we mention it's wireless? That's right, the Logitech G915 TKL also uses the company's gaming-grade Lightspeed Wireless to offer 1ms response times. You can enjoy a top-notch gaming experience without turning your desk space into a jungle of wires. All you need to do is plug in the USB dongle and get gaming. When you want to use the keyboard with other devices, it can even connect over Bluetooth.

7. Das Keyboard 6 Professional

Best High-End Gaming Keyboard for Work

Interface: Wired | Key switch options: Cherry MX Brown, Cherry MX Blue | Features: USB-C passthrough, media controls, white LED backlighting | Size: 17.5″ x 5.31″ x 1.17″

The Das Keyboard 6 Professional is geared toward people who want a keyboard for work and occasionally like to dabble in some gaming. You won’t be able to remap keys or create custom macros with this wired mechanical option, but it’s well-made, offers full n-key rollover to ensure every press is registered, and features Cherry MX Brown switches. These switches are tactile and clicky, making for a great experience whether you’re annihilating opponents on the battlefield or typing up a report.

The focus of the Das Keyboard 6 Professional is productivity, so there isn’t any colorful RGB lighting like you often find on gaming keyboards, but rather a simple white glow to make viewing in the dark easier. However, you get two handy USB-C pass-throughs which are perfect for charging up your peripherals or transferring data. Another convenient inclusion is the dedicated media controls above the number pad, including a massive volume knob.

8. Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro

Best High-End Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro
This wired mechanical keyboard comes with media controls, macro buttons, and a handy dial on top of all the traditional keys, and everything can be programmed to your gaming preferences.

Razer’s BlackWidow V3 Pro was an outstanding keyboard, and the newest model, the BlackWidow V4 Pro, only improves upon its greatness. There are two mechanical switch options, so you can go for either a tactile feel and satisfying clicky sound with green switches or speed and a smooth typing experience with yellow. Whichever you choose, they hold up great and offer reliable, responsive gameplay, while an 8,000Hz polling rate can give you a slight edge over opponents. The full-height, Doubleshot ABS keycaps that cover those switches are attractive and feel great, though PBT would’ve been nice to combat inevitable wear.

This wired mechanical keyboard is slightly larger than most full-size keyboards, leaving room for a volume roller, four media keys, eight dedicated macro controls, and a handy “Razer Command Dial” with eight default modes and 100 custom modes. All the keys are also programmable, so you can customize settings to your gaming preferences and save up to five profiles onboard. And Razer didn’t forget about comfort as you frantically hit keys by including two incline settings and a well-padded wrist rest.

9. Mountain Everest Max

Best High-End Modular Gaming Keyboard

Interface: Wired | Key switch options: Cherry MX Red, Blue, Brown, Speed Silver, Silent Red | Features: 1,000Hz polling rate, hot-swappable switches, modular accessories, dedicated media controls, RGB media dock, per-key RGB lighting, onboard profile storage, macro keys, cushioned palm rest | Size: 18.15″ x 10.43″ x 1.69″

All the other keyboards on this list are cool and all, but what if you want something different? The Mountain Everest Max is exactly that. This keyboard is modular in more than a few ways. While plenty of keyboards will let you swap keycaps or even switches, the Mountain Everest Max supports hot-swappable key switches, so you can make your changes on the fly.

That's just the start. The Mountain Everest Max comes with a few attachable accessories, including a media dock that can control a variety of settings and a number pad with four customizable shortcut keys. Those accessories are attachable at multiple points on the keyboard, or you can put them away for a more compact footprint. There's also a magnetic wrist rest. Basically, you can turn this keyboard into a very different device whenever you want.

10. Asus ROG Falchion

Best High-End Compact Gaming Keyboard

Interface: Wired/Wireless | Key switch options: Cherry MX RGB Red, Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Brown | Features: 2.4GHz wireless, Side touch panel, Keyboard cover, Per-key RGB lighting | Size: 12″ x 3.98″ x 1.5″

Asus has taken a high-end keyboard and distilled it into an incredibly compact form factor. The Asus ROG Falchion is a 68-key keyboard with a 65% layout packed into a 60% keyboard frame. From a practical standpoint, that means you’re getting a high-performance mechanical keyboard ready to razzle-dazzle while only taking up a foot of horizontal space on your desk. And, yes, that also means the ROG Falchion is quite portable, so it’s thoughtful of Asus to have included a keyboard cover for all your on-the-go needs.

Despite its small size, the Asus ROG Falchion is surprisingly ripe with features. It boasts Cherry MX key switches that come backed with RGB lighting. It’ll let you run in a wired mode, but it also offers 2.4GHz wireless for a 1ms response time that’s game-ready. It even has enough battery to run for up to 450 hours on a charge. Though the form factor has to sacrifice some keys, Asus snuck a touch panel onto the side of the keyboard that can handle volume controls, switch apps, or serve up macros.

What to look for in a High-End Gaming Keyboard

Today, the best high-end keyboards for gaming all sport a similar design and feature set that's dictated by what is currently en vogue in the gaming world. That includes a healthy combination of most of the following: per-key RGB lighting, mechanical or optical switches either from Cherry or made in-house, dedicated media controls and macro keys, USB and headset passthrough ports, and easy-to-use software to let you assign macros, customize your lighting, and even set up per-game profiles.

Finding the right high-end keyboard for you is all about taking a look at how manufacturers combine these features in different ways. You should seek out a high-end gaming keyboard that strikes the right balance between form, function, and what you're looking to use it for.

High-End Gaming Keyboard FAQ

Is an expensive gaming keyboard worth it?

Whether or not you splurge on a gaming keyboard really depends on how often you play and if you do it competitively. For those who just occasionally game after school or work, you’ll get by just fine with a more basic budget gaming keyboard. But those who kick it up a notch by playing lots of different games or are pro-level will find a high-end keyboard can make a world of difference.

Pricier keyboards often offer higher-quality mechanical switches and more durable keycaps to increase the longevity of the board. It’s usually easier to swap out these switches, making them highly customizable, and you can sometimes set the actuation distance of the keys, which can be a real boon in certain games. Beyond that, you’ll find macro controls and media keys, while many options are fully programmable with extra storage space to save profiles on board.

That’s just touching the surface, as the polling rates are higher for quicker, more responsive gameplay, and RGB effects are usually taken to the extreme with these top-tier boards. Many of these features can give you an edge over opponents, but if you don’t think you’ll use most of them, then you might as well save some bucks and spend on other peripherals, like a gaming mouse or headset.

Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.