For gamers who love a tidy desk and a fast connection!
Way back when the world was new, and “ray tracing” was something that only happened in oceanographic illustrations, you needed a wired keyboard to play PC games. Otherwise the old-fashioned wireless connections could lag or skip out, possibly costing you that crucial shot or goal. But that’s no longer the case. Modern wireless keyboards are generally fast enough, and wireless gaming keyboards are faster than any human’s reaction time and rock-solid stable to boot.
You can use any old keyboard to play PC games, but there’s an additional element to consider when you’re looking for the best wireless gaming keyboard: latency. The Bluetooth connection on a keyboard like the otherwise excellent Keychron Q1 Pro just isn’t up to snuff for the fast-paced world of online shooters and other multiplayer games, so you’ll want something with a dedicated RF connection and a USB-based dongle. A better alternative would be the Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard, which lets you switch between a dedicated USB-C dongle for PCs and Bluetooth for mobile devices.
Corsair K65 Plus Wireless – Best wireless gaming keyboard overall
Pros
- Solid hardware
- Great value for wireless
- Tons of customization options
Cons
- No wrist rest
- slightly awkward default layout
Combining the specific and oddly popular niche category of “75% mechanical keyboard with a bunch of custom features” with easy and solid wireless, Corsair’s K65 Plus is a winning pick. It’s a solid all-around board that doesn’t blow you away in any one category, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. With high-quality components, great customization options, good switches for both typing and gaming, and better software than most, plus a very competitive price, this is the keyboard you want if a wireless high-end board is on your radar. A dedicated button on the side to switch lighting on and off is particularly useful for untethered gamers.
Alienware Pro Wireless – Best gaming keyboard for travel
Pros
- Unique curvy body
- Great switches
- Dual wireless
Cons
- Expensive
- Janky software
- No wrist resto wrist rest
Alienware offers another 75% layout with some custom-inspired features. It isn’t quite as good as the Corsair K65 above, with fewer customization options and some pretty terrible software. But it earns this spot because the Pro Wireless is extremely compact without giving up utility. Its curvy aluminum body is just begging to be slipped into a bag for some on-the-go gaming, and its absolutely massive battery can keep it going even if you insist on keeping the pretty lights on. Even the wireless dongle — a still-rare USB Type C one — is designed to more easily match with modern laptops.
Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro keyboard – Best low-profile wireless gaming keyboard
Pros
- All the features of a big Razer board in a small size
- Comfy media controls
- Many connection options
Cons
- Default mute is a bit tricky
- No wrist rest
The Deathstalker V2 Pro is a bit of a throwback for Razer, recalling the days when expensive gaming keyboards were thin and sleek. This one’s still mechanical though, so it has that great typing and gaming feel with a bit less key travel. The big, finger-friendly volume wheel is particularly nice. There are thinner options out there, like the Corsair KIOO Air, but it’s both more expensive and less comfortable. The Deathstalker V2 also comes in a TKL size if you don’t need a num pad.
Redragon K596 Wireless Keyboard – Best budget option
Pros
- Low price
- Included wrist rest
- Long battery life
- Volume wheel
Cons
- Ugly keycaps
- Can only program G keys
- No Bluetooth
If you need a wireless gaming keyboard for under a C-note, Redragon (pronounced “re-dragon,” maybe, who knows?) is happy to provide. While this model lacks fancy features like multi-device Bluetooth, it includes a few that you wouldn’t expect at this price point, including a volume wheel and an included magnetic wrist rest. It also has a surprising focus on gaming functionality: Custom “G” buttons can be bound to individual functions or macros on the fly. The ABS plastic and branding aren’t exactly gorgeous, but you can use the money you’ve saved to grab some custom keycaps.
Keychron Lemokey L3 – Best ‘custom’ wireless keyboard for gaming
Pros
- Typical Keychron build quality
- Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless
- Lots of extras
Cons
- No per-game programming
- No adjustable typing angle
- Takes forever to disassemble
Premium mechanical keyboards in the “custom” category are hard to find in wireless form, and even harder if you want something with a speedy connection suitable for gaming. Keychron has made a name for itself with its high-quality designs featuring things like all-aluminum bodies, gasket mounting, and hot-swap switch sockets. The Lemokey L3 is the company’s first gaming-focused model, which has all that plus 2.4GHz wireless. Though you can program in a few profiles, there’s no per-game layout customization, and actually opening the keyboard to do some custom work will take you a long, long time.
Apex Pro TKL Wireless keyboard – Best wireless analog board
Pros
- Only wireless board in this niche
- Good software package
Cons
- Chattery, uncomfortable switches
- Limited dual actuation
- Poor build quality
- Short battery life
To be perfectly clear: At the time of writing, this is the only wireless gaming keyboard on the market that also offers analog keys with adjustable actuation. That means you can set the Apex Pro TKL’s keys to activate at a light or hard press, and change each one to your liking, or even set two different functions to light or hard. But the Apex Pro is expensive, doesn’t feel great, and it has a completely superfluous OLED screen. If you absolutely must have an analog keyboard, you might want to consider going wired instead.
Pardon me for being obvious, but wireless keyboard shoppers should care about the same things they would for a regular keyboard…only wireless. Expect to pay a significant premium over wired designs, at least when looking at multiple models from the same category or brand. More personal and subjective features, like the feel of mechanical switches, might necessitate a trip to your local electronics store (or tracking down a handy key switch tester for trying dozens at once).
FAQ
What kind of wireless should a gaming keyboard use?
Gaming keyboards tend to use RF wireless with a USB dongle, instead of a Bluetooth connection, which is more popular with modern “standard” wireless keyboards. That’s because it allows manufacturers to use a more reliable direct connection, with a higher polling rate — that means the connection between the board and your computer refreshes itself much more often, minimizing input lag. Some advanced models still include Bluetooth, along with fancier options like pairing multiple devices to the same USB dongle. Range typically isn’t a concern if you’re using a keyboard with a gaming desktop, but you might want to think about it if you have a gaming PC hooked up to your TV.
Most high-end wireless gaming keyboards can also use a direct wired USB connection, if you’re worried about wireless interference in a crowded environment.
What kind of mechanical switches should I choose?
Modern mechanical keyboards come in a staggering array of switch varieties, from smooth and linear to loud and clickly, with tons of options for mechanisms and spring strength. The only real way to know which one you prefer is to try ’em out (retail store displays are great for this). That being said, more expensive keyboards tend to come with nicer, high-quality switches from name brands like Cherry and Gateron. For the ultimate in customization, track down a keyboard with hotswap switches, which let you swap out the switches for new and different ones whenever you want.
Recently more advanced types of switches have emerged, like optical and “laser” switches tripped by interrupting a beam of light, or “mag lev” switches that allow you to adjust the actuation force it takes to activate the key. These are interesting, but tend to lack actual utility (unless you have truly superhuman perception), and increase the price of keyboards phenomenally.
Can I customize a keyboard’s keycaps?
Keycaps are the little pieces of plastic that sit on top of the switches — what your fingers press down on. Switching out the keycaps for a set of nicer ones, maybe made of better PBT plastic or themed after your favorite TV show, is a popular and easy keyboard mod. Some keyboard makers even sell their own upgrade sets. Keycaps with a Cherry MX-compatible stem will work with almost all modern mechanical switches, just make sure you find a set that matches the layout of your keyboard.
What keyboard layout should I choose?
The layout of the keys on your keyboard varies more than you might think. Full-sized (100%) keyboards include a 10-key number area to the right of the arrow cluster, but gaming models often omit this in order to make more room for mouse movements, calling this the “10-key-less” or “TKL” layout. Some keyboards go even smaller, with 60% being the smallest that mainstream brands use, chopping off the Function row, 10-key area, and even the arrow keys (which have to be accessed via a Fn button). A few designs go even larger than the full layout, with an extra column or two of programmable keys for custom bindings or macros.
But there are a wide range of layout choices between these broad categories. Popular 65% and 75% keyboards are quite small, but still keep the arrow keys for ease of use, while smooshing down some others to make room. Ergonomic layouts on split keyboards try to emulate the curvy designs of some elaborate conventional keyboards. Which one you want comes down to use-case, available space, and perhaps more pertinently, taste.
These general layouts shouldn’t be confused with country- and region-specific key layouts for letters and numbers, like ANSI and ISO. Most popular designs are available in at least those two variants.
How long does a wireless gaming keyboard battery last?
Unlike gaming mice, battery life generally isn’t a big concern with gaming keyboards. They’re big enough that there’s plenty of space for internal batteries that last for weeks, or even months, between charges. That is, unless you over-use that fancy RGB lighting with dazzling animation…in which case, it might last just a few days or hours. It’s best to turn off the lights if you don’t know when you’ll get your next charge. If it’s available, check the milliamp-hour (mAh) rating for the battery.
Do I need LED lighting on a gaming keyboard?
Even budget gaming keyboards come with LED backlights these days, giving you a little extra help when hunting for keys in the dark. More elaborate models — especially from brands like Razer and Corsair — offer fully synchronized RGB light shows with elaborate animations. But unless you’re constantly playing in the dark and you can’t touch-type, it’s entirely cosmetic. It’s fun, that’s about it. You don’t need lights on a keyboard, it’s just a fun extra.
What extras should I look for in a wireless gaming keyboard?
Keyboard makers are forever trying to one-up each other with extra features. Larger boards usually include dedicated media controls, and the nicer ones get a fully programmable wheel or knob, as well as hot-swap switch sockets that let you experiment with different types of key switches. An especially nice option is on-device memory, allowing you to keep key layout programs without running a driver program on each new computer. The most expensive boards have premium metal bodies, internal foam for sound reduction, and sometimes even gasket mounting, which gives the keys an extra bit of bounce by suspending them between two layers of foam or silicone.
None of these are really necessary, but they’re all nice and enhance the experience. Depending on your taste and budget, you can look for a board with a few extra features, or hunt down a super premium “endgame” design with all of them.
