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Best gaming keyboards in Australia for 2021

Using the best gaming keyboard can define the line between first place or being just another casualty on the virtual battlefield. Here are our top 5.

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Alex Kidman

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Chris Jager
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The best gaming keyboards for 2021:

  1. Best gaming keyboard overall: HyperX Alloy Elite RGB
  2. Best hybrid gaming keyboard: Razer Huntsman Elite
  3. Best compact gaming keyboard: Logitech G PRO X
  4. Best gaming keyboard for customisation: Razer Ornata V2
  5. Best wireless gaming keyboard: Logitech G915

How did we pick this list?

Finder's team of experts have tested and reviewed every gaming keyboard on this list. For each model, we consider the design, performance, features and overall value compared to other gaming keyboards on the market. The selection and order is not based on review scores. More detail on methodology below.

Best gaming keyboard overall: HyperX Alloy Elite RGB

RRP from $290

  • Fast, highly responsive keys
  • Sturdy and durable design
  • Hefty price tag

Amazon pricing: Check site for current pricing

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Why we chose it

The Alloy Elite RGB sits in our prime position because it's a durable keyboard with a simple design that you get to pimp out with your choice of RGB patterns. Its actuation is exceptional and above all comfortable to use for those lengthy gaming sessions, which also means it crucially passes the test for being your everyday work keyboard as well.

Note: Kingston released the HyperX Alloy Elite 2 in August 2020. However, it doesn't come with Cherry MX switches and we still prefer the original. Get it while you still can.

Read Finder's full HyperX Alloy Elite RGB review

Best hybrid gaming keyboard: Razer Huntsman Elite

RRP from $299

  • Toes the line between clicky and linear
  • Delightfully tactile typing experience
  • Extremely noisy
  • Synapse for Mac needs some TLC

Amazon pricing: From $279.25

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Why we chose it

Want to strike the fear of God into your opponents with your aggressive keyboard play? Of course you do. Razer's Huntsman Elite is one of the loudest keyboards we've tested, but it does so with hybrid opto-mechanical switches that require less force to press and should have greater durability than classic mechanical types.

Read Finder's full Razer Huntsman Elite review

Best compact gaming keyboard: Logitech G PRO X

RRP from $239

  • Compact design
  • Can swap out keys and switches to suit
  • Keys hard to read without RGB
  • Clicky version is loud

Amazon pricing: From $179.00

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Why we chose it

The Logitech Pro X doesn't look like much more than a simple gaming keyboard with the requisite RGB lighting installed, but as your mother used to tell you, beauty is more than skin deep. The secret that could make the Pro X compelling to you is that it features not only removable keys, but removable key switches.

Don't want extra-clicky hard keys any more? Swap them out, individually or all at once depending on your preferences. It's the absolute extreme end of customisable gaming keyboards. It won't be for everyone, but some folks will adore it.

Read Finder's full Logitech G PRO X review

Best gaming keyboard for customisation: Razer Ornata

From $189.90

  • Mecha-membrane switches deliver clear and consistent feedback
  • Leatherette wrist rest is comfortable and supportive
  • Expensive for a non-mechanical keyboard
  • Not drastically different from the original Razer Ornata Chroma

Amazon pricing: From $104.71

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Why we chose it

The Razer Ornata V2 makes small yet smart improvements to the original Ornata Chroma which was released back in 2017. Like its predecessor, it's an excellent gaming keyboard that balances precision. Although the clean and simple style is largely the same, it now comes with a new multi-function wheel and media keys which are very welcome additions.

The custom mecha-membrane switches aren't quite as reliable as a mechanical keyboard but they're significantly more resilient than a traditional membrane version. If you're a fan of RGB lighting, the included app's Chroma Studio section is a great tool to tinker with, allowing you to layer individual lighting effects on top of each other with a wide range of speeds, colours and layouts to choose from.

Read Finder's full Razer Ornata V2 review

Best wireless gaming keyboard: Logitech G915

RRP $399.95

  • Low-profile switches provide a good balance of high responsiveness and mechanical feedback
  • Lightspeed wireless performance is excellent
  • Comes with a hefty price tag
  • Low-profile switches aren't going to appeal to everyone

Amazon pricing: From $299.00

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Why we chose it

If you can stomach the hefty price tag, the Logitech G915 is one of the best wireless gaming keyboards on the market. It benefits from a sturdy steel and aluminium chassis that's impressively thin for a mechanical keyboard. The design is mature and understated enough to double as a business keyboard. But the real stars are the low-profile switches – they're highly responsive while still providing solid feedback during online gaming.

Read Finder's full Logitech G915 review

How to choose the best gaming keyboard

  • Keys are absolutely key: The heart of any gaming keyboard are the keys and switches that lie beneath them. At the cheaper end of the spectrum you're more likely to hit membrane-based keyboards that work by running a current between plastic membranes under each key. They're cheap to produce, which means that they're cheap to buy, but durability and speed aren't their strong suit. Switching up – pun intended – you get to mechanical switches of varying quality and speed. There's also a range of hybrid approaches that use a mix of mechanical mechanisms and optical sensors to determine the difference between a mis-tap and a proper thumping keystroke.
  • Switches are a matter of taste: There's no "wrong" or "right" answer to whether you prefer the quieter and lower profile linear type or the more tactile clicky type switch underneath your fingers. For some gamers, there's nothing like the machine-gun noise that you get from a clicky switch and these are usually the switches that afford the longest individual key travel. Others will prefer a quieter keyboard with lower key travel for faster actuation.
  • Size matters: Again this is a personal preference matter and may well depend on the kinds of games you play. At one end you've got the tenkeyless compact approach, which is great if you travel with your keyboard because it'll take up much less travel space – or less space on your desk. At the other end you can go all out with keyboards that not only include the number pad but any number of additional gaming functions, media keys and control features.
  • Subtle lighting? Never heard of it: There's little doubt that most gaming keyboards stand out due to the inclusion of sometimes-garish RGB lighting. There's an immense quantity of variance here, not just in colours but also customisation options, whether you do prefer an all-out approach that looks like a lost night in Las Vegas or something distinctly more subtle that conveys your own individual brand.
  • Wired or wireless? You'll always pay more for a wireless option, and you've got to keep it charged, but most good gaming keyboards manage many hours of usage before requiring more juice. If your PC streams up to a TV, having a keyboard you can use on the sofa is a lot of fun, but some gamers are more in the camp of sitting at a desk where wireless is less vital.
  • Price versus performance: The reality if you just want a mechanical keyboard is that you can score that for under $100 pretty easily. Justifying any price above that means that a gaming keyboard has to go above and beyond in some way, whether that's with better RGB lighting, key switch or cap options or other additional features.
Amazon prices last updated on 2 August, 2021 at 03:01 am

Methodology

15+
Brands considered
109
Keyboards compared
5
Products chosen
  • We tested and reviewed every keyboard model on this list.
  • We compared gaming keyboards that could be purchased online by Australian consumers.
  • The products on this list are chosen by our editorial team and are not selected based on commercial relationships.

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