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The keyboard may be the most unglamorous of peripherals, with its uncomfortable tendency to conjure up images of sitting in office cubicles. But if you're a mad-keen online PC gamer then finding the best keyboard is vital.
Whether you use it to control strafing in all directions in a first-person shooter, or to select from an arsenal of spells in an MMO, it's the primary tool that allows you to showcase your skills and establish an all-important reputation. So it pays to invest in the best one available.
With that in mind, we've selected the 10 best gaming keyboards available for all the different flavours of PC gamers. Whether you're a World of Warcraft ninja or an up-and-coming Counter-Strike: GO expert, and whatever your financial situation or space requirements, you should be able to find the best keyboard among this selection. Starting with the most expensive at the top, we've ordered the below models by price, which is subject to change.
Mechanical keyboards offer a superior tactile feel to traditional membrane models, but they're damn noisy. That's why Corsair made the Strafe RGB Silent, the first mechanical keyboard to use Cherry's MX Silent keyswitch. Featuring a dampening noise system integrated into each key, it lets you get your game on without the constant clacking of keys driving you - and people around you - insane. While the quieter switches still make a noise, the snapping sound they make upon actuation is muffled in comparison to Cherry MX Red or Brown switches. The Cherry Strafe RGB Silent is also beautiful, capable of flashing all the colours of the rainbow thanks to per-key RGB backlighting.
2. Razer DeathStalker Ultimate
An expensive option, but with unique touch sensitive screen
Razer's apocalyptically named DeathStalker Ultimate is another gaming keyboard that tends to polarise opinion. It's fearsomely expensive, yet has a membrane keyboard, so if you demand mechanical keys, you can safely ignore it. But it has one totally unique feature: a touch-sensitive LED screen (with 10 programmable touch-keys above it) that has all manner of gaming applications. With custom-designed apps for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Battlefield 3, Counter-Strike: GO and Team Fortress 2, you can assign all sorts of useful functions to the touch-screen, and you can design your own apps for it if you're that way inclined. A curiosity indeed, but it might just give you the edge if set up properly.
Something of a status symbol among high-end PC gamers, Razer's BlackWidow Chroma takes a thoroughly bespoke approach to fulfilling gamers' needs. Instead of using Cherry's mechanical keys, it boasts its own specially designed ones, with less travel, but still bags of feel. This could prove to be to your taste, but you still might want to try before buying. It also has five programmable macro keys, keeping the MMO and MOBA-lovers happy, and you can customise the colours of its rainbow backlighting.
The G910 Orion Spark uses another type of mechanical keys – the Romer-Gs – which, Logitech claims, are the fastest ones on the market. It's a handsome beast thanks to full colour-control over key illumination, and has a clever mobile phone dock, which is handy for those games that have accompanying apps. Nine programmable macro keys should excite the MMO/MOBA brigades, too.
5. Division Zero X40
Steeled for online gaming
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: 5 |Features: 5 programmable macro keys, red LED backlighting, USB 2.0 pass-through, quick access media controls, gaming mode button, Alpha-Zulu mechanical switches, headphone and microphone jack, interchangeable aluminum top panel
Thick top covers
Clicky or silent keys
Side positioned macro keys
No volume wheel
Better known for producing some impressive professional keyboards, the X40 comes as part of Das Keyboard's new Division Zero gaming lineup. Available with clicky (or optionally silent) tactile keys, Das utilizes its own custom made Alpha-Zulu switches that have a very similar feel to Cherry MX Red keys. What's more, the X40 comes with interchangeable thick aluminum panels making this one of the strongest and most rigid keyboards around.
6. Roccat RYOS MK Pro
Not the prettiest, but robustly built
Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: Yes | Programmable keys: Yes |Features: Per-key illumination, Two 32-bit ARM CPUs, Integated media hub, Advanced ant-ghosting, Five rubber feet, Roccat Talk, Roccat achivements display, 500 programmable macros
Easy shift key is innovative
Wide Cherry MX mechanical keys section
Blue only choice of backlight
Bulky wrist rest can't be removed
The RYOS MK Pro might just be the most high-tech gaming keyboard in existence, with not one but two 32-bit ARM processors built in. So you can record and unleash up to 500 macros on the fly, which could give you the edge in an MMO or MOBA. A clever 'Easy-Shift' key lets you remap the entire keyboard, and you can light up individual keys or groups of them. Plus it has a palm-rest, a USB hub, and built-in audio jacks, and is available with all the different flavours of Cherry MX mechanical keys – black, red, brown and blue – which have subtly different amounts of travel.
They're small, they're simple and they're tough and they can capture your life like never before
Action cameras are unlike any other kind of camera. They're designed to be attached to helmets, surfboards, cars and other objects, and they're small, tough and simple, with a lens that captures the world in high-definition video in a wide-angle fish-eye perspective.
Their small size and dramatic POV ('point of view') footage has made them popular with extreme sports personalities who capture their adventures by attaching cameras to themselves or their equipment. They're also used by TV production companies where using a regular video camera would be impossible.
Action cams are almost the opposite of regular video cameras – they're small, they're inexpensive, they're simple to operate and tough.
GoPro is the market leader with its iconic box-shaped Hero cameras, but action cams also come in a 'bullet' style, like the iON Air Pro. There's lots of choice now, and you shouldn't just buy on brand – think about what you want from an action camera and how you plan to use it.
If you're helmet mounting, then a bullet cam will probably be the best choice. For a chest mount a box design will be more stable. And when it comes to features, do you really need Wi-Fi, 4K, GPS or even a screen? These all bump up the price, and while they are invaluable in some situations, you can still get great footage without them.
1. TomTom Bandit
Shake-to-edit features could tempt users away from GoPro
Weight: 190g | Waterproof: Splashproof, with lens swap | 4K video: 15fps |1080: up to 60fps | 720: up to 120fps | Stills resolution: 16Mp | Battery life:3hrs
Clever editing features
Easy to mount and position
Heavy compared with competitors
Requires a lens swap to water proof
Bullet shape cams might have fallen out of fashion recently thanks to GoPro and its box-shaped cameras, but the TomTom Bandit bucks the trend. In fact, the Bandit packs features that other manufacturers will need to follow if they're to keep up with this newcomer. Taking years of GPS experience, TomTom has built in a series of sensors that not only record location but speed and G-force too, so that when these sensors pick up that something exciting has happened they automatically tag the footage. Back in the pub and with the app open and connected, a quick shake of your phone and the app will automatically edit your footage ready for upload. It really couldn't be easier.
2. GoPro Hero4 Black
4K video from the biggest name in the action camera market
Weight: 89g (152g with housing) | Waterproof: 40m (case included) | 4K video:30/25/24fps | 1080: up to 120fps | 720: up to 240fps | Stills resolution: 12Mp |Battery life: 1-2hrs est
Exceptional image quality
Plenty of video quality options
Expensive compared to rivals
Menu options are daunting
We really rate the TomTom Bandit, but the GoPro Hero4 Black is a close second. It's the company's flagship model, featuring a wealth of video options and accessories that help to ensure the model and brand's popularity. These options include 4K video or slow motion full HD video at 120 frames per second, alongside a range of 1080p full HD frame rates. This makes it a great choice for professional videographers as well as home users who want flexibility over the video quality and resolution settings. If however you just want a camera that captures the action then the the GoPro Hero4 Black may just be overkill.
3. Garmin Virb XE
Capture your action, speed and location at the same time
Weight: 152g | Waterproof: 50m | 4K video: No | 1080: up to 60fps | 720: up to 120fps | Stills resolution: 12Mp | Battery life: 2hour
GPS and other motion sensors built in
Waterproof without additional case
Bulky compared to competitors
Less suitable for vehicle mounting
The original Garmin Virb introduced motion sensors and GPS tracking to action cameras, adding an extra element to capturing the action, like the TomTom Bandit. Building on the solid foundation of the original Virb, Garmin has revisited the design, losing the bullet shape and remodeling the camera around the popular 'box' style. This new shape makes chest mounting far easier and, as with the original, the build quality is excellent. The XE offers increased video quality, it's waterproof without an additional case, features Wi-Fi along with compatible app and software, this all makes the Virb XE one of the best action cameras at present.
4. Veho Muvi K-Series K2 NPNG
Comprehensive package and amazing 100m dive depth
Weight: 84g | Waterproof: 100m | 4K video: No | 1080: up to 60fps | 720: up to 120fps | Stills resolution: 16Mp | Battery life: Up to 4hrs
See the best Veho Muvi K-Series K2 deals
100m waterproof depth
Comes with loads of extras
Waterproof casing is bulky
Not fully compatible with the GoPro mount
It's not a familiar High Street brand, but UK-based Veho has put a great deal of effort into making sure that its Muvi range of action cameras is a major contender in this competitive action cam market. The box design and wealth of mounts included in the box is a great move. Its design and build show that it is made to withstand the action, and an ultra-tough dive case quotes a maximum depth of 100m – deeper than all the rest and far greater than we're able to test.
5. iSAW Edge
Leading the pack of high-spec budget action cameras
Weight: 64g | Waterproof: 40m, with waterproof housing | 4K video: 10fps |1080: up to 60fps | 720: up to 120fps | Stills resolution: 16Mp | Battery life:2hrs
High end features at a budget price
Compatible with the GoPro mount
Small LCD screen
4K limited to 10fps
It has its limitations but the iSAW Edge is still an incredibly capable action camera at a price that defies its features. The spec sheet really does look too good to be true for the price, with 4K capture, 120fps slow motion at 720p and up to 60fps at 1080p. The design is similar to the GoPro Hero series and the 40m waterproof housing is fully compatible with the majority of GoPro mounts, but where the camera really wins confidence is in the quality of both the build and video. Footage is sharp clear and crisp and the overall design takes on board easy clean elements such as a flat, wipe-clean lens, that so many of the newer manufacturers totally overlook.
6. GoPro Hero4 Session
Back-to-basics box-shape action camera
Weight: 74g | Waterproof: 10m | 4K video: No | 1080: up to 60fps | 720: up to 100fps | Stills resolution: 8Mp | Battery life: 1.5-2hrs est
On button operation
Superb new mount design
App required to adjust settings
Video options limited at this price
The Session is a welcome break from the standard GoPro design, and strips back the action camera concept to its basics – but the price does seem high for the video options available, which stops this moving further up our list. This is a camera designed as a perfect cube design harnessed within a skeleton frame. This design makes it incredibly easy to mount in any direction. The large Record button on the top starts and stops recording so there's no worrying about different modes and options – that's all handled by the app. The Session feels like a welcome return to the basics but still captures the quality of video that you'd expect from GoPro.
7. Drift Stealth 2
Compact, mount-anywhere action camera
Weight: 97g | Waterproof: 40m using optional case | 4K video: No | 1080:30/25fps | 720: up to 60fps | Stills resolution: 12Mp | Battery life: 3hrs
Small and lightweight
300 degree rotating lens
No live view stream through app
Limited to 30fps at full HD
The Stealth 2 is an incredibly small action camera, making it an ideal choice for anyone wanting a helmet or vehicle mounted device. As with the larger Stealth-S, this compact version features a 300 degree rotating lens which enables the easy leveling of footage without the need for adjusting mounts. Despite the small size, the battery is good for a staggering 3 hours of life and enables easy charging through USB. Recording options are limited to a maximum of 1080p at 30fps, however, but there's a good selection of lower resolutions with higher frame rates. The Stealth 2 is a lightweight yet robust action camera ideal for use in difficult to mount situations.
8. Sony FDR-X1000V
Clear, crisp 4K video quality
Weight: 114g | Waterproof: 10m, with waterproof case | 4K video: 30/25/24fps | 1080: up to 120fps | 720: up to 240fps | Stills resolution: 8.8Mp | Battery life: N/A
See the best Sony FDR-X1000V 4K Action Camera deals
Class topping video quality
Great combo with the live view remote
Fussy about MicroSD cards for recording 4K
Camera shape isn't always easy to mount
The X1000V demonstrates Sony's long standing expertise in imaging. It offers outstanding visual quality with 4K video and full 1080p video at 120fps, so you can capture stunning large scale or slow motion footage. The only snag is that while many other cameras have adopted the GoPro mounting system, Sony has stuck to its own. However, this does lock solid and is of exceptional quality – and mount adapters for GoPro accessories are available if you need them. There is also the option to use the RM-LVR2, a wearable wrist live view remote that gives complete control over the camera and is a great accessory if you're mounting the camera out of reach.
9. Kaiser Baas X100
Australian action camera combining price and performance
Weight: N/A | Waterproof: 30m, with waterproof case | 4K video: No | 1080:30fps | 720: up to 60fps | Stills resolution: 5Mp | Battery life: Up to 2.5hrs
Kaiser Baas X100
Solid performer and a good price
Plenty of accessories available
Casing prone to hoarding mud
Very limited on recording options
The X100 leads Kaiser Baas's latest range of action cameras. It follows the tried and tested GoPro box style of design and features the standard GoPro mount on the base. There is little to fault when it comes to build quality with the sturdy 30m waterproof housing and it even comes with its own wrist remote for easy operation. Video options are a little limited when compared with the latest batch of action cameras, though, with a maximum resolution of 1080p at 30fps, and the video quality is also little less refined than some – but the visuals are still sharp and vibrant. At the price it offers a good, solid choice for anyone looking for a first action camera.
10. Panasonic HX-500E
Unique design best suited for head mounting
Weight: 185g combined | Waterproof: 3m | 4K video: 25fps | 1080: up to 50fps | 720: up to 100fps | Stills resolution: 8.3Mp | Battery life: N/A
Panasonic HX-500E
Two section design
Easy navigation of options
LCD relatively low quality
Only really suits helmet mounting
Panasonic has taken a different design approach to the main swathe of action cameras by splitting the device in two – the camera and main unit. The two sections are connected by a cable, which means that you need to find two different ways to fix the camera to your person or vehicle. However, video quality is excellent, with options to shoot 4K as well as HD formats. NFC, Wi-Fi and a built-in screen are other welcome features. It's a great idea, but the design restricts it mainly to helmet use.
