Cheap gaming keyboards take lessons learned by their more premium cousins and apply them to more budget-friendly boards. That's why you'll find mechanical and membrane options available for under $100, and often well under that threshold. The cheapest gaming keyboards on the market (that are still worth exploring) sit at between $30 and $50. This price range includes entry level options from top brands like Razer and Corsair, just without the extra feature bloat that can come with more expensive models.
The technology in these decks moves so quickly that we're used to seeing high-end features making their way down to a price point of around $50 / £50. You might not be getting the speed to switch customization options of the best gaming keyboards, but you'll certainly hold your own on the battlefield.
Today's best cheap gaming keyboard deals
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- Amazon: 60% keyboards from $29.99
- Best Buy: $50 off Razer mini decks
- Corsair: save up to $70
- Razer: up to 26% off
- SteelSeries: keyboards from $29.99
- Walmart: mouse and keyboard sets from $19.99
The Corsair K55 was one member of the GamesRadar+ Hardware team's keyboard of choice for well over three years. It may not look like much at first glance, but it's in the quiet execution of all the essential qualities of a gaming keyboard that it shines. There's responsive key action, bright lighting, and rugged build quality. That all combines to give this the edge over its similarly-priced competition.
The K55 is admittedly stripped back in its approach, but it does everything it needs to well without any compromises being made. Keep in mind that it's a membrane device, though - it utilizes rubber under the keycaps as opposed to mechanical switches. That means this isn't likely to be the keyboard for you if you're after something clicky.
The K55 carries an MSRP of $49.99 / £54.99, but we've seen that price tumble to record lows of $34.99 / £20 before. If you spot a price nearing that boundary today, you're getting a solid offer, as we haven't seen deals like that in a while now.
Want something a little more advanced? Check out the Corsair K55 RGB Pro XT.
Klim has proved that budget wireless gaming keyboards do in fact exist, and can boast a similar build quality to other RGB-enabled membrane keyboards without hiking the price up. It's also lightweight and rugged enough to be thrown into a rucksack without fear of scuffing or damage.
The company claims that this keyboard takes approximately four hours to reach its full battery charge, which means it should have enough juice to carry you through your next gaming session. It's worth remembering the quiet and soft-touch action of the keys themselves as well. However, it lacks mechanical tactile feedback or clickiness, which is something to bear in mind if that's an essential selling point for you at this price point.
You can often find the Klim Chroma available for around $40 / £30, though we have seen those prices dip down to between $26 and $30 in the US.
You may think that getting a mechanical keyboard for this kind of money would yield poor results, but this Havit model shows that it can be done. The blue microswitches make for that typical loud and clicky feedback that's exactly what you're after in a device like this.
Its form factor is something to note as well; it takes up only the essential space needed to accommodate the keys with little room for anything else, resulting in a slender look. You can also bag it with a high-DPI RGB mouse - perfect for those wanting a high-quality setup at an affordable price point.
These bundles are the best way to save on this already budget gaming keyboard. This is a real budget buy, which means we've seen prices on full setup packages going for as little as £28 in the UK. Offers aren't quite as regular in the US as stock is far less available, but you still stand to pay around $30 for a budget setup.
If you can sacrifice the clicky feel and tactile feedback of a mechanical deck, then there's a lot to recommend about the Apex 3. At first glance, there's the stellar eight-zone RGB lighting and the magnetic wrist rest for a comfortable gaming experience. The fact that it clings to the keyboard ensures less slipping and sliding around when typing or gaming. This is something that some models from other manufacturers don't include, and certainly not in this price range.
As you may expect from a membrane-based gaming keyboard, the Apex 3 is dust and water-resistant which is ideal for those who fear an unfortunate encounter with a soft drink while kicking back with a game. It's a little big, bulky, and heavy, but it will sit sturdily on your desk of choice for thousands of hours.
If you spot any discounts on the (fairly new) SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL below, you're getting a solid offer. We don't see too many gaming keyboard deals hitting this model, but that $44.99 MSRP has given way to a $30 sales price in the past so it's well worth looking out for. Over in the UK, we've seen around £11 off that £49.99 RRP in the past as well.
Are budget gaming keyboards worth it?
In our experience as long-term PC gamers, we've found, generally, that the cheaper models perform just as well for gaming as the high-end branded flagship models do. If you're on a limited peripherals budget, which many of have been in our gaming lives, then you can absolutely enjoy PC gaming on a budget gaming keyboard, especially now that they are becoming cheaper than ever before.
How much should I spend on a gaming keyboard?
There's no definitive answer as to how much you should have to spend on a budget gaming keyboard, but we generally recommend anything around or above the $50 mark to be worth your time and money, especially when they're from the more established names in the scene.
With that said, some of the $25 models in our roundup are top-quality, too, it just all comes down to feature set and build preference at the end of the day which will define the end costs.
Is a mechanical keyboard worth it for gaming?
We've used many mechanical and membrane gaming keyboards in our time as PC gamers, and ultimately it comes down to personal preference rather than one build type having advantages over the other. For example, you're going to get more tactile, clicky responsiveness from a mechanical deck, but these gaming keyboards will also be louder. Membrane gaming keyboards tend to be quieter, but lack such a definitive feedback for gaming, we recommend investing in a cheaper mechanical keyboard if you're on the fence about making the jump, as it's not going to suit everyone's tastes.
If you're looking to invest a little more, we'd also recommend checking out the best hot-swappable keyboards for more flexibility in your switches.
We're also rounding up the best cheap gaming headsets and best cheap gaming monitors if you've wanted to get your setup together on a budget. Should you want to turn your attention towards the hardware side of things, we regularly update our best cheap gaming laptop deals and best cheap gaming PC deals as well.
