Best gaming keyboards to buy in India 2022: Razer, Gamdias, HyperX and more | 91mobiles.com

If you are an old-school PC gamer like me then you probably prefer a mouse and keyboard combo over a controller. Sure, a controller has its advantages in certain games, but nothing beats the versatility of having numerous keys at your disposal. Now when it comes to keyboards made specifically for gamers, there are quite a few options to choose from. Manufacturers these days offer a bunch of features to deliver the most optimum experience to the user, like super-low latency, custom key switches, macro keys, and so on.

If you are out in the market looking for a new gaming keyboard, the choices are endless. To make things easier, we have listed some of the best ones out there. But before we dive into the recommendations, here are some key features you need to consider before buying one.

Choosing the right gaming keyboard

Build quality and cost

Build quality is an obvious consideration when looking for a gaming keyboard. Not only does one want their keyboard to be a great companion while gaming, but it should also offer a great typing experience for when you just want to get some work done. While low-end gaming keyboards priced Rs 10,000 and below usually come with a full plastic finish, certain high-end models come with a strong aluminium base making them more robust and offering a longer shelf life. Certain keyboards are also dust and spill-proof while others offer military-grade certifications. As for pricing, gaming keyboards are available for as low as Rs 800-900 going all the way to Rs 20,000-30,000. The more you pay, the more premium and feature-rich keyboard you get.

Size and Layout

Primarily you can get three sizes –  full size, tenkeyless or TKL, and smaller 60-percent. Full-size keyboards are the most common featuring 104 or more keys. These include a dedicated numpad, a full set of function keys on top, and some additional media keys or volume dials. Tenkeyless keyboards come without the numpad keys on the right, so while the overall length is shorter, you get to retain most of the important keys. Lastly, there is the 60-percent keyboard, which has a very basic and tight layout without any function keys, numpad, or any sort of additional keys. These are great for someone looking for a compact and minimalistic setup, however, you lose out on some additional keys. Hence you have to either rely on macros or dedicated key combos.

There are also certain keyboards with a size that is somewhat in between, like 65-percent and 70-percent, but the ones mentioned above are the most conventional gaming keyboard sizes.

Key switches

Once you have decided on the size of your keyboard, the next feature to consider is the key switches. Mechanical keyboards are quite popular but there are also membrane or rubber dome switch-based keyboards.

Mechanical keyboards include a switch mechanism for every single key. The keycap sits on top of a stem that is connected to a spring, some metal contact leaves, and a slider, all of which are placed inside the housing of a switch. These individual parts can be tinkered by manufacturers, thus making them more versatile and available in a variety of options. Cherry is one of the most popular mechanical key switch manufacturers, but today a variety of OEMs are making their own key switches.

Broadly speaking mechanical key switches can be linear, clicky or tactile. Linear switches are smooth and offer a consistent actuation without any tactile feedback. The actuation of a keypress or the key is registered when it bottoms out. Tactile switches are similar to linear but include a bump halfway through the key’s downward travel. This bump signifies the actuation point, meaning that the keypress is registered before it bottoms out. Clicky switches are more or less the same as tactile switches, however, the bump in the mechanism gives out a louder and satisfying sound. Certain high-end mechanical keyboards also offer optical-mechanical switches that have additional optical or light sensors that make the actuation faster.

Membrane keyboards have rubber domes or pressure pads under each key and complete the circuit once they are pressed. There are no mechanical parts involved, instead, it makes use of silicone or a rubber pad that sits on top of the circuit board. This allows manufacturers to make slim, compact keyboards that are more resistant to dust and liquid and hardly require any maintenance. They do have certain shortcomings, for instance, they are not absolutely accurate and one needs to press the keys firmly to register a key. Also, the rubber padding on the inside is more prone to wear and tear compared to mechanical switches. 

Keycaps

Keycaps are an important factor when choosing a keyboard, although the good thing is most keycaps are replaceable. The material of keycaps is crucial and one is either going to find ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) or PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate). Both are basically plastic, with ABS being smoother, more common and quite cheap while PBT on the other hand is textured, less common, but more durable. Then there are double-shot keycaps that are made by injecting two different types of plastics. This allows for permanent imprinting of the letters on each keycap and allows for better lighting to shine through the keys. One can also get custom keycaps made out of non-conventional materials like metal, rubber and even wood, but each has its own pros and cons. If you do plan to swap your default keycaps, just make sure that your keyboard has a standard layout, or else you will be stuck with options available only from the original manufacturer.

Backlighting

Most gaming keyboards, even the budgeted ones, come with some sort of LED backlighting for the keys, and who doesn’t want some RGB lighting to show off? Cheaper keyboards offer zone-based or limited lighting under the keycaps but if you are looking for immersive lighting effects, go for a keyboard with per-key lighting. Certain keyboards also go beyond the keys and have light bars around the base of the keyboard. Additionally, some keyboards come with dedicated software to control lighting effects and other features.

Other considerations

Apart from the above, you should also consider certain features when buying a gaming keyboard. For instance, does the keyboard come with a braided cable, is there dedicated software to control lighting and macros, bundled wrist rest, media controls, and, of course, the warranty.

List of best gaming keyboards: 

EvoFox Fireblade

Indian IT brand Amkette offers gaming peripherals under the EvoFox branding with reasonable choices on offer. The EvoFox Fireblade is one of its most affordable gaming keyboard offerings priced at just Rs 999. It is a membrane-based keyboard having a TKL design with 87 keys that are rated for 10-million keystrokes alongside anti-ghosting with up to 19-keys. There are also some multimedia keys that can be accessed via the function keys on top, three-zone RGB lighting with a single breathing effect, a braided USB cable, and laser engraved keycaps. 

EvoFox Fireblade: Price in India and availability

The EvoFox Fireblade, as mentioned above, is priced at Rs 999, but is selling at a discounted price of Rs 949 on Amazon. The keyboard can also be purchased via Amkette’s official website as well as Flipkart.

Buy: Amkette, Amazon, Flipkart

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• Anti-ghosting and Windows lock support

Cons:

• Average backlighting
• Basic plastic build quality
  

Redgear Shadow Blade

This is one of the most affordable mechanical gaming keyboards with Blue switches offering tactile feedback. This full-size keyboard comes with a removable wrist rest, a braided cable, and a knob on the top right corner that lets you control media like play/pause and volume control. There is also RGB backlighting with up to 22-modes, however, the colours are fixed meaning that it is zone-based rather than per-key. Additionally, the top of the keyboard deck has a metal finish giving it a sturdy look and feel.

Redgear Shadow Blade: Price in India and availability

You can purchase the Redgear Shadow Blade from Amazon as well as Flipkart. The original price of the keyboard is Rs 2,400 but is currently listed at Rs 2,349.