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Choosing the best gaming keyboard in Australia is a much bigger decision than just finding something with a satisfying sound.
No matter how much time you spend gaming, you’re probably going to want to use this keyboard for your other daily typing duties, from sending emails to browsing the web.
As such, a satisfying sound is only part of the decision.
You need to find a keyboard that looks great, sounds amazing, and is comfortable for you to type on. You need something that is fast to respond to your every key press.
And you need to find something that matches your gaming setup; something that looks great next to your gaming laptop and gaming mouse.
There are a surprising number of different technologies and features to consider when choosing a gaming keyboard. We’ve broken them down at the bottom of the page.
But to help get you started, we’ve done the research to determine this list of the best gaming keyboards you can buy in Australia today.
It’s worth remembering that what’s best for you may not be the best for the next person, so consider all the different things you want from your gaming keyboard before you buy it.
These are the 2 best gaming keyboards you can buy in Australia today
Razer BlackWidow V4 75%
Recommended by 40% of review sites
There is a lot of contention across review sites as to which models are best, which is why see only a couple of products make the list this update.
The Razer BlackWidow V4 75% is a 3/4 sized keyboard, making it a great option for anyone without a huge amount of desk space looking for a high performing gaming keyboard.
With easy hot-swappable switches, you can customise the feel of your keyboard quickly and efficiently.
With RGB lighting built in and Razer’s Orange Tactile switches on-board, you get an extremely responsive and comfortable experience for a relatively affordable price.
Asus ROG Azoth
Recommended by 40% of review sites
This wireless mechanical keyboard from ASUS’s Republic of Gamers brand delivers an impeccable typing experience for anybody, not just gamers.
Gamers will also enjoy the litany of features on offer, from per-key RGB lighting, high speed wireless connectivity and great battery life.
There are a range of switch options available to suit your personal typing preferences, and you can customise the keyboard easily thanks to bundled tools.
It’s one of the best gaming keyboards on the market right now, so if you’re after impressive performance and feel, this is a great option.
How we chose the best gaming keyboards in Australia
Review sites – including this one – are subjective by nature. Everybody has a different opinion of what is best.
So to try and counter the fact that every best guide on the internet has a different opinion of what is best, we approached our list by combining the results of some of the top sites recommending gaming keyboards on the market today.
To determine this list, we followed the same journey most consumers would follow: we went to Google.
We searched for “Best gaming keyboards” and identified 10 of the top results. It’s important to note that Google results can change often, so the full list of sites we referenced is outlined below:
The full list of sites referenced:
We then listed out all of the gaming keyboards listed on each site, tidying up any slight differences in spelling for consistency.
When it comes to gaming keyboards, there are typically multiple variants of the same family available. You might get a wired or wireless model, there may be a model with RGB or not, and there may be full size or 60% sized variants.
In previous versions of this guide, we tried to consolidate all variants into a single listing. However, this wasn’t always accurate, so as of our January 2024 update, we have decided to stick with each variant. As such, only two products have made our list in this update.
It’s important to consider this when making your own buying decision.
For determining what products were included, we calculated how often each product was mentioned across those 10 guides. The more frequently a product is mentioned, the more agreement there is between experts reviewing these products. We set a minimum of four mentions across all 10 guides to be eligible for inclusion here.
Before we created this page, we went through the list to make it relevant for our local audience. We removed products that are either unavailable, or difficult to find in Australia.
We also leveraged our own experience with products to ensure that we wouldn’t be recommending any product that doesn’t deliver.
What to look for when choosing the best gaming keyboards in Australia
Whether you’re after one of the models listed above or something completely different, the decision factors you need to consider when buying a gaming keyboard are the same.
Keyboard type
The biggest differentiator when it comes to gaming keyboards is the way it detects key presses. Typically, you are looking at three different options: Mechanical, Membrane or Optical.
Mechanical keyboards
Historically, most gaming keyboards came with mechanical switches. These switches offered a sturdy connection between the key and the press, which you could audibly hear. The clickety clack of button presses typically comes from a mechanical keyboard.
Membrane keyboards
Look at your modern day laptops and many use a rubber membrane under the keycaps to register a key press. These keyboards are a lot quieter, without the loud click of a mechanical keyboard, but aren’t as responsive, which doesn’t make them great for gaming.
Optical keyboards
Similar in design and approach to mechanical keyboards, an optical keyboard uses an infrared signal to detect a keypress rather than a physical connection between the switch and the actuation point. This increase its responsiveness significantly, while maintaining the sound and style of a mechanical keyboard.
Keyboard size
When choosing your gaming keyboard, you need to decide how big you would like it to be.
Many of the top models in Australia today come in different form factors and size, including full size, Tenkeyless (TKL), which ditches the number pad for a more compact design, or 60% size, which compresses the space between keys to reduce the keyboard’s footprint.
Switch type
When you’re choosing your mechanical or optical gaming keyboard, the type of switch the keyboard uses can make a big difference.
Do you want a loud clickety clack as you press the keys? Or are you after something more subtle?
Do you want the keypress to register at the lightest touch, or once you’ve committed to pressing it down?
The switch can control most of these features. There are a lot of different switch types available, but they can largely be broken down into three different styles: Linear, tactile and clicky.
Linear switches
Linear switches are smooth to press and relatively quiet. They are easy to press and there’s no obvious feedback when you reach the actuation point. The popular Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Black switches are both linear in style.
Tactile switches
Tactile switches have a little bump, or feedback point when you achieve actuation. This is somewhere in the middle of the keypress, and indicates when the key has worked. After that point, there’s little resistance from the key.
Clicky switches
These are the noisy keyboards. The key will click when it reaches the actuation point. You can get clicky switches with varying levels of resistance, making it easier or harder to press down to activate the key press.
Wired or wireless
It may come as a surprise that some modern wireless gaming keyboards are just as responsive as their wired counterparts, so performance isn’t really that big of an issue when it comes to deciding between a wired or wireless model.
More important is battery life. The last thing you want is for your keyboard to die midway through a major boss battle.
Also note that some wireless keyboards have limitations on their RGB lighting usage when in wireless mode, which could interrupt your visual aesthetic.
Lighting
Many of the best gaming keyboards these days come with customisable RGB lighting. Whether you think it will improve your gaming performance or not is up to you, but consider how much you want to customise the lighting options, or sync between your other gaming accessories, like your gaming mouse or your gaming headset.
Price
Expect to pay at least $100 on a high quality gaming keyboard.
It is entirely possible to spend less than this by picking up a cheap brand online, but if you’re serious about getting the most from the gaming keyboard, you shouldn’t cut corners by spending less than necessary.
At the other end of the scale, a premium gaming keyboard can approach $500 and occasionally surpass it. The good news is that they often get discounted, so you can shop around and make sure you get it on sale.
Update history
- 14 March 2023 – First Published
- 14 June 2023 – Updated number of recommendations for guides. Added the ASUS ROG Azoth keyboard.
- 29 September 2023 – Updated number of recommendations for guides. Removed the ASUS ROG Azoth keyboard and the Razer Huntsman V2.
- 22 January 2024 – Updated the stratgey to not consolidate variants. Reduced the number of mentions required to 2. Updated number of recommendations for guides. Added the Razer Razer BlackWidow V4 75%. Removed SteelSeries Apex Pro, Logitech G915 Lightspeed, Corsair K70, Roccat Vulcan II, HyperX Alloy Origins, and the Corsair K100.
