Finding a cheap gaming keyboard can make a major difference in your day-to-day life. What's better is getting your hands on a high-quality board without having to take out a second mortgage. We're also a big fan of any filled with LEDs, adding a nice pop of color to your setup.
There's no need to give up on lots of features to secure a gaming keyboard for as little as $50 / £50 these days. No matter whether you need a budget gaming keyboard to see you between higher-budget decks, or you're simply building yourself a more affordable setup, there are plenty of choices available right now.
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.
We tend to see budget gaming keyboard deals really ramp up during larger sales events, but regular discounts throughout the year also offer up a steady supply of savings. Whether you're after a full deck or something a little more ergonomic, you'll find the full range of budget gaming keyboards we'd recommend watching out for just below.
Today's best cheap gaming keyboard deals
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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 in gaming keyboard deals of summer 2021. 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.
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.
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.
Much like the K55, the Razer Cynosa V2 is also membrane-based for a quiet and softer feel. The star of the show here - as with other Razer keyboards - is the company's Chroma RGB lighting, which, while a bit more basic than the visual effects found in the pricier models, still looks impressive.
This particular Cynosa is built with the purpose of being dust and spill-resistant, so it's unlikely to short out if you accidentally splash a can of cloudy lemonade over it (as I can, unfortunately, attest to with other keyboards that did not survive contact with drinks). Ultimately, if you're after a Razer device but don't want to drop the hundreds of dollars sometimes required, you'll still find excellent value for money here.
This deck launched at $59.99 / £49.99, and over in the US we often see that price dropping down to $49.99 (though discounts are less forthcoming over the pond). The cheapest we've ever seen these keys is $44.99 / £39.99, so any discounts moving past $50 / £45 are well worth your time.
Read more: Razer Cynosa V2 review
The HyperX Alloy Core RGB is another quiet keyboard, but this time it is decidedly understated - even with all the flashing lights. Speaking of that RGB, things are a little more straightforward. This is ideal for those who would prefer to set something quickly that looks good without tweaking things endlessly like with the aforementioned Chroma software.
Also included as standard are the dedicated media keys, featuring easy access to volume and playback control in a place that's unobtrusive. That's certainly not a feature to be taken for granted in the majority of budget gaming keyboards. The Alloy Core isn't a keyboard that's going to turn many heads, but it's more than serviceable about everything it does.
At full price, this budget gaming keyboard sits at just $49.99 / £49.99, however, we often see that price knocked down to $34.99 in the US (and it even hit a $29.99 record low at the end of 2021). We have been seeing more gaming keyboard deals on this model over in the UK during the last year, with prices hovering around £40, giving way to a record low of £22 during a particularly speedy flash sale. We would aim for a $35 / £39.99 price here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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