The 5 Best RGB Keyboards - Fall 2024

The Corsair K100 RGB is the best RGB keyboard we've tested for true RGB lighting fans. This keyboard has a whopping 44 RGB zones, including RGB strips along both sides and the top edge and lighting surrounding the programmable dial; you can also use this dial to toggle between lighting profiles or adjust backlighting brightness directly on the keyboard. You can program the lighting for each of these zones independently or customize lighting for any individual key using Corsair's iCUE software, which also allows you to sync the lighting with any other Corsair peripherals or pieces of hardware you may have in your desktop setup.

This keyboard also has a few other standout hardware features, including dedicated media keys and a column of programmable macro keys on the left side of the board. It also supports a much higher-than-average maximum polling rate of 8000Hz and an effective update rate of 4000Hz. This helps it maintain extremely low and consistent split-millisecond latency, making it a standout choice for casual or competitive gaming in any genre. Not only that but the Cherry MX Speed Silver switches are optimized for gaming, with an incredibly short pre-travel distance and a light actuation force. This keyboard's price tends to fluctuate, but it's at its best value when it falls to around $200 USD or less.

The keyboard with the best RGB lighting at an upper mid-range price point is the ROCCAT Vulcan II Max. Like our best pick above, this keyboard often goes on sale, so we recommend picking it up when it falls below $180 USD. This model is a full-size gaming keyboard with linear or tactile optical switches and unique RGB features. For starters, it has a transparent acrylic wrist rest, providing additional ergonomic support while you're typing. It also diffuses the colors from the additional RGB lights on the front of the board. This keyboard has 24 keys with an extra dedicated LED that lets you know when secondary functions are active. You can also fully customize the lighting on a per-key basis and sync your lighting effects using the software with other ROCCAT peripherals you own.

If you have a smaller desk or don't need a Numpad and are looking for a smaller alternative, this keyboard comes in a smaller Compact (65%) version called the ROCCAT Vulcan 2 Mini. The Mini is also considerably cheaper, although it doesn't include additional RGB lights on the front or an acrylic wrist rest like the full-size Max version.

Note: The Turtle Beach company purchased ROCCAT and is rebranding some of its current production models, including these two keyboards. As such, you may see them sold as the Turtle Beach Vulcan II Max or the Turtle Beach Vulcan II Mini. Besides different branding, we expect both these models to be identical to the older ROCCAT branded models.

If you're looking for a solid mid-range option with outstanding RGB, we recommend the NuPhy Halo96 V2, part of NuPhy's wider Halo lineup. We've highlighted the largest 96% size option here since it offers the most extensive RGB, but this keyboard is also available in a smaller, compact 75% layout if you'd like more room on your desk for mouse movements while gaming. This wireless keyboard features a high-profile design. In addition to backlighting, it also focuses on acoustics with layers of silicon sandwiched inside and what NuPhy calls a 'GhostBar,' which is a spacebar with added polycarbonate and silicon pieces that dampen its sound and feel. You can buy this keyboard in several different expressive colorways and switch options. It also has a hot-swappable PCB, allowing you to change out the switches more easily if the stock options aren't to your preference.

Now, when it comes to lighting, this keyboard has an impressive array of RGB zones that wrap around the entire keyboard, shining out from the translucent plastic bottom case. Unfortunately, the stock keycaps don't have shine-through legends, making them hard to see in dark rooms. That said, there are a set of helpful homing bars, which are shine-through slits on the 'F' and 'J' keys to help you quickly orient your hands on the home row in darker rooms. Additionally, NuPhy does sells sets of shine-through keycaps on their website. Like the other options on this list, this keyboard comes with companion software allowing you to adjust the brightness, color, and effects of the RGB lighting.

The Razer Huntsman Mini is the best RGB mechanical keyboard if you're on a budget. It has excellent build quality, with a high-grade plastic body, an aluminum top plate, durable double-shot PBT keycaps, and outstanding RGB backlighting that shines brightly through the key legends. You can adjust the lighting's brightness using the keyboard, but you'll need to install Razer's Synapse 3 companion software to set up custom lighting profiles.

The Razer optical switches in the board provide an incredibly light and responsive typing experience, especially when your fluid keystrokes are combined with the keyboard's extremely low latency, making it a stellar option for fast-paced games. You can buy the keyboard with Clicky switches that provide audible, tactile feedback or smooth, lightning-quick Linear Optical switches. However, unlike our mid-range pick, the NuPhy Halo96, it doesn't have a hot-swappable circuit board that lets you easily change out switches later.

The Razer Cynosa V2 is the best cheap RGB keyboard we've tested. While most keyboards at this price point only have zone lighting or can only display one color at a time, the Cynosa V2 has full RGB backlighting and a frosted backplate to diffuse and soften the light shining between the keys. You can use Razer's Synapse 3 software to customize effects and colors, and the keyboard itself has built-in hotkeys to adjust brightness.

Unfortunately, this keyboard lacks gaming features. The slightly high latency makes the board best suited for casual rather than fast-paced gaming. The rubber dome switches require a bit of force to actuate, so they don't feel as snappy and responsive as the optical switches in our best budget pick, the Razer Huntsman Mini. Build quality also lags behind pricier units, with cheap ABS plastic keycaps that easily collect oil from your fingers and a thin, somewhat flimsy-feeling all-plastic chassis.