In this guide, we’ve taken a look at seven of the best gaming keypads to help you find the best option for your budget and needs.
When you’re a PC gamer, you need the peripherals to help make your gaming sessions more competitive. These can include MMO-compatible gaming mice, or it can just mean a responsive mechanical keyboard with the right key switches for various genres of gaming. In any situation, gear makes the gamer, and some gamers love to work with a dedicated gaming keypad because this peripheral streamlines the control process of some of the industry’s best titles.
Having a dedicated game keypad allows you to have the majority of the keys that a standard keyboard boasts without the need for a large work area to play in. As a result, gamers can experience a gaming session that’s almost console-like but with more buttons in which to control the action. The best gaming keypad can have a wide variety of features like backlighting and well-designed ergonomics that can make the experience more rewarding, so in this guide, you’ll be able to see reviews of seven of the best that are currently on the market.
Table of Contents
1. Quick-Look: Top Gaming Keypads
2. Top Pick: Razer Tartarus V2
A Quick Look at the Top Gaming Keypads
For a quick look at the best gaming keypads, the table below showcases our favorite picks across a few different categories. We’ve made picks for the best gaming keypad overall, the most extreme option, the best gaming keypad for console gamers, and best buget gaming keypad, too.
| | NAME | SPECS | RATING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOP PICK |  | Razer Tartarus V2 |
| /10 | |
| EXTREME |  | Razer Orbweaver Chroma |
| /10 | |
| CONSOLE |  | HORI TAC Pro |
| /10 | |
| BUDGET |  | GameSir GK100 |
| /10 |
*To read more about these gaming keypads, click the “Read Review »” button to check out our overview on that specific option. You can also read about our Honorable Mention picks by scrolling down on this guide.
Our Top Pick:
Razer Tartarus V2
There are few names in gaming peripherals that are more iconic than Razer, and this Razer Tartarus keypad packs in all of the excellent features that you’d expect from the company. For starters, ergonomics was a significant design intent of this keypad; its hand rest is rubberized, comfortable, and fully adjustable so that you can play without fatigue in your favorite positions. This palm rest is also fully detachable, so if you prefer to go without or you have another palm rest in mind, then you have options.
The Tartarus has 32 mappable gaming keys that are also very responsive, and while this is a bit fewer keys than some keypad options, they click firmly and provide an optimal amount of feedback. Additionally, you can expect no ghosting with these keys, and there’s even a thumbstick that you can use to control the action in console-style shooters more accurately. In fact, as a result of this product’s very easy to control thumbstick, this product can also easily be used in console-style games that you wouldn’t typically play on PC.
Like many other Razer products, this has backlighting that sits underneath the keycaps. This backlighting is fully programmable and allows you to access to over 16 million color combinations.
Extreme Gaming Keypad:
Razer Orbweaver Chroma
For our top extreme gaming keypad, we chose another Razer product. The Orbweaver Chroma has Razer’s Chroma design, which means that you can use Razer’s software to customize the number of colors the backlighting can generate. Additionally, you can sync the Orbweaver with some of today’s top games so that when you switch between games, the backlighting changes to match them.
The Orbweaver is a 30-key product, so you won’t quite have as many keys like some of the other options on this list, but in most cases, this is enough for even the most command-centric shooter. Additionally, the keypad has a side-mounted analog stick that makes it very easy to control the in-game action.
When it comes to ergonomics, this may be the most hand-friendly product in the guide; the hand rest is designed to have two adjustable segments that are padded and very comfortable. Also, unlike other products, changing up the configuration of your keys can be done in-game via an overlay.
Gaming Keypad for Consoles:
HORI TAC Pro
One of the classic arguments against console gaming when comparing it to PC gaming is that its control system is more limited, especially when you’re playing games in the MOBA, RTS, and FPS genres. This is because consoles have limited button arrangements, but with the HORI Tactical Assault Commander Pro, you can bring the accuracy of a keyboard and mouse to console gaming.
This two-part peripheral works well with consoles to provide you a mini keyboard for your gaming, and it even comes with a mouse so that you can have precision control. This game keypad even can stand toe-to-toe with other PC-centric gamepads, so using it cross-platform can work out well for your gaming sessions as well.
The HORI Tactical Assault Commander Pro has features like adjustable key-sensitivity and LED backlighting, which is subdued-looking but attractive. Additionally, there are genre-centric buttons that allow for easy sniping, ADS lock, and even a quick button that’s easy to hit in a pinch.
The TAC also has an adjustable and cushioned hand rest; when you need to adjust it, all you have to do is move it on its hinges so that you can achieve a more comfortable positioning.
Budget Gaming Keypad:
GameSir GK100
The GameSir GK100 is our pick for the best budget-friendly gaming keypad. This product packs in 34-keys, and each uses blue key switches to provide that “clicky” style of performance that many PC gamers prefer. WASD players should have no problem getting used to the functionality of this device, and the keys mentioned above are highlighted with directional arrows so that you can find them easily.
The space bar is also very responsive so that you’ll be able to jump fluidly in most games without stuttering. When it comes to ergonomics, the base pad at the bottom of the keypad is also rubberized and comfortable so that you can play for hours on end without any discomfort. The pad even is set on a rail so that you can position it for the optimal level of gaming comfort. During play, you’ll experience no ghosting, and with full key rollover, you won’t have to worry about missing inputs either.
Finally, this is a fully backlit keypad; you can utilize the included software, or you can cycle through the eight included color profiles using the on-pad switch.
Honorable Mention #1:
Koolertron Cherry MX
When it comes to responsiveness and a “clicky” style of feedback, cherry MX switches are the industry standard. This mini keyboard, which is manufactured by Koolertron packs these types of keycaps into its design.
This peripheral uses cherry MX black keycaps, and it has 43 keys arranged in a very standard keyboard-like design. In fact, unlike the other products mentioned in this guide, this product almost looks like what you’d get if you cut a standard keyboard in half. For this reason, it has a very traditional ergonomic design, and if you want a hand rest, you’ll have to invest in an external product.
The keyboard also has built-in macro programmability, and it has onboard memory so that you can store configurations inside of the device. This is very useful for those that use multiple machines, which means that the configurations can be transferred from desktop to laptop with ease.
Like many other products of the type, this keypad incorporates anti-ghosting tech so that you don’t lose keystrokes, and it even has backlighting that causes the keys to shine in a bright golden coloration.
Honorable Mention #2:
ACGAM RGB
One of the first things that you might notice about this keypad is that its “F” keys—they’re located in a semicircular pattern around the top of the device—have calligraphy-style F’s on each key. Outside of this exciting design choice, the shaping of this keypad is unique, and each of the keys arranged at the top can also manage media and open up various programs.
The remainder of the keys have a fairly standard design, and there are 104 of them in total, which makes this a keypad that has almost the same number of keys that are found on a standard keyboard. Some of these keys are numerical and are relatively small, and there are large ‘Enter’ and ‘FN’ keys, which means that this keyboard is also relatively portable and laptop-friendly.
You’ll experience no issue with ghosting with these keys and multiple key-presses won’t cause any loss in performance, and if you’re looking for backlighting, this product packs in a good level of visual performance. These lights are programmable and provide more than a few color options that you can customize for your games.
Honorable Mention #3:
PinPle Keyboard
When comparing this product to any of the previous ones covered in this list, you’ll notice exactly how much the WASD keys stand out from the others. These pronounced WASD keys are pretty helpful for when you need to reorient yourself during fast-paced action in-game. These keys are also very durable and will last for millions of key presses. Wondering about how responsive the keys are? Each of the keys has a good level of action and click firmly into place when you strike them.
When it comes to ergonomics, this game keypad also has a nice one-hand design that is perfect for those looking for an easily navigable device. You can hold it claw-style, which will allow users that love to play with this hand shaping with their mouse to play the same way with their keyboard. The space bar is easy to reach, and if you have ALT and CTRL key-bindings, it’s easy to hit those keys for alternate in-game functions.
The palm rest might be the softest out of all of the products reviewed here, but keep in mind that it’s not removable or adjustable. Still, it’s wide enough to accommodate any palm position comfortably and ergonomically.
Which Gaming Keypad is Right for You?
Each of the products covered in this guide can provide you with the tools you need to game effectively. They are all ergonomic, mappable, and have unique features that can work out very well for dedicated PC and even console gamers. So, if you need a gaming keypad to take your gaming to the next level, one of the options listed above should work for your needs.
The best gaming keypad was the Logitech G13; Too many keypads try to emulate the left side of the keyboard; or like the razers stack the keys yielding further ergonomic reach mechanic; when what my peers and I value are the additional programmable buttons both LEFT and right of WASD. 2 columns left and right being fairly optimum ergonomically.
Frequently we find our selves shifting to RDFG centered play on a standard keyboard to increase left finger functionality. Logitech was the first company to recognize this; but their biggest failing was their membrane keys (specifically those near the multidirectional toggle)
Does the hori tac pro allow you to play apex legends immediately off plug in play or do I still need to order the apex xim?