Best mini keyboards 2024: top gaming picks

The perfect mini keyboards are a lot smaller than conventional full-size gaming keyboards. Which means you may match them in a extra compact setup, in addition to take them with you once you’re touring. Among the many best gaming keyboards, there are a number of compact sizes, 75%, 65%, and 60%, making it straightforward so that you can discover the proper steadiness between controls and dimension.

A 75% keyboard just like the premium Asus ROG Azoth has three-quarters the variety of keys as a full-sized, and can usually give you keys for media controls and programmable macro keys with the operate key rows.

65% keyboards just like the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed take issues down a notch to 67 or 68 keys and cast off the operate row making an “Fn” key a necessity. Most laptops have a 65% structure, so in case you use one usually you can be very conversant in this structure and it’s about as small as we’d suggest for phrase processing.

Most 60% keyboards will go a step additional and take away the arrow keys, so that they’re finest suited to video games with a minimal set of controls reminiscent of esports titles like Counter-Strike 2. Nonetheless, the Mountain Everest 60 bucks this development by providing arrow keys and an non-compulsory numpad.

There’s quite a bit to love on this space-saving class, and plenty of of these mini gaming keyboards additionally match into our best RGB keyboards and best wireless mechanical keyboard guides. If dimension is a precedence, these are the most effective mini keyboards for gaming that we’ve tried and examined.

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Finest mini keyboards 2024

The perfect mini gaming keyboard

Mountain Everest 60 specs:
  • Structure60%
  • ConnectivityWired
  • Key Change SortMechanical
  • Variety of keys55
  • Dimension115 x 307 x 464 mm
Causes to purchase
  • Pre-lubed, hot-swappable switches
  • A 60 keyboard with arrow keys
  • Non-compulsory numpad (offered individually)
Causes to keep away from
  • Ports aren’t passthrough
  • Software program typically freezes

Creating mini gaming keyboards usually comes with sacrifices, however the Mountain Everest 60 has discovered a steadiness not like another, with arrow keys and a removable numpad (offered individually) out there.

The Mountain Everest 60 has RGB lighting round its rim, a premium brushed aluminum end, and a number of other magnetic toes to regulate the angle to your liking. You additionally get three separate USB-C ports on the again to decide on the place you wish to join the wire.

The switches are hot-swappable. Utilizing the keycap and swap pullers, you may come out Mountain’s personal and add Cherry MX alternate options if you wish to, including versatility to the providing. the switches are hot-swappable. Mountain’s Base Camp desktop app isn’t all the time essentially the most steady, however it lets you customise and animate the RGB lighting, arrange macros, and create as much as 5 totally different profiles for a number of video games or makes use of.

Finest wi-fi mini gaming keyboard

Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini Hyperspeed specs:
  • Structure65%
  • ConnectivityWired or wi-fi
  • Key Change SortMechanical
  • Variety of keys68
  • Dimension351 x 174 x 53 mm
Causes to purchase
  • Excessive-quality Doubleshot keycaps
  • Very comfy palm relaxation
  • Properly-priced
Causes to keep away from
  • Razer Chroma is a bit bloated
  • No ISO structure

The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini Hyperspeed usually finds itself in our suggestions for the most effective gaming keyboards, due to its high-quality building, consolation, and smart value. With very low latency in its wi-fi mode and connections through each 2.4GHz wi-fi and Bluetooth, it’s excellent in case you like your gaming setup uncluttered.

The RGB lighting of the BlackWidow is customizable utilizing Razer’s Chroma software program, which is much extra dependable now due to an overhaul. For good measure, Razer Synapse has additionally been improved so that you’re in luck in case you plan to run a Razer gaming laptop alongside this keyboard. The BlackWidow is fantastically crafted and options DoubleShot keycaps that really feel pretty to kind on. Razer’s switches are very performant too.

Learn our Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini Hyperspeed evaluate.

Finest 65% with extremely responsive speeds

Corsair K65 RGB Mini specs:
  • Structure60%
  • ConnectivityWired
  • Key Change SortMechanical
  • Variety of keys61
  • Dimension 294 x 105 x 44 mm
Causes to purchase
  • Individually programmable RGB keys
  • As much as 8,000Hz report price
Causes to keep away from
  • No wrist relaxation
  • Can’t change peak

The very first thing you’ll discover about Corsair’s K65 RGB Mini is its dimension. It’s tiny however nonetheless manages to be simply as sturdy as larger choices, nevertheless, there’s no wrist relaxation included. In contrast to the Razer Huntsman Mini and HyperX Alloy Origins 60, which characteristic their proprietary switches, Corsair sticks with Cherry MX switches which are extremely responsive and satisfying to faucet away at.

You lose devoted operate keys, numbers, and media controls, but when saving area on the best gaming desk is your prime precedence, otherwise you need an important LAN companion to associate with the best gaming laptop, then the K65 RGB Mini is a unbelievable alternative and one of many best-looking keyboards round.

Asus ROG Azoth

Finest premium mini gaming keyboard

Asus ROG Azoth specs:
  • Structure75%
  • ConnectivityWired and wi-fi
  • Key Change SortMechanical
  • Variety of keys75
  • Dimension‎136mm x 40mm x 326 cm
Causes to purchase
  • Built-in OLED display
  • Wi-fi connection is quick and steady
  • Quiet operation
Causes to keep away from
  • Buggy software program help
  • Costly choice

The Asus ROG Azoth presents you a candy spot in compact keyboards, being smaller than full-size however with out the compromises you get with a 60 or 65% choice. You get Operate keys and arrow keys, plus a 2-inch OLED display to show settings and system information at a look.

The keyboard is well-connected, with as much as three Bluetooth pairings concurrently, and also you recover from 2,000+ hours of low-latency gameplay utilizing its 2.4 GHz wi-fi mode. There’s particular help for Mac customers, though some customers have reported the software program help for macOS being buggy. In contrast to the Corsair K65 RGB Mini, you may set the keyboard to 3 totally different positions for better consolation.

Exterior of constructing a DIY keyboard with top-end elements, it’s unlikely something will come near the Asus ROG Azoth. The pre-lubed NX Pink switches make it really feel extra akin to a customized keyboard you could purchase off the shelf and the textured PBT keycaps provide up the proper quantity of friction for correct keystrokes.

Underneath these is the per-key RGB lighting system which is endlessly tuneable through Asus’ Armory Crate software program. Admittedly, the software program generally is a bit fiddly, however when you’ve acquired it arrange how you want, you shouldn’t want to the touch it any additional. There’s quite a bit to like right here for certain, and this wi-fi keyboard is simple to improve your self, however it comes at a premium value.

Royal Kludge RK61

Finest for players on a finances

Royal Kludge RK61 specs:
  • ConnectivityWired and wi-fi
  • Key Change SortMechanical
  • Variety of keys61
  • Dimension329 x 142 x 569 mm
Causes to purchase
  • Good worth
  • Wi-fi functionality
  • Customizable
Causes to keep away from
  • Just one space of RGB lighting
  • Wants palm relaxation

The Royal Kludge RK61 delivers a budget-friendly value, and it’s moddable if you wish to use it as a beginning base for a customized DIY construct. There are not any media keys at this type issue however the RK61 is definitely programmable and you should use the Fn key to regulate them through the operate row.

You possibly can realistically use the RK61 anyplace owing to the three modes of connectivity, with the two.4 GHz dongle particularly having very spectacular low ranges of latency. Battery life isn’t the most effective, at 10 hours, however we wouldn’t have anticipated far more for the value level.

Per-key RGB lighting is out of the image and you’re caught with the included presets, however the RK61 is an efficient alternative if you would like a fundamental choice for gaming.

How we selected the most effective mini gaming keyboards

Harnessing our collective expertise as players who’ve used a broad vary of mini keyboards, we all know precisely what to search for in all ends of the market, be it the finances, midrange, or premium tier. We now have our ordinary go-to big-name manufacturers reminiscent of Razer and Asus who reliably put out high quality merchandise however we additionally draw upon our information of smaller producers who provide a lot in your cash, reminiscent of Royal Kludge and Epomaker.

Sturdiness is extraordinarily vital relating to a keyboard in addition to It ought to be capable to endure thousands and thousands of your most frantic keystrokes as you kind, code, or frag away in video games. Given how a lot you utilize a keyboard, you’ll need it to be comfy. If a less expensive keyboard presents nice options and construct high quality however isn’t fairly as ergonomic, chances are you’ll wish to get an extra palm relaxation.

Is a mini keyboard good for gaming?

It completely may be in case you play video games that don’t require many controls and sophisticated macros reminiscent of technique video games, simulation video games, and MOBAs. FPS and esports titles reminiscent of Name of Obligation and Counter-Strike 2 don’t want gigantic keyboards to accommodate their controls so if that is what you largely play it can save you lots of desk area by choosing a mini keyboard.

Is a mini keyboard price it?

It depends upon how small you wish to go. For those who do phrase processing or coding, we’d not suggest something smaller than a 65% keyboard. However on condition that smaller keyboards require fewer supplies, they’re usually cheaper which will be the deciding think about whether or not or not you buy one. When you’ve got a small desk, a complementing mini keyboard might make your work or gaming area really feel quite a bit much less cluttered.

Why do PC players love mini keyboards?

Desktop keyboards had been historically hefty, however with the speedy adoption of the best gaming laptops it’s develop into clear you may get simply as a lot executed with much less, paving the way in which for smaller keyboards. These solely utilizing their PCs for gaming don’t have a lot want for a numpad or a operate row and having extra space in your desk means extra room to maneuver your mouse, one thing essential for shooters requiring precision.

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