Mechanical keyboards have long ruled over the PC gaming space, but they can carry quite the cost for the privilege of having one of the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming keyboards to hand. While they do excel in their feel and durability, they are by no means th🍷e only keyboards that players can use. In fact, there are some significantly cheaper options out there, still offering fast response times, additional macros, and all the RGB your eyes can handle.
Of course, mechanical switches are nice to have. Thജey're generally crisper, and offer a touch more speed in every press. If price is no barrier, and you're after a tournament-ready deck, then they're a go-to. However, for everyday play, you can get away with spending far less, without dropping too much from your experience.
Membrane gaming keyboardꩵs swap those individual switches for a rubber underlay serving all the keys on the deck. These can feel a little "mushy", but today's models can hold their own on the battlefield. You are still hitting all the other features you need to be looking for in a keyboard, as well: a comfortable actuation force (the amount of pressure you need to apply to register a keypress), nice response times, macro programming options♋, some key rollover support (to allow for multiple keypresses at the same time), and volume controls.
Mechanical vs membrane keyboard: what's the difference
Membrane
- Uses cheaper rubber dome switches
- Keys can feel softer
- Significantly cheaper
- Rubber can wear out over time
Mechanical
- Uses individual mechanical switches
- Keys are crisp and snappy
- Can get pricey
- Switches are more durable
The fac💞t is, you don't need a mechanical gaming keyboard to play, and play well. If you're looking for a budget model to see you through casual play, a membrane (or hybrid) device will do the job just fine.
How much is a membrane gaming keyboard?
In general, a membrane deck isn't going to cost you more than $60 / £50. The cheapest membrane gaming keyboards that we would recommend are the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Roccat Magma and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Cynosa V2, and both are regularly available for ♏well under that price threshold.
Roccat, in particular, makes a wealth of budget-friendly PC gaming accessories that we love. The Magma keyboard is a highlight at an MSRP of just $59.99 / £49.99. Replacing those mechanical switches doesn't make so much of a dent in your experience here. There's still a nice level of resistance with each tap, and a soft landing for the sound-conscious among us. There is a little extra weight and effort in each keypress comparedღ to a more expensive model, but considering you're also getting 26-key rollover, plentiful macro options, and a unique RGB effect there's some excellent value here.
Meanwhile, the Razer Cynosa V2 is regularly on sale for far less than its already low $59.99 / £59.99 MSRP. We've seen this membrane keyboard available for as little as $45 / £39.99 in the past. The only feature the Cynosa V2 drops from mechanical decks is that faster response and actuation. However, you're still getting a nippy set of keys here, something we found particularly surprising in our own testing. On top of all that, there are dedicated media controls, spill-resistance, and n-key rollover as well. Those are features far more commonly found on premium mechanical kits, all sitting at the low price of a membrane deck. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer keyboards can hit some eye-watering price tags (the latest 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Huntsman V2 Analog costs more tha♚n $200 / £200), but there's an assurance of quality in that name that can𝕴't go unnoticed here.
