What's The Best Gaming Keyboard?

The Saitek Cyborg keyboard is one of the latest gaming keyboards, and it packs some great features into a distinctive design.

First of all it has 12 special 'Cyborg' keys that can be programmed with any function (as can all other keys). The Cyborg keys appear down each side of the keyboard and are easy to reach and use.

Next is the backlighting, which is very clever. There are five zones on the keyboard, each of which can have its own colour (from a choice of 5 colours) and brightness level. This means you can set the backlighting to highlight just the main gaming keys, or colour code them. It's a great system and works well. The backlighting is controlled from a touch-sensitive panel at the top of the keyboard.

The keyboard also has a gaming mode that locks out the Windows key. On top of that, the main gaming keys (WASD and spacebar) are metal-coated to stop them wearing out.

Other features include multimedia controls, audio sockets for microphone and headphones, and a USB connection.

Rating 9/10
A great value keyboard. The styling might not be to everyone's taste and it is on the large side, but other than that it's difficult to pick faults.

Visit the Saitek website
See the Cyborg's lighting in action on YouTube
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The Logitech G15 is a long-standing favourite with gamers. It packs lots of features into a well-built chassis (recently redesigned as the G15 V2).

It has programmable keys, just like the Cyborg above, only this time they're called G keys and there are six of them. There's more to it than that though, as there are buttons to toggle between three different key maps, meaning eighteen possible macros. The principles are the same, you program in your required function and press the button.

There's also backlighting, in this case it's an orange glow from behind all keys. Simple, but effective.

The G15's clever trick is its LCD display, built into the top of the keyboard. It can be programmed to show all manner of information, from system statistics (CPU load, available RAM) to in-game info (ammo levels, experience level).

On top of that you can add multimedia controls, a gaming mode switch to lock out the Windows keys, and two USB 1.1 sockets.

Verdict 7/10
Solidly built with a useful LCD screen, the G15 V2 refreshes and improves on the original design. This is a keyboard that should be enough for most gamers.

Visit the Logitech website
Watch the G15 review on YouTube
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The Razer Tarantula just oozes style. With its glossy black finish, soft rubber-coated keys and cool blue backlighting it really does look good.

It's not all show, either, as it packs a host of features into that sexy black case. As you'd expect there are programmable keys, including ten special gaming keys down the sides of the keyboard. The Tarantula is particularly good in this area as it has 32KB of onboard memory that can store up to five key profiles. This means you can take the keyboard with you, plug it into another PC and still be able to access your stored key profiles.

The keys also feature special anti-ghosting technology, meaning you can press up to ten keys simultaneously. On normal keyboards this would be a maximum of 3 or 4 keys, but why you'd want to press ten keys at the same time is beyond me.

A clever feature is the ability to remove keys with a special tool (included) and move them to different positions. For example, if you wanted a DVORAK key layout you could move the keys into position and then reprogram them to output the new character. There's also a set of extra keys with gaming symbols on, so for example you could swap the 'R' key for a button with a reload icon on it.

Another feature unique to the Tarantula is the BattleDock, a mini-USB socket that allows utilities to be bolted onto the keyboard. At the moment this is limited to the BattleLight (an overhead light that shines over the keyboard to make up for the lack of fully backlit keys) or the BattleEye (a webcam). While these two utilities don't sound very exciting, others are promised for the future.

Finally, the Tarantula also has 2 USB sockets (sadly only 1.1) as well as audio sockets for headphone and microphone.

Verdict 8/10
Expensive, but the quality makes it feel like you're getting your money's worth. It's got great features, feels really nice to use and looks great. The driver software is a bit cumbersome, but once you're setup you hopefully won't have to use it too often. Also, although it offers two extra USB slots, it also requires two to work.
If you can afford the Razer Tarantula then you should seriously think about buying one.

Visit the Razer website
Watch the Tarantula review on YouTube
Buy a Razer Tarantula from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
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The Ideazon Merc Stealth takes a different approach to the idea of a gaming keyboard by including a dedicated gaming keypad built into the left-hand side of the keyboard.

This keypad area groups all of the usual gaming keys into a natural layout (assuming your mouse is naturally in your right hand), with direction keys larger than normal. In total there are 34 programmable keys, which can store macros for your favourite game actions.

The Merc Stealth also features full backlighting of all keys in a choice of three colours (red, blue and purple) with four levels of brightness (Subtle, Ambient, Intense and Off). While the backlighting might not be as flexible as the Saitek Cyborg, it does work well and gives you some choice over the appearance of your keyboard.

The gaming keys are programmed through Ideazon's Z Engine software, which is intuitive and easy to use. Once setup, the gaming keys are comfortable to use with a nice rubber coating, and give good tactile response when you press them. The layout of the gaming keys really is ideal for FPS games and is much more intuitive than a normal keyboard.

There are a few downsides to the Merc Stealth. The numeric keypad is a non-standard layout which takes some getting used to, something that Ideazon have had to do to keep the width of the keyboard manageable. The width is also an issue, being significantly wider than a normal keyboard at 22.3 inches (57cm), so check your desk before you buy. Finally, the tilt of the keyboard is fixed at 11 degrees, something that Ideazon claim is a 'natural wrist position', but that might not feel comfortable to everyone.

Verdict 7/10
This is a great keyboard for gamers who don't spend a lot of time in other Windows applications. The gaming keys are excellent and can be programmed to suit each game, and they feel comfortable with great tactile response.
Just be aware that the unusual numeric keypad layout might reduce your productivity in word processing and spreadsheet applications. If that's not a worry and you play a lot of FPS games then why not give the Ideazon Merc Stealth a try?

Visit the Ideazon website
See the Merc Stealth review on YouTube
Buy an Ideazon Merc Stealth from Amazon.com
Check for cheap Merc Stealths on Ebay