How to Choose Best Gaming Keyboard Under $50 in 2024

It’s not easy to pick the suitable peripherals due to the influx of different options on the market, confusing consumers with the differences in price and specifications. Those with little experience might even end up wasting their money on a useless product that was strongly promoted by misleading marketing and advertising tactics.

But don’t worry as this is precisely where our experience comes in. Below, you will find our selection of the top four best gaming keyboards under $50 in 2024, which were selected by some of our top experts in the gaming industry.

• The best overall gaming keyboard under $50: Tecware Phantom 87 Key Mechanical Keyboard. View Amazon

• Best budget keyboard in full size under $50:  Corsair K55 RGB. Check Amazon.

• Best 60% gaming keyboard under $50: Dierya DK61E Mechanical Keyboard. View Amazon

• Best high-performance gaming keyboard under $50: SteelSeries Apex 3. View Amazon

1. Tecware Phantom 87 Key Mechanical Keyboard

The Tecware Phantom mechanical keyboard is one of the most fantastic gaming keyboards on the market for the price under $50. It features an 80% compact form and is among the most stylishly designed keyboards among our top choices, highlighted by RGB customization.  

In terms of performance, this keyboard is an excellent choice for both gaming and typing and seems like a higher quality K552. It is very easy to clean thanks to the switches being designed above the surface. In addition, the design of “floating keycap” makes the customizable RGB even more standout. You can create your own lighting modes with the specialized software or simply use the 18 preset ones from the RGB itself. 

The Phantom has several options for switches: Outemu Blues, Browns, and Reds. These are all hot swap switches, which is what makes it different from other alternatives on the list. Since they are interchangeable, you can always swap them out for one another if you feel like it. So, whatever you are looking for, be it comfort, linear, tactile, or precision, the Phantom has everything you need. 

Finally, the braided power cable gives more longevity to the keyboard. Tecware also has several cutouts that allow the cable to run beneath the board, which is a lovely feature. 

In summary:

Pros

• Best aesthetically-designed keyboard 

• Has outemu switches

• Hot swap switch sockets

• Per-key customizable RGB 

Cons

• ABS keycaps

• No support for wrists

• Less dependable than some other more popular brands.

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2. Corsair K55 RGB

The Corsair K55 is one of the brand’s most reasonably priced and fundamental accessories. However, its price tag doesn’t tell the whole story as its performance level weighs much more than it is worth. For the price under $50, it still works decently in a gaming context and has the quality that can last up to a few years. This keyboard is not only lightweight but also provides outstanding longevity, all thanks to its excellent material choices. Another noticeable feature is that it is equipped with membrane switch technology that is both easy to clean and quiet. 

Speaking of performance, the Corsair K55 features RGB lighting that runs fiercely throughout the board, making it both stunning and great value. For convenience, there are a total of six customizable macro keys and media keys. The K55 also has excellent multi-key anti-ghosting, ensuring every keystroke is applied properly and quickly.

Additionally, this keyboard features a relaxing wrist rest which provides a very pleasant user experience, regardless of the amount of time you use it.  

Overall, this is considered one of the best keyboards that you can have for the price below $50. 

In summary:

Pros

• Six macro keys that can be customized

• Gaming-friendly responsive switches

• Has a multi-key anti-ghosting function

Cons

• Not supportive of wrists

• Provided software could be improved

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If you are interested some of our top picks for gaming mouses, check out below: 

• Best Wireless Gaming Mouse

• Best Cheap Gaming Mouse

• Best Gaming Mouse under $50

3. Dierya DK61E Mechanical Keyboard

The Dierya DK61E is a gaming keyboard with just a 60% size. There are no numeric keypad, home and delete keys, and directional arrows. This is the right choice for users who want a small space, and hence only need the very basic tools for gaming. 

Regarding its performance, the Dierya DK61E  The mechanical keyboard is equipped with lightweight but tactile Gateron Brown switches with a pleasing click. For the price, this one has pretty good quality build materials. Another great feature is that it is connected wirelessly via BlueTooth but can be a disadvantage for those who focus more on performance. 

Key Macro and RGB customization is provided by the software that goes along with the keyboard, and it’s totally different from the most intuitive we’ve encountered. However, it still gives you plenty of choices for a keyboard in this price range.

In summary:

Pros

• Wireless

• Decent materials

• Beautiful design

• Ample macro programming

• Completely mechanical

• Great value

Cons

• Not supportive of wrists

• Provided software could be improved

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4. SteelSeries Apex 3

It would be a miss if we did not include the SteelSeries Apex 3 on this list as it comes from the well-known Danish peripheral manufacturer.  They provide the entire keyboard series, ranging from the most expensive and highest quality one to this inexpensive one. 

In terms of performance, this keyboard is considered among the best performers for gaming in the $50 price category. This is largely due to the mildly adjusted membrane switches that come along with the SteelSeries. 

Its performance is enhanced by the layout and volume control wheel that come in full size. Media controls are very rare to be found, even on the most expensive keyboards. So it’s great to see that we have that option here on a low budget one. These characteristics help you focus better on gaming as you won’t have to tab out as much. 

The above-mentioned volume wheel is what sets the SteelSeries Apex 3 apart from other rivals. The keyboard is also decorated with lively lighting in 10 zones and involves a wrist rest support. However, the wrist rest is of poor quality so it is recommended that you use your own.  

In summary:

Pros

• Nice lighting

• Better membrane keys

Cons

• Wrist rest has an ingenuine feeling to it

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Don’t forget to check out other types of keyboards below: 

• Best Bluetooth Keyboard

• Best Gaming Keyboard under $100

Once again, it’s common sense to think that finding the best gaming keyboard under $50 is difficult. However, you can get something classy, decent, or moderate, but there’ll always be concessions on keyboards under $50. They usually come in the form of upgradeability, wireless capabilities, and build quality.