What's in a name? Not much, really. Which is just as well, as if I was ranking gaming keyboards by their easy-to-remember naming schemes, the offerings below would be two of the worst.
In reality, the keebs below make up our best gaming keyboard overall and best budget gaming keyboard picks respectively. They're both downright awesome typing and gaming devices with significant discounts this Cyber Monday. Prepare yourself, though, because I'm about to announce them like a butler at a wedding:
- We're curating all the best Cyber Monday PC gaming deals over here
Enter the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68, and the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless. Both have presumably been named by their respective marketing departments throwing darts at a board until a nigh-incomprehensible sequence of letters and numbers was arrived upon—in an effort to make hardware writers like me misspell them at every turn.
Still, no matter. If you're looking for a phenomenal Cyber Monday gaming keyboard deal, these are two of the very best on our pages right now, so let's have a look at our awkwardly-named contenders, shall we?
Quick links
- Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 | $37 at Amazon (save $13)
- Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless | $130 at Amazon (save $80)
Gamakay x NaughShark NS68
Just what is a NaughShark, anyway? And why is it preceded by a lower case "x"? Who cares, the keyboard itself is great. For just $37 at Amazon right now, this keyboard delivers a ton of high-end features at a remarkably budget price point.
Hall effect switches, for one. The actuation points can be adjusted in the included software on a per 0.1 mm basis, for all your rapid-trigger needs. It's also got 8K polling, making this something of an esports (or at the very least, fast-paced multiplayer) friendly keyboard for a very affordable price.
You get double-shot PBT keycaps, too, which is the sort of quality feature we expect to see on high-end keyboards, not bargain basement ones. That being said, the chassis itself does feel a little lightweight, so it's possible to tell where the savings have been made when you hold one in person.
This is also a 68% board, which means you don't get a dedicated function row or numpad, although you do get arrow keys. I personally find 60% boards without the latter nigh unusable, but I think I could sacrifice my F1-F12 row without too much grief.
Plus, it means this board is small enough to be placed close to your mouse, for the most ergonomic, fast-paced gaming setup. It's what all the kids are into these days, I've been told. Bless em.
Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless
Switching to the other end of the spectrum, we have the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless. Some of those letter and number combos actually make sense when you start deciphering them, but who has the time? You want a brilliant gaming keyboard, and this is the best we've ever tested.
It's difficult to overstate that point. We at PC Gamer are a collection of keyboard nerds, and this model has impressed us so much, it's been sitting at the top of our estimations for over two years. Many brilliant keebs have passed our desks since then. None has toppled the big Asus.
It's got a near-full-size 96% layout, which essentially means all the keys you could ever want are here, just squished together a bit. Yes, that means a proper numpad, and you even get an excellent adjustable multimedia control wheel above it.
It's also got PBT keycaps, along with sound dampening that stops them from sounding like a box of plastic tumbling down the stairs when you press them with force. It's not silent, but it does sound lovely. Best of both worlds, that.
And the best bit? The pre-lubed switches. They're hot-swappable as you would expect on a keyboard of this pedigree, but I doubt you'll want to. The NX Snow switches we tested (the same found in this deal) have excellent typing feel, and they're speedy as you like for gaming, too.
Other than some fiddly software (Asus' Armoury Crate app isn't the easiest thing to configure), we have very little critique of this magnificent keeb. Our Jacob gave it 93% in his review, and for $130 at Amazon, I think it's one of the best deals you'll find on a peripheral this season.
👉Shop all the Amazon gaming keyboard deals right here👈
1. Best overall:
Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless
2. Best budget:
Gamakay x Naughshark NS68
3. Best mid-range:
Ducky Zero 6108
4. Best rapid trigger:
Wooting 80HE
5. Best wireless rapid trigger:
Keychron K2 HE
6. Best silent:
Be Quiet! Light Mount
7. Best tenkeyless:
Keychron Q3 Max
8. Best low profile:
NuPhy Air60 HE
9. Best ergonomic:
Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB
10. Best membrane:
Roccat Magma
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
