I have said this before and I will say it again, keyboards are the most powerful weapon of gamers. To maximize their gaming potential, pro gamers use high-quality and premium mechanical or optical keyboards.
Gamers prioritize response speed, lower latency, comfortable experience, and durability to withstand intense usage over everything.
But what keyboards do pro gamers use?
Pro gamers prefer and use keyboards with lower latency and gamer-friendly customization options. Apex Pro TKL and Logitech G Pro X are great mechanical keyboards used widely in esports along with the Razer Huntsman V2 which has the lowest latency.
What Keyboards Do Pro Gamers Use?
In this article, I will be listing the 5 most used keyboards by competitive pro gamers, and reasons for choosing them.
1. Logitech G Pro X Keyboard
As the name itself includes the word “Pro”, this keyboard is an absolute gaming beast used by numerous competitive gamers including the very famous gamer and YouTuber "Shroud".
This keyboard has esports proven, and tournament-tested compact ten-key-less design.
The most highlighted and crucial feature that makes this board one of the best gaming keyboards is its extremely low latency.
The keyboard has a rated latency of just 1.5ms which is impressive! With latency as low as this, you won't find any delay in your gaming experience.
The overall build quality of this keyboard is satisfactory. It has a solid metal base, good stabilizers, and rubber feet to keep it steady.
However, it could have been a lot better with PBT keycaps rather than the ABS Keycaps we get on this keyboard.
Moreover, the backlighting features of the Logitech G Pro X are outstanding. You can customize the backlighting in the associated software.
The keyboard is hot-swappable, and you can use any of the GX switches with low pre-travel distance to improve your gaming experience.
The keyboard only supports wired connectivity and lacks a wrist rest which can make gaming sessions for long hours a bit uncomfortable.
2. SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL
Holding the record for being the highest-selling ten-key less keyboard, and being considered "The next leap in mechanical keyboards" for its innovative mechanism for speed, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is the perfect fit for all professional players.
Specially curated E-sports suitable ten-key less design and the world’s fastest mechanical switches, Omni Point 2.0, using innovative magnetic technology for contactless actuation makes this keyboard 10 times faster than average!
Moreover, The Apex Pro TKL keyboard has an insanely low latency of just 2.0ms. Secondly, it provides an impressive range of customization options, especially for gamers.
Each key has an adjustable sensitivity within the range of 0.2mm and 3.8mm, and you can map more than one function to one key for faster gaming.
You can get real-time insights from games directly on your keyboard with an OLED display. The keyboard has clear individually backlit keys, which can be controlled by media keys and a clickable metal roller.
However, The Apex Pro TKL also supports wired connections only, making this keyboard less portable and travel friendly.
3. Wooting 60 HE
Wooting might not be the most popular brand when it comes to gaming keyboards, but they have exceeded all expectations with the Wooting 60HE 60% gaming keyboard!
Wooting 60 HE's excellent build quality and remarkably low latency are its most highlighted qualities.
The keyboard has a very compact 60% design with a sturdy steel base, thick plastic chassis, rubber feet for stability, and durable double-shot PBT keycaps.
The keyboard comes equipped with analog switches and provides an extremely responsive gaming experience with the lowest latency of 1.1ms recorded at base settings of 0.1mm actuation, which is blazingly fast!
Moreover, the keyboard comes with tons of gamer-friendly customization options as well. You can adjust the pre-travel distance for every key based on your preference, keys also provide a rapid trigger functionality.
You can also turn on the Analog mode to use your keyboard like a console joystick. Moreover, the Mod tap feature allows you to map two functionalities to one key.
Lastly, the backlighting features on this board are also amazing and can be controlled using the associated "Wootility" software.
All your personalized settings stay saved on the on-board memory which enables you to have up to 6 different profiles.
4. Razer Huntsman V2 TKL
When it comes to speed, you can never forget optical keyboards. They are lightning-fast because they use light for actuation. Razer Huntsman V2 TKL is another outstanding optical keyboard regarded highly for its speed and gaming experience.
Used and positively reviewed by numerous competitive players, this keyboard is an absolute masterpiece and hands-down a winner when it comes to speed.
The keyboard has a near-zero latency of around 0.2ms which is insanely low and makes your gaming experience extremely fast and responsive.
The keyboard also has a very solid build quality with a metal base, rigid plastic body, and double-shot PBT keycaps that are made to last through intense and aggressive usage.
Moreover, you can macro-program each key on the board and adjust the aesthetically pleasing dynamic RGB backlighting. This can be done using the media keys on the board or Razer's Synapse 3 software.
Razer Huntsman V2 TKL also comes with an attached wrist rest and has an adjustable inclination which can make long gaming sessions comfortable for your wrists and fingers.
5. Logitech G Pro Keyboard
I have already mentioned the Logitech G Pro X Keyboard, nevertheless, its other variant the Logitech G Pro is also an excellent choice of keyboard for professional esports athletes.
The two keyboards share most of the features and have only two big differences.
Logitech G Pro keyboard has a good latency suitable for gaming but it is relatively higher than Logitech G Pro X. And unlike the Pro X, the G Pro is not hot-swappable. Other than that, the keyboards are pretty much the same.
The overall look and feel of the Logitech G Pro is excellent. Furthermore, the customization options and control you get with highly compatible Logitech Software are also appreciable.
Unlike the mechanical keyboard stereotype, this keyboard also provides an excellent typing experience along with a gaming experience.
What keyboard did Ninja Use?
Ni ja uses the Ducky One 2 Mini RGB mechanical keyboard. If you play Fortnite, it is impossible to not know who Ninja is! Ninja is one of the world's most famous Fortnite professional player, content creator, and streamer.
He is so famous that he has been named in Top 100 Influential People by Times Magazine. And the One 2 Mini is his go-to!
Ducky One 2 Mini is a 60% mechanical board, which means that it lacks arrow keys and function keys. However, it is a beautiful keyboard and has a top-notch gaming experience that sets it apart from its competitors.
In the past, Ninja has also used full-sized mechanical keyboards such as Corsair K70 and Logitech Orion G610.
He shifted to the more compact Ducky One 2 Mini after realizing that all the extra keys on full-size boards are not much needed in FPS Games.
Do Pro gamers use Corsair?
Corsair makes some high-quality keyboards that are used by players all around the world. They make keyboards in all layouts and focus on providing quality rather than quantity.
If you don't know, Corsair has been making top-notch gaming peripherals since 1994 and is highly regarded as one of the best in its domain.
They are on the same level as Logitech and Razer, and Corsair boards are widely used by esports athletes.
They are popular among gamers for built-in Cherry MX switches, dynamic RGB lighting, personalized customization, low latency, and the ability to bear intense usage.
Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 and Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT are two of their finest mechanical keyboards.
What are the best Keyboard switches for Fortnite?
The Cherry MX Reds, Cherry MX Speed Silvers, and Akko CS Speed Silvers are the best keyboard switches for Fortnite and other battle-royale games.
As you know, Fortnite is a fast-paced battle royale game in which you never know at which corner an enemy awaits you. In this case, you need switches that are fast and great for gaming. And that's where these linear and speed switches come in!
These switches have lower actuation force and shorter pre-travel distance which makes them super-fast and gamer friendly.
Moreover, these keys also do not make much noise to distract you during an action-filled game. You can also use Cherry MX Silent Reds which are also linear and make even less noise.
Why do Pro Gamers use Mechanical Keyboards?
Pro Gamers Use Mechanical Keyboards because of their extremely fast response times, wide variety of possible customizations, hot-swappable nature, and aesthetic premium look that enhances their gaming experience.
And not just for pros, mechanical keyboards are an excellent choice for all gamers. It doesn't matter that you're just starting or competing professionally.
I'd recommend them even for casual gamers.
Other than mechanical keyboards, optical Keyboards are also used. However, they are not as popular because of their extremely high cost, lack of switch options, and lack of hot-swappable PCB.
What is the best Selling Mechanical Keyboard?
The Apex Pro Gaming Keyboard and Apex Pro TKL Gaming keyboard by SteelSeries hold the records for being the best-selling mechanical keyboard and bestselling TKL keyboard respectively.
We all know that there is extensive variety in mechanical keyboards, and being the best-selling mechanical keyboard is a huge milestone.
SteelSeries is dominating the market at the moment, especially due to the excellent value for money they offer.
Both Apex Pro and Apex Pro TKL are premium boards with excellent features, customization options, and outstanding gaming experience.
Apex Pro is used in major championships by renowned teams such as the Faze clan. Made with aircraft-grade aluminum, this keyboard shares the same exciting features as Apex Pro TKL mentioned above.
What is the best-sounding keyboard for Gaming?
It's hard to term it as the 'absolute' best, but the Tecware Phantom+ 87 is one of the best-sounding mechanical keyboards out there thanks to the addition of dampening layers.
The satisfying "click" sound of mechanical keyboards is their true charm, even though it does not make a significant difference in use, it has a major impact on user experience.
This board is definitely not the most popular or the fastest but the sound of Phantom 87+ is majestic! This keyboard sings as you use it. I'd put it this way: "Its keystrokes sound like strokes of a fine-tuned guitar".
It has a considerable amount of positive reviews specifically related to its satisfying click sound. The best sound experience comes with brown switches, but this is subject to individual preference.
Conclusion
Pro gamers use top keyboards. In this article, I focused on the top choices of esports athletes, and why they prefer them.
Most professional players prioritize responsiveness, low latency, and customization options that can enhance their gaming productivity. And that is exactly what these 5 keyboards offer.
And that's it for this one! To keep learning more about the best mechanical keyboards and switches, keep an eye on Thetechsetup.com.