A decent gaming keyboard doesn't cost what it did a couple of years ago, but you also don't need to spend €200 to notice the difference from a plain office keyboard. This comparison deliberately mixes big-name brands (Razer, Corsair, SteelSeries, ASUS) with a niche brand that's highly regarded in the mechanical keyboard community (EPOMAKER) and a budget Spanish option (KROM), to cover very different budgets.

Mechanical, membrane, and magnetic aren't the same thing

Not all of these keyboards use traditional mechanical switches — we've flagged that clearly in each one's cons. The Corsair K55 and SteelSeries Apex 3 use membrane switches (cheaper, slightly less tactile feel), while the Corsair K70 PRO TKL and SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 use magnetic (Hall Effect) switches that let you adjust the actuation point — a feature built for highly competitive players, not essential for everyone else.