If you’re on the market for a new mechanical keyboard, the Consumer Electronics Show is a great place to see what’s coming this year. All keyboards on our list target gamers, but they also work just fine in your typical home or office environment. That said, our list of the best keyboards at CES 2018 derive from well-known manufacturers such as Asus, Cooler Master, and HyperX.
You’ll also see the return of Mad Catz in the PC peripherals arena. The company took a “break” after filing for bankruptcy in March of 2017, but now the brand is back under new management and packing a new portfolio of products. In addition to the mechanical keyboard listed below, the company also introduced a new ratty mouse we covered in a separate rodent-themed article.
That said, three out of the five products on our list rely on Cherry MX mechanical switches, while all have customizable illumination. Several models attempt to push the mechanical keyboard form factor by providing unique features new to the peripheral market, such as analog movement control and gas pedal-like key presses. Take a look at our list of the best keyboards at CES 2018!
Asus ROG Strix Flare
Highlights
- Cherry MX RGB switches
- Dedicated media keys and volume wheel
- USB pass-through port
- Customizable Aura Sync RGB
- Launch date: 1H 2018
- Price: TBD
This new mechanical keyboard built for gamers relies on Cherry MX RGB switches with surface-mounted RGB LEDs. The company doesn’t list the exact types the keyboard will offer, but the MX RGB family includes Blue, Red, Brown, and Black flavors providing different styles of feedback and actuation force. Outside the switch aspect, the Strix Flare packs all the media keys you need into the upper left-hand corner, including a volume wheel – perfect for right-handed gamers. Unfortunately, there are no dedicated macro keys.
Gamers will find an embedded, illuminated acrylic “badge” towards the upper right side sporting the ROG slash design. You can swap out this badge with another blank badge provided with the keyboard, which can be used to display a team logo, or a unique design. Other features include a USB-A pass-through port for connecting a mouse, USB headset, or some other peripheral, support for the Aura Sync platform, programmable RGB backlit keys, and a detachable wrist rest. LEDs are mounted under both sides of the keyboard for an awesome desktop illumination effect, too.
Cooler Master MK850 / MK851
Highlights
- Eight keys have analog movement control
- MK851 model includes Aimpad technology, Cherry MX Red switches
- MK850 without Aimpad, Cherry MX Blue or Brown switch options
- Dedicated macro keys
- Two precision wheels
- Release date: Q2 or Q3 of2018
- Price: TBD
Cooler Master introduced a pair of mechanical keyboards based on Cherry MX switches. In the case of the MK851 unit, it boasts a new technology called Aimpad that provides gas pedal-like control. In other words, the keys are pressure sensitive so gamers can drive vehicles without continuously hammering buttons. This version relies on Cherry MX Red switches while the MK850 provides a choice of Cherry MX Blue or Brown switches. The MK850 does not include Aimpad technology.
Another selling point for the MK851 is the use of embedded analog movement control in a cluster of eight keys, including the WASD foursome. The company says this feature, which is part of the Aimpad component. provides “smooth precision” in games when driving, flying, or in a third-person viewpoint. Other notable features in both keyboards include dedicated media keys, a cobalt aluminum top plate, and two customizable “precision” wheels to adjust a compatible headset’s volume, dim/brighten the backlighting, adjust DPI settings, and more.
Corsair K63 Wireless Keyboard / Lapboard
Highlights
- Cherry MX Red mechanical switches
- Three connections: wired, 2.4GHz, or Bluetooth
- Rechargeable battery up to 75 hours
- Per-key blue backlighting
- Optional Lapboard accessory
- Tenkeyless design
- Available now
- Price: $109 ($159 with Lapboard)
Corsair’s latest entry in the mechanical keyboard arena is a CES 2018 Innovation Award Honoree. It’s a wireless tenkeyless peripheral (sans the typical number keys), relying on a 2.4GHz connection via USB dongle promising a one-millisecond refresh rate, and 128-bit AES encryption. The keyboard provides two other connectivity options too: Bluetooth, or via an old-school wired USB tether. It’s backed by a built-in rechargeable battery promising up to 75 hours on a single charge.
As the highlights show, the keys rely on Cherry MX Red switches with per-key blue illumination. Gamers can customize the lighting using Corsair’s desktop software to set lighting effects and “reactive” triggers. Joining Corsair’s keyboard is an optional lapboard that securely hold the K63 in place while providing a mouse-friendly surface to the right. It’s padded for long gaming sessions on the couch, too.
HyperX Alloy Elite RGB
Highlights
- Cherry MX switches
- RGB per-key illumination
- On-board memory
- USB pass-through port
- Anti-ghosting
- N-key rollover
- Release date: Early January
- Price: $169.99
HyperX’s latest mechanical keyboard for gamers will arrive in a few weeks with your choice of Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Red key switches. Each textured key includes per-key lighting supporting over 16 million colors that are customizable through the company’s NGenuity desktop software. That includes the unique light bar stretching across the width of the keyboard, mounted just above the Function and Print Screen keys.
According to the specifications, the keyboard is housed in a solid steel frame that’s complemented by a detachable wrist rest with a soft-touch coating. HyperX crammed on-board memory into its peripheral too so that your three favorite profile goes wherever you and the keyboard travels. Other features include a USB pass-through port, a braided USB cable, a one-millisecond report rate, and four brightness levels.
Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 4
Highlights
- Mechanical switches
- Key life of up to 50 million presses
- RGB per-key illumination
- Anti-ghosting
- Dedicated multimedia keys
- Release date: TBD
- Price: TBD
Despite the product page describing it as a “membrane” product, the new S.T.R.I.K.E. 4 keyboard relies on mechanical switches and lots of periods in its name. The company doesn’t say who manufactures these switches, but each key includes an RGB LED supporting 16.8 million colors across the board. Presumably you can use the Flux desktop software to set the colors, brightness, and toggle through 18 lighting effects with customizable speeds. Lighting keys are also present on the keyboard for quick, on-the-fly adjustments.
According to Mad Catz, the new keyboard sports a tough aluminum faceplate, and a double-shot injection molding aluminum frame to create a highly-durable peripheral. You won’t find any dedicated macro keys with this gamer-focused mechanical keyboard, but it does include several multimedia keys so you’re not forced to use Function button combos. Unfortunately, we don’t have a long list of hardware details just yet, but hopefully we’ll have more information as the device nears its launch date.
