You won’t have to spread your hands apart as far when gaming leading to a more comfortable setup. Better Portability Like other SteelSeries keyboards, the Apex Pro Mini models are well-built with aluminium top plates and sound great, with reliable wireless (if available), detachable USB-C cables and high-quality double-shot PBT keycaps. Battery life of 30 hours is decent enough too, ensuring you'll only need to charge your keyboard once or twice a week with frequent use. When it comes to budget-friendly keycaps that deliver on both aesthetics and performance, the HK Gaming Dye Sublimation Keycaps stand out as a top choice. These keycaps offer incredible value for your money and have garnered praise from numerous satisfied users. SDYZ Japanese Anime Keycap is a quality OEM Profile keycap whose entire keycaps surface is filled with images of female anime characters. This is perfect for those of you who want 60% of your keyboard to be WIBU keyboard.

Not everyone can live without arrow keys, which is why DIERYA has included a set on their DK63. With a slightly different layout to a typical 60%, this keyboard is a great choice if you want your arrow keys available instantly, instead of on a second layer, read on.

Wrapping up

Cherry profile is different because it has a slightly lower profile and a more aggressive incline on the keycaps which make it more comfortable for gaming and typing. The only problem is, not all 60% keyboards fit this standard. Some have layouts that are tweaked slightly.

Designed in the ZDA profile, these keycaps provide a unique ball-shaped contour, striking a balance between the height of SA and XDA profiles. This set is compatible with a range of keyboard layouts, including standard ANSI 108, 104, 87, and 61 layouts, as well as various specialized layouts like 96, 75%, and 64/68, making it a versatile choice for keyboard enthusiasts. Pros: Instead of the typical PBT keycap design, these come with glossy sides that are smooth while the tops are a rough texture. Feeling texture differences is quite satisfying. The double-shot design lets your RGB lighting really shine through, so you can add even more color to the mix if you’re feeling it.

Best 60% keyboards 2023

Most factory-made 60 and 65 percent keyboards, particularly those launched during the 2021 boom in these boards, house a few features to help take the sting out of that transition. For example, many compact keyboards feature sideprints, the text and symbols that highlight each key's secondary features. Though many keyboard types use sidecaps, 60 percent keyboards make them particularly essential. After all, shortcuts vary from model to model. In addition, many makers of compact keyboards help you navigate the transition by supplying configuration software that lets you remap secondary inputs in addition to standard keys. There are certain styles in which each row of keys has a different height to allow for a concave or sloped shape over the entire keycap set. By changing the shape of your keycaps, it lets you take the style and feel of your keyboard to a whole new level. The switches are also hot-swappable which makes it easy to remove your switches and lube them or mod the stabilizers – all without needing to desolder.

Watch the latest DF Weekly, where Digital Foundry staff discuss the hottest gaming technology news. In the past, we’ve only used the budget keyboards from Redragon, such as the K552, K551, and K582. To our surprise, the K530 was quite impressive. Another benefit is that you don’t need to reach quite as far for you mouse when typing. Without the number pad and excess frame, you can position your mouse much closer to your typing position.You also want to look at how familiar the keycap set feels. For example, a flat or uniform profile may feel strange if you’ve never used one before, so it may have an adverse effect on your typing speed. Use what feels familiar and what you have the muscle memory to type on. One notable feature is the heat sublimation keycap printing, which ensures the color remains vibrant and won’t fade for up to ten years, ensuring a long-lasting aesthetic upgrade for your keyboard. These keycaps are in an OEM profile, slightly higher than Cherry profile, providing better comfort during prolonged use. Pros: The SK64 also has hot-swappable optical switches which makes it super easy to remove and replace them with another optical switch variant. Double shot keycaps are made from a more complicated manufacturing process where two separate plastics are injection molded to make the keycap.