The best keyboard for Fortnite in 2020
Claim Victory Royale with our best keyboard for Fortnite picks.
You may not think you need the best keyboard for Fortnite, especially if you're a long-time player of Epic Games' battle royale. Fortnite is always changing with new seasons or custom maps, the skills needed as a player remain pretty consistent. Good spatial awareness, lightning-fast reflexes, and being able to think ahead should already make you a solid player. But if you've got your sights set on the Fortnite Season 2 Champion series and want to gain every possible advantage over your opponents, investing in the best keyboard for Fortnite is a great starting point.
Of course, the best keyboard for Fortnite isn't going to transform a mediocre player into Ninja overnight but it will give you an edge over players using traditional boards. The ones we've listed here include macro buttons, which will help you build structures quickly, as well as including various other features. These are all mechanical keyboards too which, aside from feeling great, will help to eliminate unintentional key presses that could land you in a whole heap of trouble during a game.
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As with any mechanical keyboard, you want to make sure that you choose a switch type that you're comfortable with. Any tactical advantage you may gain from even the most expensive keyboard will be lost if you're constantly having to fight with the feel of a keypress. If you're not familiar with the different switch types, we've got a handy guide here which should give you a general idea of each but for reference, most Fortnite players are likely to prefer Cherry Reds because of the lighter keypress.
We've chosen our favourite keyboards for Fortnite and listed them below, along with a handful of bullet points to help make your decision easier. And if you don't want to stop there, you can check out our guide to the best Fortnite headset, or pair your new keyboard with the best gaming mouse.
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The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum looks like plenty of mainstream mech keyboards, but does everything just a little better than most of the competition. Featuring a classic rectangular chassis with a matte black finish, the K95 RGB Platinum tones the gaudy "gamer" look way down. That's not to say it isn't flashy; with vivid RGB backlights and a LED strip at the top, it's still gorgeous.
The all-important macro keys are still there, but Corsair took extra care to texturize their surface for improved grip. The macro key keycaps are angled slightly inwards so that they're easier to reach. Other details like the comfortable metallic volume wheel and the dual-sided wristrest are just superior to the options on the Ripjaws KM780R.
The premium features don't come cheap. The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum is a fair bit pricier than the Ripjaws KM780. But if you want the best do-it-all board that won't drag down your game, then you'd be hard put to find a better choice than this.
2. HyperX Alloy Elite
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The HyperX Alloy Elite is one of our favorite keyboards for good reason. Its wide selection of Cherry MX switches, complimented with a bristling feature set, and wrapped in an attractive price makes it a top choice for any gamer. Built with a durable aluminum front plate, it can handle as much punishment as you can dish out to your opponents. A hard plastic wristrest provides additional comfort during long gaming sessions. Despite having no dedicated macros and RGB backlights, its performance and features more than make up for its shortcomings.
3. Logitech G413
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The Logitech G413 may be austere, but it compensates for its lack of features with its lightning-fast Romer-G Tactile switch. Requiring only 1.5 mm to actuate, the Romer-G registers keystrokes sooner than most standard mechanical switches. With a dual contact design, it's durable too, lasting 70 million keystrokes per key.
Out of the roster of Logitech keyboards equipped with the Romer-G switch, we specifically selected the G413 due to its excellent value and understated aesthetics. Normally, a premium switch like this is reserved only for premium boards. And with them, premium pricing. The G413, however, is an exception. Despite its performance and aluminum chassis, you can often score one for under $80. That's a steal for what this board has to offer.
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4. G.Skill Ripjaws KM780R
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If you don't care for looks, the KM780R has all the right features without breaking the bank. The KM780R's dedicated macro column gives quick access to the inventory slots in Fortnite. This makes selecting items—especially ones at the tail end of the quick access bar—as easy as a flick of the pinky. Using your pinky means your index and ring fingers can stay on the important WASD keys to control your movement. In addition to the macro column, the keyboard is equipped with a USB passthrough, a massive detachable wrist rest, and a set of replacement keycaps.
Sitting at around $100, usually a bit less, it's hard to argue against its impressive value. If you can look past its gaudy design, then the KM780R stands as a solid option for anyone looking for a fully-featured plank.
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The Razer Huntsman Elite and its opto-mechanical switches earned high praise for its distinguished performance in our review. Being an optical switch, the Razer opto-mechanical switch registers keystrokes by way of interrupting a laser under every switch. Its excellent tactility is accompanied with a resounding click, making it an attractive option for those looking for a more responsive alternative to the clicky Cherry MX Blue switch. Actuating at 1.5mm and bottoming out at 3mm, it's faster than most mechanical switches, too.
The Huntsman Elite scored admirably in both aesthetics and features. The durable sleek chassis is the bed stone for dedicated media controls and a programmable dial on the top right. Light rings are installed on both the keyboard chassis and the memory foam wrist rest (which, by the way, is phenomenal), producing a luscious glow on your desk when you game in the dark. If you're just keen on obtaining the switch and don't care about the wristrest and the media dial, the non-elite version of the Huntsman is available for $50 less.
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Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.