Best Keyboard for Rainbow Six Siege - The Ultimate Guide

Most people seem to think that a quality keyboard isn't exactly necessary for gaming, yet well over 90% of our analyzed professionals are using a mechanical keyboard.

These mechanical boards offer a wide number of advantages over a regular membrane keyboard (click here to see our overall keyboard guide where we go deeper on this) but one of the biggest advantages of going for a mech board if you're asking us it the fact that you can get one that completely suits your individual needs and preferences. With so many options out there it's kind of hard to make sense of it all if you're completely new to this kind of thing, and that's where we come in to help.

We've been taking a look at what the Rainbow Six Siege professionals are using and we've distilled all of that data in this article. We'll show you the five most used boards in the professional scene and give you a brief rundown of their features and what makes them special.

The Top 5:
1. Corsair K70

2. Razer Blackwidow

3. Corsair K65

4. HyperX Alloy FPS (Pro)

5. Logitech G Pro X Mechanical Keyboard

What makes a keyboard good for Rainbow Six Siege?

So we've established earlier on that you'll probably want a mechanical keyboard, but there doesn't seem to be any real consensus as to what kind of keyboard that should be. We can see a bunch of different types of keyboards being used in the pro scene, ranging from full size state of the art devices to stripped down tenkeyless models.

In this top five we see a bit of both; we've got the usual suspects with all possible bells and whistles along with some smaller form factor boards that mainly focus on competitive gamers, so there should be something here for everyone.

We'll try to give you a comprehensive breakdown of what makes each board tick, but if you're completely new to this kind of product we do recommend reading our guide on the different types of switches first.

As you can see to the right it seems like the main gaming brands are dominating here. This isn't always the case (see, for example, Fortnite) and we do see comparatively little pros who use keyboards from small, niche brands in the Rainbow Six Pro scene overall. That's neither a good thing or a bad thing; it's just something that we've noticed in our stats.

Razer and Corsair, perhaps two of the most famous keyboard manufacturers in the overall gaming scene, take the cake here. Both offer pretty much anything ranging from full size boards to small and compact travel-size devices, so all in all it's not strange to see them pop up here.

Worth noting when you're going through this list is that we've bundled different iterations of keyboards together; the Corsair K70 has recently gotten a refresh, for example, but we've added users who are using the MK2 to the list of users who are still using the older version, otherwise this list would be full of different iterations of mostly the same boards.

Best keyboard for Rainbow Six Siege
Most used manufacturer

of rainbow six siege pros use a keyboard without a numpad (TKL or smaller)

1. Corsair K70 RGB (Mk. II)

Premium action from Corsair

If you ask a hundred random gamers about companies that make gaming keyboards, odds are you'll hear the name Corsair popping up quite often. They've been in the scene since mechanical boards became popular and as such it's no surprise at all to see one of their keyboards show up in these articles.

The K70 is one of their premium offerings; it's a full size keyboard complete with a detachable wrist rest, dedicated media keys and a textured volume rocker (along with a mute button) so you're probably not going to be left wanting more if you decide to go for this. The whole board is made out of 'aircraft grade aluminum' which not only gives it a certain sleek look but it also adds to the durability. If you're looking for a fully outfitted keyboard from one of the industry giants that'll last you for years to come then this could very well be the one for you.

Available switches

The K70 RGB (we're referring to the Mark II here, since that one is the newest version) comes with Cherry MX switches, and you can choose between Brown, Red, Blue, Speed, and Silent switches.

There is also the option to go for Cherry MX Low Profile switches. That keyboard is technically called the 'K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile' but it's pretty much the same as the regular one (except for having Low Profile switches, of course) so we're including it here in order to be complete.

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Check our review of the Low Profile edition
Most used keyboard
Corsair K70
Razer Blackwidow
Corsair K65
HyperX Alloy FPS (Pro)
Logitech G Pro X Mechanical Keyboard

2. Razer Blackwidow (Elite)

Note: in this entry we'll be talking about both the regular Blackwidow and the Elite version. The review linked to the right is of the Elite version. Functionally both versions are the same, though we'd recommend either the Elite or the TE version of this keyboard since the 'regular' Blackwidow sort of sits between the two. 

An old classic

The Razer Blackwidow line isn't new to the scene at all. It's gone through an absolutely massive list of different iterations, which makes it kind of hard to make sense of it all, but we're always happy to help.

Razer currently offers this keyboard in two different full size versions; the regular Blackwidow and the Elite version. Both have the same body and build, fully customizable RGB lighting, and on-board memory, but the regular edition is only available with Razer's Green switches. The Elite version also adds USB and audio ports on the keyboard itself as well as a media dial and media keys. It also comes with a detachable wrist rest and offers the choice between Razer's Green, Orange, or Yellow switches.

Whether or not all of these upgrades are worth it (there is a significant price difference between the two) will depend on your preferences, but if you're looking for a full sized Razer board we would recommend the Elite version. If you're looking for a stripped down version it's perhaps better to go for the Tournament Edition, as that comes with the (fantastic) wrist rest and offers more switch options, though that does obviously mean that you're going to have to go without a numpad.

Available switches

The regular Blackwidow only comes with Razer's Green switches, while the Blackwidow Elite and the Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 (what's in a name, right?) are available with Razer's Green, Orange, or Yellow switches.

of rainbow six siege professionals use a mechanical keyboard

3. Corsair K65

Smaller K70?

The K65 might just look like a smaller version of the K70 but that's not entirely true; it misses the volume rocker and has less media keys as well as a lack of a numpad. These changes do make the keyboard stand on its own if you're asking us, since most companies approach a tenkeyless keyboard in the same manner: they cut off any 'unnecessary' features and focus on making a 'competitive gaming keyboard'.

That's all well and good, but what if you do want media keys, and perhaps a wrist rest for added comfort? That's where the K65 comes in. It strikes a nice balance between offering the extra features that most high end full sized boards offer while also being significantly smaller than said full size boards. As a consequence it's definitely not the smallest TKL keyboard in the world, but if you just want a bit more space on your desk while still having that premium feeling this could be the one.

Available switches

The K65 itself is only available with Red Cherry MX switches.

just over
of rainbow six pros use a keyboard made by 'the mainstream' brands (Corsair, HyperX, Logitech, Razer, Steelseries)

4. Hyperx Alloy FPS (Pro)

For the competitive crowd

If your main focus is gaming and you don't necessarily need any bells or whistles on your keyboard then you should definitely take a look towards the HyperX Alloy FPS or the FPS Pro. The only difference between the two is the fact that the FPS Pro doesn't have a numpad; other than that both boards are functionally exactly the same, so since there's practically no difference between both (other than the fact that the Pro version, for some reason, isn't available with Brown switches) we've added them together.

Much like most of their other gaming products (like the Cloud line of headsets) this keyboard is focused on performance. You won't find any crazy design elements or lighting setups here (in fact you can't change the LED backlight color at all: it's set to red) since you don't really need all of that for gaming.

The Alloy FPS has a solid steel frame and a detachable cable on both versions, making it extremely portable and durable, which is exactly what you want out of a keyboard if you're a competitive gamer who's often on the road to some sort of LAN party. Couple that with its extremely compact design (there are virtually no bezels) and you can see why this is a hit with the competitive crowd.

Available switches

The Alloy FPS is available with Cherry MX Blue, Red, or Brown switches, while the FPS Pro is available with either Blue or Red switches.

5. Logitech G Pro X Mechanical Keyboard

Swap 'em out

The Logitech G Pro line of products has always been well liked by professional players, and the first iteration of the Pro keyboard was a mainstay in this list basically since its inception. The Pro X is a rather new product in the grand scheme of things but it makes sense that it has already taken the torch from its predecessor since it's basically the exact same keyboard with one major upgrade: it has hotswappable switches.

This means that, if you're tired of the way your keyboard feels you can just buy a new switch pack and swap out your current switches instead of having to buy an entirely new board. The G Pro X has new switches too: gone are the Romer-G switches and in are Logitech's very own GX switches.

Aside from the switch aspect this X edition builds on what made the first version so loved: it's a no-nonsense TKL keyboard with a detachable cable, a decently sturdy design, and no extra bells and whistles that drive up the price and serve no extra purpose for competitive gamers.

Available switches

The G Pro X Mechanical Keyboard can be bought with Logitech's GX Blue (clicky), GX Brown (tactile), or GX Red (linear) switches. These colors match their Cherry MX counterparts, by the way, so if you're familiar with those and/or you already have a favorite type of switch you should be able to choose a configuration rather easily.

Of course there's also the possibility to swap out the switches so if you happen to dislike the ones you've ordered you can always change it up.

Conclusion: the best keyboard for Rainbow Six Siege

As is the case with all of our keyboard guides there is but one clear takeaway here: you'll want a mechanical keyboard. What type of board, or what size it comes in completely depends on you and your preferences though. The same goes for the switches.

That sounds a bit unhelpful, but the great thing about keyboards is that there's so many ways to get one that suits you exactly so it's no surprise to see so many different iterations and setups floating around out there. Regardless, we do hope that this summary has helped you decide on your next keyboard. If you have any questions or remarks then please do not hesitate to reach out to us through Twitter or Discord, or just comment on the relevant pages. We read everything.

Thanks for reading!