Best Keyboard for DOTA 2

Based on 45 Pro Players

The most used keyboards by DOTA 2 players

The most popular keyboards are calculated based on 45 professional players.

Introduction


Gaming competitively isn’t just about grinding out the hours. It’s also about making sure you’ve got the right gear for you. You don’t want to game for an entire evening with a headset that annoys the life out of you, for example. If you’re aiming at the highest ranks you won’t want to use mouse that has a tendency to malfunction either. Getting gear that suits you and your preferences can not only greatly increase your performance but also your comfort levels.

Getting a nice and reliable keyboard is one way of personalizing your setup and making your grind more comfortable. In games such as DOTA 2 it can be really important to have a board that matches your style. If you’re someone prone to fat fingering you can think about a keyboard with heavier switches, for example. If you want your keys to actuate at the lightest touch you can consider a so-called ‘speed board’. In order to help you on your way we’ve been taking a look at the most used keyboards in the professional DOTA 2 scene, and armed with that knowledge we created this guide. We’ll list the most used keyboards for you to consider and briefly go over their features so that you can make an informed decision on your next purchase.

Our Guide

The Pro Usage Top 5 gets updated continuously and instantly so that you can always get an accurate overview of what the pros are using at any given time. In the body of the article itself, we go over the five most popular pro products in no particular order and, when relevant, we also give you some extra options in the form of products that fall just outside of the top 5 or are otherwise relevant.

What makes a keyboard good for DOTA 2?


Mechanical keyboards have been getting more and more popular in recent times, and not just in the world of gaming. Many people have discovered the customizability and almost endless amount of options that you get with mechanical boards, which culminated in a sort of ‘mechanical keyboard boom’.

One thing’s for sure if we look at what our analyzed pro gamers are doing: you will want to go mechanical. Almost no professional gamer these days is using a regular membrane keyboard. That’s because mechanical boards are simply superior. They not only offer a lot more options to make your board your own (even if you’re not building your board yourself there are still a ton of sizes and switches to choose from) but they also last longer and just feel a lot more pleasant to use.

If you really don’t have the budget you can get away with a membrane board of course (pressing a key is still very much a 1 or 0 sort of action, so the performance boost won’t be the same as when you’re going from an office mouse to a gaming mouse, for example) but considering the fact that there are some really enticing budget boards out there we do recommend at least considering a mechanical board.

If we take a look at what the DOTA pros are specifically using we notice a trend that’s been happening in other analyzed games as well: more and more pros are using smaller form factor keyboards. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that the custom keyboard scene (where a full sized board is extremely rare) has been exploding in popularity, making mainstream manufacturers spend more resources on their smaller boards, or maybe pros have started to realize that having a numpad isn’t worth the loss of desk (and thus mouse) space for the majority of games.

In any case: we’d also strongly recommend you to consider a smaller form factor unless you really need the numpad. There are some great options to be found on that front these days, and the increased desk space is really handy.

Hyperx Alloy Origins


The Alloy Origins builds on what makes HyperX keyboards so well-loved: it has a sturdy aluminum chassis, detachable cable, compact size, and a very decent typing experience. The main differences between the Alloy Origins line and the famous Alloy FPS line (which was among the most used keyboards in pro gaming for years) can be found in the switches (the Origins uses HyperX’s own switches) and the fact that the Origins line has full RGB.

The HyperX Alloy Origins (which is the full size version) can be bought with HyperX Red, Aqua, or Blue switches, while the Origins Core (the TKL version) can only be bought with Red or Aqua switches. The Origins 60 (the 60% version) is currently only available with HyperX Red Switches.

HyperX Alloy Origins

Used by 5 DOTA 2 players ()
Staff’s Choice
Pro’s Choice

❝It doesn’t rock the world but it’s definitely one of the better ‘no BS’ gaming boards out there at this point in time.❞

Read review (03/2021)

Pros

  • Sturdy and reliable
  • HyperX switches feel good to use

Cons

  • Keycaps are subpar

Specs

Form FactorFull Size
SwitchesHyperX Blue, HyperX Aqua, HyperX Red
PCBNon-Hotswappable
RGBYes
Height3.6cm
Width44.2cm
Length13.3cm
Weight1075g

Razer Blackwidow V3 Pro


Razer’s BlackWidow line of keyboards is one of their most famous and well-loved lines of keyboards and it has gone through many iterations. This particular one, the BlackWidow V3 Pro takes all that makes this line so special and makes it wireless for the ultimate clutter-free experience. For this it utilizes Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless technology which is, as we know from their wireless mice, lag-free and faultless, though you can also use it in Bluetooth mode (for productivity: we wouldn’t recommend that for gaming) and with the detachable USB-C charging cable.

The BlackWidow comes with Razer’s very own switches (those have a longer lifespan than regular Cherry MX switches according to Razer, but these already last so long that it’s nearly impossible to test for that) and has an aluminum construction for added durability. Complete with a very nice wrist rest and dedicated media controls, this might be the best choice for people who want a full-featured board and prefer a clutter-free desk.

Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro

Used by 2 DOTA 2 players ()
Pro’s Choice

The Razer Blackwidow V3 Pro is for people who want a premium gaming keyboard experience without a cable attached to it. Thanks to its extensive Bluetooth connection options it also offers a great work/play balance.

Pros

  • Included wrist rest feels great
  • Smooth switches
  • Flawless wireless connection
  • Handy media controls

Cons

  • Price hike when compared to the wired version is significant
  • Keycaps are subpar

Specs

Form FactorFull Size
SwitchesRazer Yellow, Razer Green
PCBNon-Hotswappable
RGBYes
Height4.3cm
Width45cm
Length24.8cm
Weight1425g

Logitech G Pro X Keyboard


The custom keyboard market is growing at an explosive rate. With that growth also comes a wide variety of switches that you can choose from. Seemingly every week we see a new release, and while most of those releases are limited and only aimed at the hyper enthusiast market it’s still cool to know that there are so many options out there and that those options are still growing.

One of the main selling points of Logitech’s G Pro X keyboard is just that: you can swap out the switches on your board without having to solder. Just pull out the switch, replace it with any (compatible) switch, and boom: you’re good to go. This means that there are a lot of options for you to make the G Pro X your own. You can even put a different switch underneath every single button if you’re so inclined, though we wouldn’t recommend that for obvious reasons.

Aside from the hotswap functionality it’s also a reliable keyboard, made for professional and competitive gamers. It has small bezels to the side in order to maximize mouse space and doesn’t have any media dials or knobs: this one is all business. Combine that with a detachable cable (which is a must for these competitive gaming-focused boards if you’re asking us) and you have a portable, reliable board for the dedicated gamers among us.

Logitech G Pro X Keyboard

Used by 4 DOTA 2 players ()
Pro’s Choice

What you’re getting is a solidly built gaming keyboard without any unnecessary frills that’ll last you a pretty long time and delivers everything you’d want out of a competitive gaming keyboard. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less either.

Read review (08/2020)

Pros

  • Hot-swappable PCB means changing switches is very easy
  • Sturdy build quality

Cons

  • Keycaps don’t feel very premium
  • Non-standard bottom row means that switching out keycaps can be a hassle

Specs

Form FactorTKL
SwitchesGX Blue Clicky, GX Brown Tactile, GX Red Linear
PCBHotswappable
RGBYes
Height3.5cm
Width36cm
Length15.5cm
Weight980g

HyperX Alloy FPS Pro


This line of keyboards (there is the Alloy FPS Pro and the Alloy FPS; the first one is a TKL board while the second one is a full sized keyboard) has been moving through our lists for years, and even though the popularity of this particular line has faded, we do see it pop up every now and again.

What you’re getting with the Alloy FPS Pro is a TKL keyboard that is all business. There isn’t even RGB lighting: you do get backlighting but that only comes in red so that you can dedicated all of your time and focus to DOTA 2. The Alloy FPS also came out before HyperX made their own switches, so this one is still available with Cherry MX switches, which is handy in case you’re someone who prefers these classic switches.

HyperX Alloy FPS Pro

Used by 2 DOTA 2 players ()
Pro’s Choice

The HyperX Alloy FPS Pro was made as a minimal-distractions board that’s aimed towards competitive gamers who want a reliable, no-frills mechanical gaming keyboard, and that’s exactly what it is.

Pros

  • Straightforward, compact design
  • Sturdy build quality

Cons

  • Red backlighting only
  • Very limited customization options

Specs

Form FactorTKL
SwitchesCherry MX Red, Cherry MX Blue
PCBNon-Hotswappable
RGBNo
Height3.5cm
Width36.0cm
Length13.0cm
Weight910g

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL


We already said that the vast amount of options that you get with mechanical keyboards are one of the main draws, and SteelSeries have taken that up a notch with the Apex Pro TKL. Within this board you’ll find their OmniPoint switches, and you can change the actuation point (basically the point at which the switch registers a press; higher means more travel before registering) on those. That’s particularly neat for gamers, as it allows you to have different profiles for different games, for example. Or in the case of DOTA 2, you can have certain keys set to a higher actuation point so that you don’t accidentally press them. Whether or not this will be useful for you will depend on your personal preferences of course, but it’s a cool feature regardless.

Aside from the OmniPoints the Apex Pro is a reliable board and, if you set the actuation at its lowest point, one of the faster boards out there, so if that’s what you’re looking for then the Apex Pro is a definite recommendation, but it needs to be said that the OmniPoints are a ‘deciding factor’ if you ask us. If you don’t feel like you’ll use their customizability a lot there are equal options out there that will be friendlier on your wallet.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL

Used by 2 DOTA 2 players ()
Staff’s Choice
Pro’s Choice

In conclusion: I’m sure that this will be a pretty polarizing product but it can’t be denied that SteelSeries is trying to innovate here, and I truly think that they’re on to something. I’m excited to see what the future brings for this kind of switch and technology. Because of this innovation and the overall quality of the board on most fronts it gets the Staff’s Choice award, with the notion that most of the value of this board is in the customizable switches, so if you have no intention of using those you should look elsewhere.

Read review (06/2023)

Pros

  • Customizable actuation point for the switches
  • Included wrist rest
  • USB passthrough
  • Sturdy build quality
  • Cable routing options on the bottom
  • Volume wheel feels nice to use

Cons

  • Subpar keycaps
  • OLED screen feels a bit gimmicky
  • Navigation cluster and function keys don’t have OmniPoint switches

Specs

Form FactorTKL
SwitchesOmniPoint
PCBNon-Hotswappable
RGBYes
Height3.9cm
Width35.5cm
Length13.6cm
Weight772g

Best Keyboard for DOTA 2 – Conclusion


Best Keyboard for DOTA 2 product lineup

Looking at what the pros are using you will definitely want a mechanical keyboard, but we already established that. Beyond that there are a lot of options. What’s notable is that, like we see in our other games, smaller boards are becoming the norm in DOTA 2, and most pros don’t opt for a board with a lot of bells and whistles. Contrary to the shooter games that we analyze you don’t need a ton of mouse space for DOTA 2 though, so it’s definitely viable to go for a full size board if that’s what you’re after.

If you have any questions about any of these boards please don’t hesitate to reach out to us: we try to answer every single comment.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments