This full-size mechanical gaming keyboard is just ?23 from Amazon
Trust me, this is a great deal.
It's a common misconception that mechanical keyboards are ludicrously expensive. They certainly can be, but there are also plenty of affordable options that deliver the better typing feel and enhanced durability of mechanical designs at an extremely low price. Today we've got one of the latter, as the Trust Gaming GXT 1863 is down to just £23 at Amazon - that's ridiculously cheap for a name-brand option.
The GXT 1863 is hardly the best-looking mechanical keyboard I've ever seen, I've got no complaints either thanks to a full-size UK layout, light and linear mechanical switches and full RGB lighting. The design features a simple black plastic chassis plus some handy creature comforts, such as a dedicated gaming mode that locks the Windows keys to prevent leaving your game accidentally as well full N-key rollover to ensure the keyboard correctly registers as many simultaneous key presses as you make, a common failing of non-mechanical keyboards.
Inside, the GXT 1863 features Outemu Red switches. These linear switches have a light 45g actuation force and a 2mm actuation point, which makes them pleasant to use for both gaming and typing - and they're quieter than mechanical options that have an audible click or tactile bump for enhanced feedback. While non-mechanical keyboards have you pressing on a bit of rubber that hardens over time, like a TV remote, the mechanical switch here provides a longer-lasting, more precise and positive-feeling key press. Once you try it, you'll get the idea.
Trust says this keyboard features 14 different lighting modes, with per-key backlighting providing even coverage that can be changed to match your setup - whether that's a simple single colour backlight for use at night or more advanced effects .
£23 is the cheapest we've seen a full-size mechanical keyboard on Amazon, and it's well worth picking up at this price to see if mechanical keyboards are right for you. You can certainly get fancier mechanical keyboards than this, with more interesting switches, better looks and more advanced capabilities, but this could be a perfect low-cost introduction to the genre.