Expert Consulted: Adrian Gardiner. Years of experience buying both computers and computer parts for my own new customer builds has given me a keen eye for spotting great deals when shopping. In this article, I’ll be sharing my knowledge and tips with you on the benefits of gaming keyboards.
Long gone are the days when a keyboard was just a tool for typing out letters and such. In today’s world of gaming, the humble keyboard has ascended to a whole new level with the advent of specialist gaming keyboards designed to help you win!
Gaming keyboards can be used by anyone, not just hardcore gaming enthusiasts. The many benefits of gaming keyboards are:
Gaming keyboards offer benefits like mechanical keys for faster response, customizable RGB lighting, N-key rollover to prevent jammed keys, macro keys for complex commands, and durable construction. These features enhance gameplay, improve performance, and heighten gaming immersion.
I’ve used a gaming keyboard myself for years now (it’s a Corsair Gaming K55) and can’t imagine going back to a boring, plain old keyboard.
Among all the nice features, I love the RGB backlighting that helps me type in semi-darkness! Yes, I know, it’s not good for my eyes!
In my article, I’ve gone into more detail on the pros (and a few minor cons) of using a gaming keyboard and why I recommend all computer users consider upgrading to one.
The Benefits of a Gaming Keyboard – All you need to know
In the next few sections, I’ve covered some of the key benefits that both myself and many others have found to make gaming keyboards a must-have bit of equipment for your PC setup.
Mechanical Key Switches
One of the standout features of a gaming keyboard is the distinctive “click-clack” sound as you type. This is the hallmark of mechanical key switches, a far cry from the mushy rubber dome switches found in budget keyboards.
Gaming keyboards have come a long way since the days of mushy membrane switches. Today, one of the most sought-after features in gaming keyboards is the incorporation of mechanical switches, and for good reason.
These switches offer many advantages that can cover the needs of both casual and competitive gamers.
Durability
Mechanical switches are built to last, with individual switches for each key, boasting an impressive lifespan, enduring millions of keystrokes without compromising performance.
Gamers can rely on their mechanical keyboards for years of intense gameplay. They are also designed in such a way that you can easily remove and replace individual keys, if needed, to clean and/or replace them.
Tactile Feedback and Audible Click
The distinctive tactile sounding feedback and satisfying ‘click click’ sound provides a sensory advantage, allowing gamers to recognize their key presses with real precision.
This is really useful in fast-paced competitive games where split-second decisions can make all the difference.
Customisable Actuation Force
Mechanical switches come in various actuation force options, enabling users to select the one that suits their typing or gaming style. Whether you prefer a light touch or a firmer press, there’s a switch out there for you.
Lots of Switch Choice
The huge range of mechanical switch types available (such as tactile, linear, clicky, light, and heavy) means there is an excellent choice, enabling you to customize your keyboard to suit you.
Each switch type offers different characteristics, such as actuation force and feedback, with a bit of research to find the perfect fit. As a rough guide:
If you want keyboard feedback, choose a ‘tactile’ switch
If you are hard on your keys, choose a ‘heavy’ switch to protect your fingers
If you don’t want keyboard feedback, go for a ‘linear’ switch.
The Audible Click
While the audible click is delightful to some (definitely not to parents of young gamers still at home), it might be disruptive in quiet environments (i.e., home) or shared spaces.
A handy option here would be to use switches with a linear or tactile feel (no click / silent) if noise is an issue (if you can persuade your gaming offspring).
Mechanical switches bring exceptional performance, durability, and customization to gaming keyboards, covering the specific needs of gamers and lifting the gaming experience to new heights.
Though coming with a higher upfront cost and needing a bit of research before purchase, the advantages offered make gaming keyboards a worthy investment for any serious gamer looking to improve their precision and speed during gameplay.
Customizable RGB Lighting
Gaming keyboards these days usually boast full RGB backlighting, bathing the keys in a customizable spectrum of cool colors. It might seem like a flashy extra, but it’s got its practical side too.
Take my early morning writing sessions, for example.
Before the break of dawn, my faithful backlit Corsair keyboard glows a pulsing blue in my office whilst my computer patiently waits for me to come along and wake it up (I rarely turn my PC off, leaving it on standby – not very green, perhaps but it works for me as I’m usually up late and up early!).
At this time of the day, I prefer not to turn the bright lights on and just rely on the soothing colors on my keyboard for illumination.
You can also set the lighting to color code keys based on their function. In my setup, macro keys glow a nice shade of orange, movement keys radiate green, and action keys shine red.
It’s a visual guide that I’ve stuck with that helps me position my fingers without needing to squint at labels.
Some keyboards even take it up a notch with advanced lighting effects that sync with game music or respond to your keystrokes.
So, RGB lighting isn’t just a trendy fashion statement – it’s a useful tool that adds to your keyboard’s functionality.
Program Custom Commands as Macros
Many (but not all) gaming keyboards enable you to create ‘macros’ (a set of commands that you can initiate with a single key press) to save time in a whole range of different ways.
For example, you could create a macro to perform a task in Photoshop that would normally take 6 different steps to achieve – with your macro; this action becomes just one step.
The same applies to macros in gaming – you could program a key to create shortcuts that would have normally taken multiple key presses but are now actioned with just one key press.
It’s a huge time saver and really useful when gaming.
Ergonomics to Avoid Strain and Pain
Many gaming keyboards now come with ergonomic designs to prevent hand and wrist strain – a must for those long gaming sessions. They offer built-in wrist rests, adjustable angles, and removable palm rests, providing excellent support during extended play.
I’ve encountered wrist pain myself, and while making sure I had the right keyboard, in my case, it was a simple case of having the right chair height so that my hands were at the right position over the keyboard.
My current keyboard is equipped with a detachable palm rest, which I find essential for comfort, especially at the end of a long and tiring day.
Getting the right gaming keyboard for long game sessions also needs to include thought given to proper ergonomics to ensure that you’re comfortable while gaming – you won’t get very far if you’re constantly in discomfort.
Quick Media Controls at Your Fingertips
Most keyboards have a selection of built-in media keys or buttons for music playback and allow you to control the volume and start/stop your music.
Also often included are buttons to quickly enable you to fire up a webpage, start your email program, or maybe start a search.
Personally, I don’t make use of these keys, but I have many customers who can’t live without them.
N-Key Rollover Prevents Jammed Keys
N-Key Rollover (NKRO) is a feature found on mechanical keyboards that allows you to press multiple keys at the same time and have each key press registered individually.
This is a feature very useful for gamers wanting to press a number of keys at the same time without the keyboard either missing a key, causing a conflict, or jamming a key.
The ‘N’ in NKRO stands for the number of simultaneous key presses that can be carried out at any given time. The most common types of N-Key rollovers provided by mechanical keyboards are:
- 2KRO (2 key rollover)
- 6KRO (6 key rollover)
- 10KRO (10 key rollover)
- 14KRO (14 key rollover)
- NKRO (full N-Key rollover).
As an example, during first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay, in order to be accurate and competitive, you’ll often need to press multiple keys at the same time, using combinations of letter and number keys to initiate an attack.
So, if you needed to press a key combination of, say, 2 letters and 2 numbers, your keyboard would need to have at least 4KRO capability.
Depending on the mechanical keyboard you have, you may need to enable NKRO functionality in order to be able to use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to a few common questions about gaming keyboards.
Q1: Are gaming keyboards worth it for non-gamers?
I would say yes. The customization options can be a great help with productivity and efficiency, and the ergonomics are a great help in staying comfortable during use and helping to prevent future health issues.
Q2: Which gaming keyboard switch type is best?
It really depends on your particular needs. If you’re into competitive gaming, you’ll appreciate a good quality, clicky key switch like a Cherry MX.
However, if you’re just using it for general computer usage, then I’d go for a gaming keyboard with silent key switches.
A good middle-of-the-road switch would be the Cherry MX Brown, which has a tactile bump, fairly silent travel, and medium actuation force (55G), making it quite versatile.
If you still find this switch too noisy (as some users have), you can add an O-ring to the keycaps, which makes quite a difference.
Q3: Are wireless gaming keyboards as good as wired versions?
Wireless keyboards provide the same great features as their wired counterparts but, of course, avoid the cable situation.
However, many gamers prefer wired keyboards (including me and my gaming sons) for their slightly improved response times.
Both are good choices, but bear in mind also that wireless keyboards will need batteries that regularly need changing!
Conclusion
It may well be that gaming keyboards were actually made with just gamers in mind, but there are numerous advantages that would benefit any keen keyboard user.
If you’re in need of a new keyboard, why not give a gaming keyboard a look?
For a bit more cost, it will likely be more comfortable to use, have many useful time-saving features not available on standard keyboards, and should last much longer, too.
Image Attribution and Licensing
Main Image: ‘Backlit Keyboard by DaryaDanik (Canva Pro)