In competitive online games, not only your reaction is decisive, but also your input devices: keyboard and mouse. In this article, we will tell you what parameters you should pay attention to when choosing a gaming “keyboard”.
A gaming keyboard provides comfort so that you can easily deal with your opponents for long periods. Also, modern devices reduce impulse lag (input delay) to a minimum. It turns out that by pressing the same button at the same time, you will do the action faster than your opponent with a higher impute-lag score. Who doesn’t use the keyboard for gameplay? But first things first.
Type of keyboard
You’ll have to choose between a membrane keyboard and a mechanical keyboard. Membranes are cheaper and quieter, but lose out on responsiveness and lifespan. Mechanical switches are more accurate and have a distinctive “click” sound, just like a typewriter. Their keystroke is quite high, and typing with a mechanical keyboard can be a little unpleasant after a diaphragm keyboard. But contrary to a popular misconception, it takes less effort to actuate the mechanical keys than the membrane keys. If you do not dislike the sound of the keys, it is better to choose a mechanical keyboard for gaming. It’s more reliable and responsive than a membrane keyboard.
Additional keys
The most common are Cherry MX, Kailh, Razer, and Topre switches. They have different designs, sounds, and operation times. The German Cherry MX switches are tacitly considered to be the best switches – they are used in most flagships. So if you see the Cherry designation, feel free to buy it.
Do you need them? It depends on what you are playing. For shooters and strategy games, a standard set of keys will be enough, so it’s better to spend your savings on an essay writing service so you don’t lose your grades at university. However, the more extra keys on the keyboard, the stranger it looks. There are very few gaming keyboards on the market today with a huge abundance of extra keys. However, if you can’t get enough of the standard feature set, take a closer look at the Bloody B314 from A4Tech.
Keycaps
If you can do without the “free” keys, the multimedia keys are a bit different. Their presence is not obligatory, but useful: it is very convenient to be able to mute the microphone or make the sound louder directly from the keyboard. To refuse this function or not – is a matter of taste.
There are also silicone keyboard caps – as a rule, they are used only for game keys (WASD, etc.) to distinguish them with separate colors and to protect them from frequent presses. They have a long life and a nice touch coating that does not erase over time.
Lighting
You don’t have to play on a Christmas tree, but why not? Whatever they say about the functionality of the backlight, it’s more applicable to typing than gaming. You don’t look at your keyboard to find the WASD or the left [Shift] before you press it, do you? It means that the backlighting of these keys is designed mostly for visual appeal (and for playing in the dark, you never know).
Keyboards, where you can set the color for each key separately, will be more expensive but will bring a lot of joy. And if you have a bright mouse and backlit gaming PC, you’ll be able to set everything in the same style and enjoy the lights.
Software and Memory
Some gaming keyboards have software that allows you to set the backlight, write macros for the keys and configure the game combinations. With other models, you have to perform these manipulations manually, using separate keys. It is still more convenient to customize the keyboard using a separate application, but if the manufacturer does not provide any software for your device, it is not a problem. However, we advise looking at advanced gadgets with separate configuration software.