The gaming keyboards has been around for years, however, you should only expect the present ones to be of certain quality. Let’s do an overview of exclusive aspects a brand-new gaming keyboard should offer to ensure its value.
Form Factor: 60 Percent, TKL, and More
Not everyone needs a full keyboard on their desk. If you are the kind of player who often plays FPS game to gain enough mouse room for the flick shots. A great idea to get more space is to reduce the size of the keyboard to 60 percent or tenkeyless (TKL).
A tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard doesn’t have the 10-digit numeric keypad on the right-hand side. A 60 percent keyboard, however, does not have the dedicated function keys and arrow keys. Nevertheless, these keyboards feature alternate key functions that you access by pressing Fn button.
If you’ve been only on a full-sized keyboard till now, consider opting for a TKL keyboard as the switch should not be much of a hassle. 60 percent of keyboards are difficult to master due to the lack of function and arrow keys. Alternatively, you can search for 65 percent and 75 percent keyboards on Amazon if you really want to have those arrow keys without sacrificing too much mouse space.
Higher Polling Rates
While a 1000Hz polling rate is what most keyboard and mice in the gaming industry have, it is the standard. On one hand, the usage of such monitors with 240Hz and 360 Hz as a result of competitive gaming created the need to use the mouse and keyboard with higher polling rates.
A keyboard with a 1000Hz polling frequency can report input data 1000 times in 1 second, or the response rate will be 1 millisecond. Yet, keyboards with a 8000 Hz polling rate can report 8000 times in a single second (0.125ms). For esports games such as Valorant, Apex Legends, and Fortnite where each millisecond counts, this can be the difference between gaining another player and being killed.
For the most part, if you play only story-driven games casually, a 1000Hz keyboard can be well enough. But if you want to dominate your opponents in the competitive multiplayer games, select a keyboard that supports higher polling rates.
Low-Latency 2.4GHz Wireless Mode
Although wireless technology is not as common on keyboards of the gaming devices than it is in mice, still, it adds to the convenience factor. When it comes time to just sit down and play games from the comfort of your sofa you don’t have to de-connect your keyboard, just make it wireless. And the fact that one cable less clutters your desk is not the last of the advantages.
Not Bluetooth keyboards, rather. They have a lot of input lag. The fastest gaming experience is only possible with a keyboard that is compatible with 2.4GHz wireless mode. Peripheral makers usually differ from one another by the naming scheme. For example, Logitech has branded it “Lightspeed” and “HyperSpeed Wireless” by Razer.
The keyboards include dongles which you connect to your PC and set up a wireless bridge between the dongle and keyboard.
Analog Switches With Rapid Trigger
Mechanical switches are the modeling of the most of the existing gaming keyboard devices today. For the beginner user of analog switches, you first have to understand they give you you much more control over the actuation point and distance. In this case, the two types of analog keyboards can be differentiated on the basis of the usage of either magnetic hall effect switches or optical switches. Both but they both work in different ways to achieve the same effect.
Magnetic switches for instance their hall-effect sensors as well as magnets in the switch’s stem. While pressing this key, the magnets cause the working of the hall effect sensor and as a consequence, the switch is activated. However, optical switches have an infrared sensor attached, for example. There is a breaker, which is the way that the stem closes the infrared beam and the sensor senses the keypress to register.
These keyboards are an important matter for everyone who masterminding a click as fast as possible. Instead of fully depressing the key or actuating the mechanical switch to register a keypress, one can use low force that still registers the keypress. You will be favored in games in which your movement, for example in Valorant, CS 2, apex legends, is really a vital thing.
A very significant characteristic shared by piecewise-linear representations and analog keyboards is the feature called Rapid Trigger, which immediately switches off the key when you let go of it. Moreover, the key does not get stuck in the reset state before it allows for the other keypress to be registered. This gives you to beat on the “spam” of a key as hard as you can. These keyboards are receptive for different levels of the rapid trigger sensitivity that is adjustable to even 0.1mm.
The Actuation Point and Actuation Force of Switches
Another thing that needs to be taken into account is the actuation point of the switches as well as their actuation force. A shorter actuation distance will allow you to feel the response quicker. It is therefore possible to get a small actuation force, which can be pressed with little effort. But, at the same time, such vulnerability increases the possibility of making typos.
If you’re a stickler for a specific switches, you can adjust the actuation point on most of the boards to the lowest possible value of 0.1 or 0.2mm. But it should be noted that these standard mechanical keyboards have some switches with different actuation points.
Such for example, Cherry MX Red switches are with 2mm actuation distance and 45g actuation force. It differs from Cherry MX Speed (Silver) switches for gamers that have 1.2mm actuation distance with 45g actuation force. Corsair K70 RGB PRO, Taurus K320 TKL, and GK61 60% v3 are the three types of keyboards with Cherry MX Speed.
But if you want something a tad faster, you can opt for the Razer Huntsman Mini 60% with linear optical switches. These switches are 1.0mm actuation distance and 40g actuation force agent.
On top of all the essential factors we’ve mentioned above, you absolutely need to invest in a hot-swappable keyboard as well. This is because you can switch (pun intended) between the switches in case you do not like those that it comes with. At the same time, they’re easier to maintain, and the swapping of keycaps makes it possible to customize as you wish.
Let’s make sure, you know what to seek in your next gaming keyboard, so that buyer’s remorse will be the least of your concerns.
