Gaming Keyboards

Gaming Keyboards—Design

Gaming keyboards are primarily divided into mechanical and classic keyboards that use a membrane.

Membrane Gaming Keyboards

Membrane gaming keyboards use gel switches to press the keys. They are characterised by lower cost and quieter operation. The disadvantages are significantly longer response time, shorter lifetime and may not be completely reliable. For these reasons, gamers today choose primarily mechanical gaming keyboards.

Mechanical Gaming Keyboards

Mechanical gaming keyboards operate on the principle of mechanical switches that guarantee the fastest response for the most exciting moments where hundredths matter. They are designed for demanding users and thus have a long service life. On the other hand, mechanical gaming keyboards are noisy, and you have to pay a bit more for them.

Gaming Keyboards—Mechanical Switches

Mechanical gaming keyboards further differ in the types of switches and their mechanisms. Keyboard brands usually use one of the following three basic types of switches with slight differences in trigger weight and distance parameters. However, some companies produce their own switches with completely unique mechanisms.

1. Linear switches move at a constant speed, have no tactile response and provide the fastest communication with your PC. They are, therefore, one of the most popular switches among professional gamers.
2. Tactile switches have resistive springs that cause a tactile response that must be overcome with each press. These are versatile switches, suitable for typing or playing.
3. Click switches also require overcoming resistance to reach the lowest point. However, this only occurs at the transient, where the key "clicks" with a characteristic, loud sound effect.

Trigger weight and distance parameters affect the sensitivity of the gaming keyboard and vary by brand. Trigger Weight determines the weight that must be applied to the key to register a press. Trigger distance indicates how far the switch must travel before the press is detected.

How Do I Connect a Gaming Keyboard?

Gaming keyboards today connect in one of two ways, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages.

Wired Gaming Keyboards

Wired gaming keyboards connect via a classic USB cable to your computer. These are generally cheaper gaming keyboards with slower response times, which is very important for optimal gaming performance. On the other hand, the disadvantage is the possible obstruction of the cable during playing.

Wireless Gaming Keyboards

The strengths of wireless gaming keyboards is their unrestricted mobility on the table and easy transport. Cheaper models suffer from longer response times and low battery capacity. For avid gamers, we recommend paying a bit extra and getting a higher-quality model where you won't notice any differences in response. Wireless gaming keyboards can be charged and connected in a couple of ways.

• Connect a wireless gaming keyboard
  
  
  • USB receivers do not require pairing and just need to be plugged into a PC. Bear in mind taht it will take up a USB slot.
  • Bluetooth is a modern technology that requires pairing between a keyboard and a PC.
• Wireless Gaming Keyboards—Power Supply
  
  
  • An integrated battery, on the other hand, does not need to be changed and is most often recharged with a USB cable during use.

Gaming Keyboards—Key Layout and Customisation

When choosing a gaming keyboard, we recommend taking into account the layout and customisation of the keys.

Mini Gaming Keyboard—a Compact Solution

Gaming mini keyboards are fast becoming a popular choice. They contain only the basic keys needed for gaming and typing and, thanks to compact dimensions, take up minimal space on your desk while being ideal for travel. An even smaller variant is the one-handed gaming keyboard, which contains half of the keys for gaming only.

Gaming Keyboards—Numeric Keypads

Gaming keyboards with a number pad make entering numbers easy. They are handy if you use your PC for other purposes and often need to type numbers quickly. Gaming keyboards without a number pad are ideal if you are looking for a full-featured keyboard but don't need to enter numbers often.

You can also look at the Enter, Shift and Backspace key shapes and choose the ones that suit you best.

Gaming Keyboards with Stunning Backlighting

RGB gaming keyboards increase clarity during use in the dark. More expensive models often offer the option to program the backlight. You can then change the brightness and colour of the gaming keyboard or even set up dynamic backlighting that responds to the game or background music.

Gaming Keyboards—Additional Features and Functions

Gaming keyboards can have useful features and technologies that come in handy during gaming and everyday activities. We'll take a look at the most common equipment you can find in a gaming keyboard.

• A display shows the selected game profile and the latest notifications from instant messaging services, such as Discord.
• A USB hub offers additional USB inputs for connecting your mobile phone and other electronics.
• You can use programmable keys to perform a variety of functions with a single button press.
• Macro Keys can be programmed to perform a new, more complex operation at the touch of a button.
• Multimedia keys easily control music and video playback. Allows you to change volume, songs and more.