The Definitive Guide to Gamer Inputs

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• Form Factor: 60 Percent, TKL, and More
• Higher Polling Rates
• Low-Latency 2.4GHz Wireless Mode
• Analog Switches With Rapid Trigger
• The Actuation Point and Actuation Force of Switches

Key Takeaways

• Gaming keyboards come in various sizes. Choose the form factor depending on how much mouse space you need.
• Keyboards with higher polling rates and analog switches give you a competitive edge in games.
• Mechanical keyboards with a low actuation point and actuation force are more suitable for gaming.

Gaming keyboards have been around for years, but if you’re looking to buy one today, you should expect it to meet certain standards. We’ll take a look at some unique features a modern gaming keyboard should have to make it worth your money.

1 Form Factor: 60 Percent, TKL, and More

Wooting

Not everyone wants a full-sized keyboard on their desk. If you’re someone who regularly plays FPS games, you may need more mouse real estate for those flick shots. Downsizing to a 60 percent or tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard is a great way to get more space.

A tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard, as the name suggests, doesn’t have the 10-digit numeric keypad on the far right. A 60 percent keyboard, on the other hand, doesn’t have dedicated function keys and arrow keys. However, these keyboards have secondary functions printed on them, which you can use after pressing theFn key.

If you’ve only used a full-sized keyboard so far, consider switching to a TKL keyboard, as the transition should be easy.60 percent keyboards have a steep learning curve due to the missing function and arrow keys. You can also go for 65 percent or 75 percent keyboards on Amazon if you really want those arrow keys without losing too much mouse real estate.

2 Higher Polling Rates

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For the longest time, a 1000Hz polling rate has been the industry standard for gaming keyboards and mice. But thanks to the popularity of competitive gaming with 240Hz and 360 Hz monitors, higher mouse and keyboard polling rates are becoming more of a necessity rather than a luxury.

A keyboard with a 1000Hz polling rate can report input data 1000 times in one second (or 1ms). However, a keyboard with an 8000Hz polling rate can report 8000 times in a second (0.125ms). In esports games like Valorant, Apex Legends, and Fortnite, where every millisecond matters, this can be the difference between getting a kill and getting killed.

If you mostly play story-driven games casually, a 1000Hz keyboard should be more than sufficient. But if you want the edge in competitive multiplayer games, opt for a keyboard that supports higher polling rates.

I recommend the Wooting 80HE , as it features industry-leading analog switches, which I’ll get to in a bit. You can also find other popular options on Amazon, like the Corsair K65 Mini ,Razer Huntsman V2 , and NZXT Function 2 .

3 Low-Latency 2.4GHz Wireless Mode

Logitech

Wireless technology isn’t as popular on gaming keyboards as it’s on mice, but it does add to the convenience factor. When you just want to sit back and play games on your couch, you can just unplug your keyboard and use it wirelessly. It also helps that your setup looks a bit cleaner with one less cable on your desk.

I’m not talking about Bluetooth keyboards, though, because that adds a ton of input lag. For a low-latency gaming experience, you need a keyboard that supports 2.4GHz wireless mode. Peripheral makers often have their own terms for this technology. For instance, Logitech calls it “Lightspeed” whereas Razer calls it “HyperSpeed Wireless.”

These keyboards come with a dongle that you connect to your PC to set up a wireless connection between the keyboard and the dongle. You can choose from Logitech Pro X 60 ,SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL , and Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro TKL if you’re not satisfied with our wireless mechanical keyboard recommendations .

4 Analog Switches With Rapid Trigger

You may be familiar with traditional mechanical switches because most gaming keyboards have them already. Consider analog switches as a step up from mechanical switches; they give you much more control over the actuation point and distance. Analog keyboards can use either magnetic hall effect switches or optical switches . They both work differently to give you the same benefits.

For instance, magnetic switches have a hall effect sensor and magnets in the switch’s stem. When you press a key, the magnets trigger the hall effect sensor to activate the switch. On the other hand, optical switches have infrared sensors. When you press a key, the switch’s stem blocks the infrared beam, which the sensor detects to register the keypress.

These keyboards make a huge difference in games where you need to register a keypress as fast as possible. Unlike traditional mechanical switches, you don’t have to press the key all the down or to the switch’s actuation point to register a keypress. You’ll have a competitive edge in games where your movement is crucial, like Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, etc.

Analog keyboards typically offer a feature called Rapid Trigger, which instantly deactivates the key when you release it. Also, you don’t have to wait for the key to completely reset before you press it again to register another keypress. This lets you “spam” a key as much as you want. These keyboards also let you adjust the Rapid Trigger sensitivity to as low as 0.1mm.

5 The Actuation Point and Actuation Force of Switches

Gavin Phillips/MakeUseOf

Another important point to consider is the actuation point and actuation force of the switches. A lower actuation point (or distance) means you’ll register the keypress faster. A lower actuation force, on the other hand, means you can press it with less effort. However, this also means you’re more prone to making typos.

If you’re considering an analog keyboard, you don’t have to worry about the actuation point, as almost all of them let you lower it to 0.1 or 0.2mm. However, standard mechanical keyboards come with various switches with different actuation points.

For instance, the popular Cherry MX Red switches have a 2mm actuation distance and a 45g actuation force. In comparison, the Cherry MX Speed (Silver) switches that target gamers have a 1.2mm actuation distance with a 45g actuation force. Keyboards with Cherry MX Speed switches include the Corsair K70 RGB PRO ,Taurus K320 TKL , and GK61 60% v3 .

If you want something a bit faster, you can go for the Razer Huntsman Mini 60% with linear optical switches. These switches have a 1.0mm actuation distance and a 40g actuation force.

On top of all the important factors we just discussed, I highly recommend getting a hot-swappable keyboard . That’s because you can replace the switches if you don’t enjoy using the ones that come with it. They’re also easier to maintain, and you can swap the keycaps to customize it according to your liking.

Now that you know what to look for in your next gaming keyboard, buyer’s remorse is the last thing you need to worry about.