How To Choose The Best Gaming Keyboard For You

By Boris Dzhingarov

How To Choose The Best Gaming Keyboard For You

The modern gamer needs modern gaming equipment. This includes gaming keyboard, mice, monitors and so much more. You also need to constantly upgrade your desktop PC. So much needs to be considered. However, when referring to gaming keyboards, things can be simpler than many imagine.

The truth is that most gaming keyboards on the market are just really bad or exactly the same thing with the difference being marketing. If you want to choose the very best gaming keyboard, you need to think about your own needs first.

Gaming Keyboard Types

Many believe keyboards are very simple and quite primitive, mainly because of keeping the same original design, with minor modifications. In reality, there are actually 3 keyboard types you could use:

  • Membrane Gaming Keyboards

These keyboards have a rubber membrane placed under the keys. It closes typing plate contact. Prices are low but the problem is that even with the best membrane keyboards out there, you might be faced with lag. It is the technology that is the real problem for the gamer.

  • Mechanical Gaming Keyboards

Gamers often prefer mechanical gaming keyboards, even if the technology used is the oldest one in the industry. We are talking about highly-reliable keyboards. 4 mechanism types exist but all of them are considered to be better than the alternatives.

  • Scissor Gaming Keyboards

Scissor keyboards are usually seen in laptops. Keys have deep embedment and many choose these keyboards because of convenience. The problem with this accessory type is that price is unreasonable. The mechanical keyboards are much better. This does not mean you cannot play games on such a keyboard if you use a laptop.

Keep in mind that you will be using your gaming keyboard a lot. You might even hit it too hard from time to time. With this in mind, durability is vital so the mechanical gaming keyboard is your best choice.

Gaming Keyboard Connection Type

Keyboards are usually wireless or wired. The wired ones are often preferred by gamers, even if having too many wires around your desk can be a problem. Even so, with the wired option you do not have to worry about battery charging or weird lag that can often appear.

When referring to slot, USB is preferred. Just make sure that you do not overload the USB bus with too many connections. This leads to delays with your hits. PS/2 is definitely better but it is so rare these days that it cannot actually be considered. You would choose USB if you do not have a PS/2 port on your computer and it is often advisable to go for this option anyway because a really good PS/2 gaming keyboard is harder to find.

Key Design And Material

Many gamers overlook this really important aspect. Since you play many games, it is a very good idea to be careful with materials and design to avoid wear out problems. Most of the keyboards on the market are made out of really low-grade plastic.

The 2 main types of plastic used in modern keyboards are:

  • ABS – This does not rub off, there is no gloss that appears and has high strength and temperature resistance. The only problem is that it will cost more, although the higher price tag is justified.
  • PBT – This plastic is light and cheap but characters can easily end up erased, with the gaming keyboard becoming glossy. Also, if you leave it in the sun for a few hours, it will most likely melt.

You can tell what type of plastic is used by looking at key stiffness. ABS is massive and stiff.

Other Important Things To Consider

Since we are talking about gaming devices, there are other factors that you have to keep in mind when you make your choice. The very important ones are the following.

  • Manufacturer

The price structure for most gaming keyboards is usually just brand popularity. Fortunately, the vast majority of brand name keyboards are of a very high quality. Just double check everything presented above. For most gamers out there, the best gaming keyboard is manufactured by the best manufacturers.

  • Ergonomics

If you want to have a great gaming session, comfort is really important. This is why you see so many different types of keyboards used by gamers from around the world. Many gaming keyboards come with extra perks like wrist stands. Some may need it while others may find these to be really uncomfortable.

You should also think about smart key location. For instance, you may want to avoid the gaming keyboards that have a Win key right next to the CTRL key.

Do avoid the useless options like highly obscure multimedia buttons and wheels. They make the accessory look horrible and will not be great for most players. If you are a professional that loves playing MOBA games, you may consider MOBA mice or keypads as alternatives. When it comes to the gaming keyboard, just think about comfort and durability.

  • Extra Keys

Obviously, in some cases and for some gamers, some extra keys are a great addition. If this is you, do go for such devices but be sure that extra key placement is suitable and logical.

  • Illumination

Many of the new gaming keyboards have bright back lighting. Usually, 16 million colors are available so you can choose what you like. Dynamic illumination might be present but only use that if you are not distracted by the extra lights.

  • Special Software

Don’t forget about the software that you get. It will not inflate the final price by too much but drivers can make your life a lot easier. You can use them to reprogram your keys and save some configuration profiles. This is really useful when there are many that use the same keyboard.

Final Thoughts

Just as with everything gaming-related, your choice will be subjective. Even so, the facts that you read above are really important and should not be neglected when you make your final choice. Look at all the alternatives on the market and you will surely buy a really good gaming keyboard.