Keyboard for the player

The mouse and keyboard are the two most important devices that allow you to communicate with your PC. Their quality and workmanship vary depending on the purpose - for example, budget keyboards with only basic options are often found in an office space. However, players need more - both in terms of functionality and mechanics.

Various offers from manufacturers of keyboards for gamers will satisfy both lovers of goodies in the form of additional LCD panels or complex backlighting, as well as people looking for simpler solutions that will work in any game.

What mechanism should a gaming keyboard have?

There are several types of keyboards on the market that differ in design. They are the following:

• Mechanical - the oldest and still popular on the market. Its action is based on the interaction of mechanical structures. Under each key there is a button, the task of which is to record the move and transfer the corresponding information to the computer.

• Tangential, divided into three subcategories. As the name implies, information is transmitted to the computer as a result of contact between two structural elements of the keyboard. These sub-categories are: membrane (with a special membrane separating the electrical systems until a key is pressed), domed (in this case, when pressed, the dome containing the so-called carbon contact flexes) and having conductive rubber, which, when pressed with keys, to the plate with electrical connections.

• Non-contact - according to the nomenclature, its action is based not on the physical contact of structural elements, but on the non-contact action of capacitors or optocouplers.

The keyboard for the player is most often made using contact technology: mainly dome-scissor, which is an improved version of the membrane subcategory. These are popular solutions that are economical to manufacture and at the same time provide a satisfactory service life. A good alternative to these options is the mechanical gaming keyboard, which enjoys cult status in professional circles. Before buying, it is worth considering these varieties in detail in terms of their functionality during the game.

Scissor-dome variety. budget mobility

The scissor keyboard membrane is pressed against the contact point by a plastic scissor lever. This is ensured primarily by the low profile of the keys and the short so-called key travel, that is, the distance that the key must travel from the moment it is pressed to the point of contact. For this reason, this membrane is often used in portable devices and small keyboards. It is also characterized by a long service life (up to 20 million clicks).

Dome switches offer greater responsiveness (timing accuracy and keystroke efficiency) and similar durability (typically 10 to 20 million clicks), which fans of fast-paced and hardware-intensive games will appreciate.

Mechanical keyboard. Higher price and with it better quality

This type of construction is definitely not the cheapest, but is still often considered the most suitable for gaming requirements. The earliest samples of such structures (built in the early 70s) were characterized by a service life of up to several tens of millions of clicks.

The main difference between the solution under discussion and the one described above lies in the essence of the mechanism, which in this case is based on simple, traditional springs. Although mechanical switches have domes, their role is only to activate the sending of a signal to the computer. The spring is responsible for the "feel" of the key, providing a long key travel, a pleasant click sound and a high durability factor.

The company that patented the mechanical keyboard is still active in the market. Cherry, because we are talking about it, is produced in several types. The most popular among gamers is the Cherry MX, which comes in four variants (black, brown, red and blue) that differ, including the jump, feedback, and pressure that must be applied to activate.

Cherry MXs are typically capable of tens of millions of clicks, making them devices with very long uptimes. This has been confirmed by numerous reviews and tests. It features low keystroke force, low volume when used, and satisfactory feedback with a huge lifespan of eighty million keystrokes per key.

Mechanics is not everything. Other features of gaming keyboards

Enough design details. While mechanisms are at the heart of how keyboards work, we can't help but notice other features that have a significant impact on everyday use. These include, among others:

• The organization of the keys - their location, size and scaling. Specific keyboard models differ from each other in the size of the function buttons, as well as the shape of some other buttons (mainly Enter or Shift). It is worth choosing hardware with a layout that is as suitable as possible for the keys most commonly used in games - for example, an overly narrow left shift will not make it easier to sprint in FPS.

• Shape, shape, key height, and typing - these options are partly influenced by switch design (for example, scissor keyboards will always have more key travel than mechanical ones). Some manufacturers offer buttons both slightly concave and with a perfectly flat surface. The method of printing is also important (there are several ways for this: from the cheapest, i.e. pad printing, to the most productive and more expensive, such as the so-called sublimation).

• Additional features in the form of attached wrist rests, height adjustment or lighting options. These features are not the essence of functionality, but they certainly enhance the comfort of use and enhance the aesthetic value.

Therefore, when choosing a gaming keyboard, you should pay attention to three main points: the type of mechanism, workmanship and additional functionality. The starting point, as with the choice of any other equipment, should be individual needs, which can be easily met by taking advantage of our offer. For retro gaming, an additional LCD display on the side of the keyboard will be useless, which in turn can be a very important help when mastering the latest AAA titles.