The keyboard is one of those peripherals that players pay the least attention to. They generally value an accurate and comfortable mouse, headphones that can hear every enemy, and a monitor with a high refresh rate. In my opinion, turning a blind eye to the keyboard is irresponsible, because a well-chosen one can positively affect the results in games.
It is impossible to deny the key role of skills, which after all have the greatest impact on performance in games. After all, if it wasn’t for talent and hard work, none of the top players would ever find their place. However, you cannot forget about the equipment, because it is also important and with its help you can improve your comfort, which in turn will translate into a better game.
Let’s agree, however: most keyboards advertised as gaming are unable to offer anything special to this group of recipients. Of course, everyone has their own preferences, but there are devices on the market whose creators do everything to make the game easier for players. That is why today I would like to present you my suggestions for keyboards that are able to improve the “skill” in games.
What makes a gaming keyboard?
To begin with, I’d like to outline my methodology for selecting keyboards that could make it onto this list. As I mentioned, adding the word “gaming” to the description of the device will not make it magically offer something more than the model without such a note. So I have to be guided by specific aspects.
Below I will list all the features that were important when choosing keyboards.
Size
By far the most important thing for most gamers is that their keyboard is small. In this way, they get more room to maneuver the mouse, because a smaller keyboard takes up less space on the desk. However, many people have trouble deciding between what size is the most appropriate and what size keyboard ends up being usable.
The general consensus, however, is clear: all keyboards between 60% and 80% are suitable for gamers. It should be noted, however, that in recent years the preferences of this group of recipients have moved significantly to the extreme end of this spectrum. Currently, the size most often chosen by players is 60% and I consider it the best suited for this purpose.
In turn, I consider full-size keyboards to be completely unsuitable for gaming, because I always have problems with comfortable use of them in games due to the very limited space for mouse movements. Of course, I do not think that it is impossible to play on such keyboards, but it is strongly inadvisable in my opinion.
Switches
Another very important condition is the switches. Here the matter is roughly simpler: players expect quick activation without any delays, as well as smooth and even work that does not hinder the gameplay. In addition, most consider light springs to be better than heavy ones. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that optical or magnetic switches will be the best choice for most gamers.
Another consideration is the type of switch. As is well known, there are generally three types to choose from: linear, touch and click. For some reason unknown to me, people have developed a belief that the first ones are the best to play. Personally, no argument has ever convinced me to think the same. Gamers don’t get any advantage from the mere fact of using linear switches, and in my opinion, tactile ones are able to make the game even easier. Therefore, I believe that there is no clear answer to the question of which type is the best to play, and when creating this list, I took all three into account.
Parameters
The last, but no less important, feature is all the technical parameters that have a significant impact on the comfort of using the keyboard in games. I mean:
- Key Rollover,
- ghosting,
- polling rate.
The first defines how many keys we can press at the same time, and the keyboard will easily recognize them. 2-Key Rollover means that the minimum number is 2, so the keyboard will detect at least two keys pressed simultaneously. The most popular technology today is 6-Key Rollover, which allows at least 6 keys to be detected simultaneously, but in some games this may still not be enough (e.g. osu!Mania or quaver). Therefore, in my opinion, the perfect keyboard for a gamer should have an N-Key Rollover.
Ghosting, in turn, is a phenomenon that occurs practically only in keyboards that base their operation on the membrane. It consists in entering a signal into the computer about the activation of a key that has not been physically pressed. For example, if you hold down A, S, and X at the same time, the computer may additionally receive information that you have entered the letter Z, which is not actually being held. There is practically no ghosting in currently produced keyboards, and manufacturers catchy call its absence “Anti-Ghosting” – as if it was a specially designed technology.
The third and last of the parameters I mentioned is the polling rate. This term can be translated as “sampling rate” and defines how often a signal is sent from the keyboard to the computer. If the frequency is 125 Hz, the computer gets information if the key is pressed 125 times in one second. Therefore, if we press a key, the time it takes for the computer to receive the information will be a maximum of 8 milliseconds. Currently, the minimum polling rate in games is considered to be 1000 Hz, which translates into a maximum response time of 1 ms.
Which gaming keyboard to buy?
Based on the conditions I’ve listed so far, the ideal gaming keyboard is 60% size, smooth and reliable optical or magnetic switches with light spring, high actuation point, 1000Hz polling rate, N-Key Rollover and Anti-Key. Ghosting.
It should be remembered that the keyboard does not have to meet all these conditions to qualify for today’s list. At least a few of them are enough to give a noticeable advantage to the players. Let’s not forget that absolutely no one is stopping you from liking a completely different gaming keyboard than those mentioned by me.
Now that the theory is behind us, it’s time for specific models that I consider worthy of attention if you are looking for a keyboard made for gaming!
A4Tech Bloody B820R RGB
Today’s list opens with the A4Tech proposal. Bloody B820R RGB is a full-size keyboard, but based on Light Strike II Blue optical switches. The same company as the optical models for RAZER is responsible for their production, so there is nothing to worry about their quality. Activation takes place in them at a height of 1.8 mm, and the entire stroke is only 3 mm long.
According to the manufacturer’s declarations and my own experience, I can clearly confirm that the Bloody B820R RGB has N-Key Rollover, Anti-Ghosting and a sampling frequency of 1000 Hz. In addition, thanks to the use of optical switch technology, there is no delay between activation threshold and reset in this keyboard.
The housing of this model is made of ordinary plastic, while the structure is stiffened by a metal mounting plate. The keycaps are made using double injection technology, which ensures really high durability. Admittedly, they are ABS plastic, not PBT, but you can’t expect much in this budget.
In addition, there is a very bright RGB backlight, which can be easily configured in dedicated software. The manufacturer also boasts that this model is splash-proof, and this is helped by a liquid protection coating (probably applied to the PCB) and an intelligent system for draining liquids from the housing (i.e. holes on its bottom).
Unfortunately, we can’t detach the cable from this keyboard, and the switches protrude slightly above the housing. The stabilizers also leave much to be desired, which the manufacturer did not take care of in any way, which makes them rattle loudly. In addition, some customers may not like the fact that the switches used here are clicky, as a result of which they also do not sin with silence.