We have talked about headphones, chairs and mice. But the item that does most of the work then it comes to gaming is most definitely the keyboard. Especially so if you play something like World of Warcraft, because then your mouse is barely needed.
But something seems amiss… If they are so important, how come that there isn’t a post about it yet? To sum it up, we wanted to leave the best part last, because we think that you should try to get the most out of your keyboard. It plays the biggest part in helping you win your games, so you need to know what specs it should have. Here are the reasons why you need a gaming keyboard and not that generic one you find in the electronics section.
Assigning Macros
Once again, we are going to go back to World of Warcraft, but we could even mention League of Legends when it comes to macros. The simple truth is that it’s really hard to set them up comfortably. If the initial key is difficult to reach then that can easily earn you death or even a complete loss, in the case of League of Legends.
This is when gaming keyboards come into play. Most of them have a couple of extra keys which are easy to reach, usually to the left of the keyboard. You can simply extend your little finger and be able to trigger a macro. With normal keyboards this is simply not possible. In most cases they are already overcrowded, because they are intended for office use, which means that they need to be as small as possible. Thus, it’s insanely hard to press buttons precisely.
Plus, a lot of these keyboards come with a software that has preset macros that you can use. But you can even save your own ones in there, then import them on a different device if you plan on using your keyboard elsewhere. Not only does this save you a lot of trouble and time spent with setting your macros, but if you are a beginner at this then it can also help. There is a good chance that the presets might work for you, which is why you should try them out first if you don’t already have a preference. It can easily improve your performance right off the bat and can make using spells and skills easier. Nowadays macros are actually very important and helps your gameplay become much better than you think. Take Fortnite building for example, wouldn’t it be much easier to map some hotkeys to a different part of your keyboard so that you can build more effectively and efficiently? After all your in game life is on the line!
Faster Input with Mechanical Keys
Let’s straighten out what mechanical keyboards actually are. Many people don’t know this, because they simply hopped on the hype train and went with the flow, instead of researching what they are actually advocating for.
An easy way you can differentiate the two kinds of keyboards by their sound. Mechanical keyboards produce a loud clicky or tactile noise. It’s essentially active feedback in terms of sound. This can either be really annoying or satisfying, depends on what kind of person you are (usually people like it unless your the one not using the particular keyboard). But regular ones have a rubber dome under their keys, which helps the keyboard be quieter. This isn’t the most important difference, of course. But a lot of people have no way of telling which one is which, so they rely on the sound. Although, there are still a ton of regular keyboards which are very loud, so this method isn’t that reliable either. If you dive a bit deeper you’ll even find different switches like Cherry MX switches in mechanical keyboards.
Different types of Cherry MX Switches
- Red
- Brown
- Black
- Blue
- Silver
So, mechanical keyboards are different from regular ones because they don’t need to bounce back to record your move. There is a mechanical switch under each and every key, which bounces the buttons right back up in a moment, but the button records as soon as you press it. Because of this, you can hit the same key twice in a shorter amount of time being more effective and fewer chances of input delays.
Durability
Gaming keyboards are made to last. The brands that produce for gamers haven’t succumbed to the greed as much as others, so they would rather make durable products. We are lucky, for now at the very least. Although, we shouldn’t be surprised if this amazing aspect of gaming keyboards suddenly disappears.
But there is a good reason behind this durability. If someone uses their keyboard for work then they mainly use their mouse, but even that isn’t as worn as a gamer’s keyboard. Every single game out there involves a lot of clicking and mouse pressing. Therefore, if you decide to use items intended for an office, then they will quickly break. It’s better to spend a little more money on a product that will last than what you would need to replace every couple of months.
Plus, manufacturers also have to take our rage fits into account, at least a little bit. There are many gamers out there who can’t control their anger if they lose. Who can’t help themselves if “Defeat” is written across their screen. We aren’t going to blame them, although it should be dealt with. But if you know that you have a short temper then you need to get yourself something very durable.
Aesthetics and Appearance
Let’s be honest for a second here. Most gamers get a gaming keyboard because they light up like a rainbow. Or because you can program it to change color if you push a button or when the music changes. To simply say: because it’s cool. Because it fits the gaming aesthetic. Because it looks good in a picture.
And we can’t blame them. Keyboards look absolutely amazing when they are illuminating the entire room, especially when they do so with your favorite color. It’s stunning and nobody can argue with that fact. And of course, your keyboard’s lighting can be matched with your PC and your mouse. The overall look that this creates is the top notch gaming aesthetic.
But of course, lighting is not everything. A lot of keyboards have stickers on them, like the ones intended for League of Legends and World of Warcraft. These stickers show the abilities you use with the specific keys, which might be a look you like. Although, a lot of people like the keyboards that are mainly black, the WASD keys are different. The most common variation of this is by coloring those keys red. It creates a pretty nice aesthetic as well.
Convinced You Need a Gaming Keyboard Now?
Your keyboard is your best friend when you want to play. Therefore, you need to put as much effort as you can into it when you are deciding what you get. This choice will impact the next few months of your life (at the very least), so it’s best to play it safe. Especially so if you regular rage because of losing a game or dying. But even if you aren’t a die hard gamer, having a nice piece of gear will improve your mood tremendously. There’s nothing better than sitting down in front of a PC that is lit up like a rainbow. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
You might not think that spending some extra money on a gaming keyboard is worth it. But trust us on this, it’s a great investment!
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