Things That You Should Look for When Buying a Gaming Keyboard

What makes a good gaming keyboard? There are many different types of gaming keyboards, and it can be hard to know what to look for in a gaming keyboard, especially if it’s your first gaming keyboard. If you’re wondering how to choose a keyboard that’s right for you, here are a few basics that you should keep your eye out for that we have listed for you below. 

Fully Ergonomic 

When you’re gaming for hours, you can start to notice your fingers begin to cramp. A reason this could be happening is that the keyboard you currently have isn’t ergonomic for your fingers. In fact, the National Library of Medicine has found that an ergonomic keyboard can help reduce the risk of carpal tunnel, which is important for those who are using their keyboard for most of the day. 

A curved or split keyboard can help improve your resting hand position when gaming, and with that setup, you can game all night without cramping. 

Wired vs. Wireless

Another thing to consider is whether you want your keyboard to be wired or wireless. When using a wireless keyboard, you may run into issues with keeping your device charged, which can be the absolute worst when you’re in the middle of a game. However, using a gaming keyboard with a wire means ensuring your computer has the right USB or PS/2 port to connect it with, which not every computer will have. 

Different Types of Gaming Keyboard Keys

It’s crucial to pay attention to all aspects of a gaming keyboard before purchasing it, especially if it’s your first one. Even the material that the keys are made of provides you with a better gaming experience. When looking at gaming keyboards, there are two different plastics that would be used for the keys: ABS and PBT.

ABS:

• A more expensive coating on keys
• Won’t rub off after extended use
• Can resist up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit

PBT:

• A bit lower-quality and is light-weight
• Will melt when placed in the sun for long periods of time
• Characters on the keys can wear off with use

Anti Ghosting vs. N-Key Rollover

When using your keyboard for day-to-day purposes, you’re not typically pressing two keys at the same time, nor would you want to. However, when you’re gaming, you’ll probably need to press several keys at once to play properly, and every good gaming computer should have that feature. 

The n-key rollover is when a gaming keyboard is made to handle a certain number of keys being pressed at the same time. 

The “n” in n-key rollover represents the number of keys that can be pressed at the same time. In turn, the higher the n-number, the more the gaming keyboard will be able to handle. This is an advantageous feature for any gamer to have, as regular keyboards have something called “anti-ghosting.”

Anti-ghosting occurs when two or more keys are pressed at the same time on a regular keyboard. Rather than creating the proper function for the game, the keyboard will only register one key being pressed and ignore the rest. This is okay if a computer is being used for typical use, but when used for gaming, it can be the last straw that makes you lose a match. 

RGB Illumination

A nice add-on that can make a keyboard go to the next level is RGB illumination. With RGB illumination, the keyboard itself can have rainbow lights and other visual effects through bright backlighting. 

Another cool feature of RGB illumination is that you can section off your keyboard into different colors so it’s easier for you to remember. For instance, you can highlight the keypad as blue and the directional arrows as pink to help you game faster and more accurately. So while it is a cool design feature, having this illumination also helps you in other ways when gaming, and AUKEY provides a variety of light-up keyboards to choose from. 

Size

When shopping for gaming keyboards, you may begin to notice that the sizing varies greatly. If you’re looking for what would be a “full-sized” keyboard, you’d want it to have at least 104-105 keys, a number pad, function keys, four directional cursor keys, and a QWERTY section. 

A full-size keyboard has all the features, but because of that, it can also be rather large. In this case, some gamers will lose the extra number pad on the side and go with a “tenkeyless” keyboard. This might be more manageable overall but will still give gamers everything they need to play their games.

Best Budget Gaming Keyboard Recommend by AUKEY

Are you ready to get your first gaming keyboard? You don’t need the most popular gaming keyboard out there, but you do need one that fits everything you’re looking for. AUKEY provides a variety of gaming keyboards for both beginners and experts. Take a look at what AUKEY has to offer for gaming keyboards and start gaming better.