How to improve your PC gaming experience with a dedicated gaming keyboard

No matter if you are hardcore gamer or just a casual player, you know a keyboard is a vital part of your gear if you are going to frag effectively, hit that next level and win. As with any other aspect of your rig, the better a component is, the better your gaming experience. So, I hope you’re not using the generic, and likely crappy, keyboard that came with your computer. If you are, let me tell you how to improve your PC gaming experience with a dedicated gaming keyboard.

Difference between regular and gaming keyboards

The typical “regular” keyboard offers no frills, and little comfort. Essentially, it is a long rectangle with all the basic keys used for typing arranged across the surface. This type of ordinary PC keyboard uses a rubber dome and membrane for the depression and recording of a key. It is cheap and easy to produce.

A gaming keyboard, on the other hand, is built for a player’s comfort and dedicated use for navigating and conquering digital worlds, rather than typing essays or emails. They usually have ergonomic shapes and padding to avoid hand and wrist strain during long gaming sessions, plus extra keys. For responsiveness, most good gaming keyboards feature a mechanical switch placed under every key to record each keystroke made. This physical switch is triggered when you press the key before bouncing back quickly to return the key to its original position. Gaming keyboards are also a little more pricey.

What’s so great about a mechanical keyboard?

The reasons gaming keyboards are mostly mechanical keyboards are many. First off, it just feels better. You get that nice satisfying click when you hit a key. It feels and sounds so much better than an ordinary keyboard. Then there’s the fact that mechanical (ie: gaming) keyboards have “n-key rollover.” This means that each key is scanned completely independently by the keyboard hardware, so that each keypress is correctly detected regardless of how many other keys are being pressed or held down at the time. So, no matter how many keys you are desperately mashing to keep your digital avatar alive, the keyboard keeps track of it all. It’s called “ghosting” when ordinary keyboards miss out on registering keys when too many are pressed together.

Why a gaming keyboard has extra keys

You’ll find extra banks of keys, or different key setups on the majority of gaming keyboards. The extra banks typically allow you to set up useful shortcuts or “macros” which are like mini-programs that execute a series of keystrokes by hitting the one key. Different key setups put useful and commonly used keys near the WASD keys, so the are easily accessed during gameplay.

Gaming keyboards have more style

With their ergonomic shape, satisfying click-y keys and sweet padding, gaming keyboards already look so much more stylish than an ordinary PC computer keyboard. However, you’ll find that good gaming keyboards also offer dynamic lighting effects, as well. So, you can light the keyboard with snazzy LED lighting of your favourite colour, or even make the lights pulse or change over time. The lit-up keys are ideal for playing at night in a darkened room. No more squinting at your keyboard in the dark and making a fatal mistake. Other benefits of some gaming keyboards include offering extra USB ports or jacks for your headphones.

So, are you convinced? Do you rhink a gaming keyboard would improve your gaming experience? Let me know in the comment section below, and don’t forget to check out all the gaming keyboards available online at Best Buy.