Will buying a mechanical keyboard make any difference to your gaming experience? Surprisingly, experts say no - but they can survive the pressures of gaming longer than membrane keyboards.
DO mechanical keyboards have any advantage for gamers?
The short answer is no.
Gaming monitors offer low latency, high refresh rates, and faster response times while a gaming mouse can have more buttons, higher sensitivity, and track accuracy.
By comparison, a mechanical keyboard does not offer anything more than experience.
The most common keyboard type is the membrane keyboard that uses rubber domes.
Used in laptops and phones, it is the most commercialized keyboards and is very cheap.
Mechanical keyboards use a spring switch beneath each key to provide tactile or auditory feedback. Old keyboards in the ’80s are good examples when it comes to clicks and noise.
There is no difference between them when it comes to input – except for the noise effect that adds to the excitement and tension of the game.
Therefore, your gameplay will not improve, only your experience.
For a long time, mechanical keyboards were only for a niche market and even more expensive than they are today, and extremely rare.
When competitive gaming became big, more electronics companies started marketing to gamers offering hardware dedicated to gaming from graphics cards to chairs to keyboards.
Several switches were produced to cater to different preferences.
Popular switches provide a bump that you’d feel when a key is registered allowing you to quickly move onto other keys.
Speed is key in many games and soon, many pro players began bringing their own mechanical keyboards into tournaments and exhibitions.
Another advantage is the longevity of keyboard life.
The rubber in membrane keyboards is prone to wear and tear or hardening over time.
Specifications can also show that regular keyboards are rated to last for fewer than 10 million key presses.
10 million key presses sound like a lot, both professional typists and professional gamers might reach that figure within a few years.
Mechanical keyboards are rated for more than 50 million.
Lastly, mechanical keyboards have switchable keys. This is very practical for cleaning main maintenance but also for personalization.
They are artists designing keycaps, trendy ones with no visible text, ones with larger text, even keycaps with braille for the visually impaired.
Overall, there is no pressure whatsoever on anyone to buy mechanical keyboards.
They may be trendy, provide a better experience, and last longer but, honestly will not magically make any gamer better at playing. (HD)
Tags: #gaming, #electronics, #keyboards, #mechanicalkeyboard