Does A Gaming Keyboard Really Matter To Your Game? 4 Ways They’re Better

As someone that grew up playing games on all platforms, I’ve gone through my fair share of keyboards. I know what does and doesn’t matter to your game, including the quality of the keyboard you’re using. 

Gaming Keyboards make a difference to your game. Gaming keyboards have faster response times, allowing you to react in-game quicker than an office keyboard. Gaming keyboards are also sturdier and designed to absorb more wear and tear than non-gaming models. 

In short, yes, gaming keyboards do matter for your game. However, there’s a little bit more to it than that. I’m going to dissect just why having a good keyboard makes such a difference to your game versus having a $10 one you bought from Target. 

Get the best gaming keyboards on Amazon.

Is a Good Keyboard Important for Gaming?

A good gaming keyboard gives you a big advantage. If you’re on equal ground with an enemy and they have a gaming keyboard, but you don’t, you’re going to lose that fight. It helps you improve your movement and reaction speeds by having better response times, helping you increase your skill. 

Let’s go down the rabbit hole a little further and look at what makes gaming keyboards superior step by step. 

4 Ways Why Gaming Keyboards Are Better

  • Comfort. 
  • Macro Compatability. 
  • Response Time. 
  • Aesthetics. 

These are the four different categories that we’re going to be looking for. Each one presents a separate area in which gaming keyboards are superior to regular ones. Although, keep in mind that just getting a “gaming keyboard” isn’t a guarantee of quality. You need to get a good gaming keyboard. 

Comfort

Gaming keyboards are designed for extensive use, especially top-of-the-line models. Professional gamers can spend over 16 hours per day using their keyboards, whether it’s for playing, streaming, or editing videos for their socials. 

As such, most gaming keyboards are designed with ergonomics in mind. Ergonomics refers to the subtle design of keyboards and how you use them. Everything from the spacing of the keys to the tilt of the keyboard itself comes into play here. 

If you plan on gaming extensively, you need a gaming keyboard to avoid wrist cramps. For the other 6 essential pieces of equipment you to be a professional gamer see my article.

Macro Compatibility

While you can program macros into any keyboard using different types of software, gaming keyboards are set up to support them natively. Not only in the programs that most good keyboards come with but also in the button layout. 

Many gaming keyboards come with a specific set of buttons that aren’t bound to any function. These buttons are there for you to program macros into, giving you several different commands that you can access while you’re streaming or playing something like an MMO. 

Macros aren’t overly crucial for every PC gamer, but if you spend a decent amount of time gaming, then having them is a massive quality of life improvement. 

Response Time

For my money, this is the main reason you should be getting a gaming keyboard. Bonus points if you’re getting a mechanical one

Mechanical keys, while more expensive, require far less force to press than the membrane-bound keys used by most other keyboards. 

While, yes, this means you can type out messages faster, meaning you can win more arguments on Discord and Reddit, you begin to notice the difference when you’re playing an MMO or MOBA that requires you to combo abilities together at a moments notice. 

In a competitive game, fractions of a second can make a world of difference and often determines whether you win or lose a fight. If there’s one thing you take away from this article, let it be the importance of mechanical keys over regular ones. 

We have talked about why keyboards are so important but what about mice? Learn the facts if gaming mice make a difference in my article.

Aesthetics

This advantage is purely superficial, but none of you can deny the fact that you love RGB. Don’t sweat it, because I do too. It doesn’t matter if you’re extra enough to have strip lights, or you only want some shiny accessories; having glowing neon lights in your gaming setup makes it feel more premium. 

As with everything gaming, most gaming keyboards also come with RGB lights installed. In most cases, these lights are changeable and programmable, so you can flex your setup in whatever way you see fit. 

By no means should this be the make-or-break point in your decision to buy a gaming keyboard, but it is something that they have over those clunky office keyboards. 

How Do I Know What Gaming Keyboard to Buy?

When you’re deciding to buy a gaming keyboard, there are only two things you need to look at brand and budget. With gaming keyboards, you get what you pay for, so finding a reputable brand within your price range is going to be your primary goal while you’re shopping.

There are plenty of other factors for you to consider, like the macro keypad, the colors, the ergonomics, and more, but all of that comes with the price point you set for yourself. 

With gaming keyboards, more often than not, you get what you pay for. If you spend $20, you can’t expect much. However, a $150 keyboard is going to deliver in all areas across the board. 

If you’re looking for a quick guide on shopping for a gaming keyboard, then look at how much you’re willing to pay, and then find something like a Logitech or Razer that fits into that budget. 

If you want to be a bit more cerebral with what model you want, then you can start to break it down further into the little details that we’ve just talked about. 

Just make sure that when you’re buying your keyboard, it doesn’t come at the expense of your computer hardware. If you’ve got a $500 PC, then that $150 would go much further if you used it to upgrade your specs instead.