Mechanical keyboards have several benefits for gamers. A mechanical gaming keyboard tends to last a lot longer than electric or membrane keyboards. Keys never get stick; this is vital for gamers who use keys on the keyboard to strife in a First-Person Shooter or look around in an adventure game. Plus, many gamers use the tactile senses of pressing down on the keys of a good quality mechanical gaming keyboard to train their muscle memory for rapid game play.
Unlike typists who want a key that is a little harder to press down so they do not press the same they up and down accidentally, gamers want a key that is easy to press up and down rapidly so that they can rapidly preform the same game action repeatedly. So, if you are looking for a mechanical gaming keyboard so that you can use the keyboard for rapid fast paced gaming, you want to make sure you buy a keyboard designed for gamers, not typists.
Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Comparison
Amazon has a large selection of mechanical gaming keyboards for everyone from novice gamers to advanced hardcore gamers. The five most popular mechanical keyboards are: the Razer BlackWidow Chroma, the Logitech G710+, the RedDragon K522, and the Corsair K95 RGB.
- The Razer BlackWidow Chroma Keyboard sports a solid metal frame. Rust forming on the keyboard has been a minor problem for some, so it is advisable not to use the keyboard while eating or drinking. Other than the formation of rust, this keyboard will last many years of intense gameplay. The stylistic flair of the BlackWidow Chroma cannot be beaten. The back lights and programmable keys make this keyboard ideal for any gamer that loves the ability to customize their gear.
- The Logitech G710+ Keyboard is about half the price of the BlackWidow Chroma but is not as sturdy. There is a small risk of keys breaking off from intense gameplay, but rust is not an issue. Gamers love the feel of the keys. It is light years above any membrane keyboard. The backlit keys make it easy to use in low-light situations, while the programmability allows gamers to customize this keyboard to their needs.
- The RedDragon K552 KUMARA is the least expensive mechanical gaming keyboard we covered. It does not have as solid a build as any of the other keyboards, and it lacks a numeric keypad. Other than these minor issues the keyboard is a quality product for an affordable price. It is a great starter keyboard that many gamers.
- More expensive mechanical keyboards exist for gamers, such as the Corsair K95 RGB Keyboard. The build is second to none, and this keyboard will never break. Most players sing its praises but the price is hard to justify considering the above competitors.
Which Switch Is Right For Me?
There are three types of switches. Linear switches which provide no input about whether the keypress was successful. Tactile switches provide feedback to the fingers that allow the gamer to know if the keypress was successful. Clicky switches provide an auditory signal when the keypress is successful. The major benefit of tactile and clicky switches is that these provide feedback even when not fully pressed. This allows for much faster key strokes and rapid action during fast-paced games.
The most popular series of switch are the Cherry MX Series of Switches. The Cherry MX Black Switch is used for shooter-type games. The Cherry MX Red Switch is used for gaming keyboards because they allow for gamers to press the keys more rapidly than any of the other switches. Cherry MX Blue Switches are the switch of choice for many gamers and typists because of the auditory feedback that they give. However, these tend to be annoying to other people because of how loud a sound that is made when a key is pressed down. The Cherry MX Brown Switch is the switch of choice where the Cherry MX Blue Switch is too loud but the ability to rapidly press down on the keys is desired.
Difference in Switches
Kailh Switches are the same as Cherry Switches but are less expensive because they are made in China. The quality of Kailh Switches is about the same as Cherry Switches. The color coding of the Kailh Switches is the same as it is with Cherry Switches.
Razer Switches are used for many of the Razer gaming keyboards. Razer Green Switches are a good replacement for Cherry MX Blue switches but are not as loud. The Razer Orange Switch is a good replacement for the Cherry MX Brown Switch. These are designed to allow the gamers to press down on the keys much faster. The Razer Yellow Switch is used on the later revisions BlackWidow Chroma series of keyboards. They have the same features of the Cherry MX Red switch but allow for faster gameplay.
Romer-G switches are used by Logitech in the G910 series of keyboard. The Romer-G switch is not as noisy as Cherry MX Switches and are targeted to gamers since they are most like the Cherry MX Brown Switch.
The SteelSeries QS1 Switch is the switch of choice for gamers who want a keyboard that allows for fast reactions. The type of gamers who want this switch are those who desire speed over accuracy. Games that would benefit from this type of switch would be FPS and sports games.
Two of the rarer switches would be the Cherry MX Green Switch and the Cherry MX Clear Switch. The Cherry MX Green Switch is just the Cherry MX Blue Switch but is used mainly for spacebars. The Cherry MX Clear Switch is just like the Cherry MX Brown Switch but are very rare.
Selecting the proper keyboard and switch
It is up to the gamer to decide on which switch and keyboard combination to get based on the type of game they play the most. Someone who plays shooter games would want a keyboard and switch combination would want keyboard that allowed for fast keypresses. A person who played more roll playing games would want a lot better feedback from their keyboard and switch combination so that they could get more accuracy during game play.