The Unique Keyboard Features I'd Love to See in Gaming Keyboards
As I stood at Computex, surrounded by various keyboard manufacturers, I couldn't help but feel that the gaming keyboard scene had become stale. Brands like Corsair, Logitech, SteelSeries, Razer, ASUS, and Ducky are well-known for their high-quality keyboards, but they all seem to have followed a similar design path. The only variation comes from the different mechanical switches used in each keyboard. I'd love to see more innovation in this space.
One of the latest keyboards I got my hands on was the ROG Strix Scope. It's actually the keyboard that inspired this whole conversation, and it has two unique features that caught my attention. Firstly, it has an oversized control key that is the same width as the North American layout Shift key. This innovation is truly special, especially for FPS gamers who struggle with reaching the Windows key while playing. With this larger control key, you don't have to stretch your pinky finger to avoid pressing the wrong key, making it a game-changer for players.
The second unique feature of the Scope keyboard is the privacy key that minimizes your desktop and mutes the audio. This functionality can be achieved through Windows' built-in feature, but having a dedicated button like this on a gaming keyboard would be awesome. I'd love to see more macro keys integrated into keyboards, just like Drevo's secondary macro key. Companies should also focus on quality stabilizers and mechanical switches, as these are what set a keyboard apart from the rest.
Another trend that I appreciate is when gaming brands create their own switch designs. This is evident in companies like SteelSeries with their Omni Point switch and HyperX making their own switches. These innovations demonstrate a willingness to experiment and push boundaries, which I think is essential for creating truly unique gaming keyboards.
Full Height Adjustability is Crucial
For typists who value customization, full height adjustability is essential. Most keyboards only offer two levels of height adjustment, which can be limiting for those who prefer a different typing experience. Having the ability to adjust the keyboard's height would allow users to fine-tune their typing setup and create an optimal typing environment.
Cable Quality Matters
I'm a big fan of removable and non-braided light cables, like the one on the Driver Blademaster Te. These cables are not only aesthetically pleasing but also provide a sense of freedom when it comes to cable management. On the other hand, most gaming keyboards now come with hard, braided cables that can be restrictive in terms of cable routing.
In contrast, some keyboards have built-in USB pass-through, which makes the cable thicker and less desirable. Coarser keyboards are starting to adopt this feature, but I think it's an unnecessary compromise. A well-designed keyboard should prioritize cable quality and management over added bulk.
The Importance of Font Style
Unfortunately, most gaming keyboards suffer from one major flaw: ugly font styles. The fonts used on these keyboards can be bulky, stretchy, and just plain unappealing. It's surprising that no one has addressed this issue yet, considering how much attention is focused on other aspects of keyboard design.
My vision for future gaming keyboards is one that combines the best elements of both worlds – mechanical switches and hybrid designs. Keyboards should have clean, minimal bodies with characters and numbers in simple, attractive fonts. The focus should be on creating a typing experience that's comfortable, customizable, and visually appealing.
In conclusion, I believe that gaming keyboards can do better than what we currently see. By incorporating innovative features like oversized control keys, macro keys, and unique switch designs, manufacturers can create truly exceptional keyboards that cater to the needs of gamers. Additionally, full height adjustability, high-quality cables, and attention to font style are essential elements that can elevate a keyboard from good to great.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is a unique key cap that wegathered Computex I also have this onefrom ducky good times good timeswell hello good people I'm Dimitri andour trip to Taipei for Computex hadreally opened up our eyes aboutkeyboards in general we weren't reallyinto this whole boutique / premium /affordable brands like ducky Leopold orVermeil oh but now it got us thinkingthat the gaming keyboard scene isbecoming a bit stale so brands likeCorsair Logitech SteelSeries Razer ASUShave fantastic gaming reputation in thekeyboard space but they all havebasically the same keyboard with slightdesign variations although I willappreciate the different variations ofmechanical switches that basically iswhat the deterrent of maybe you pickinga steelseries keyboard / Logitech oneand so on today's video I would like todiscuss my favorite keyboard featuresthat I would love to see expanded intothe gaming keyboard market because let'sface it the fact is that gamingkeyboards now are becoming way tooboringthe masterfan series from Coolermasterhas now received a fresh new look with asquare frame designed to generate highpressure airflow and silent operationthe fans feature this beautifuladdressable RGB illumination and you canpick it up in 120 240 and 360 millimetrevariants learn more in the descriptiondown below alright so one of the latestkeyboards I have landed here in thestudio is the ROG Strix scope and it'sactually the keyboard that inspired thiswhole conversation I would love yourinput and all the points that are tofollow so this one in particular has twounique elements one is the oversizedcontrol key that is the same width asthe North American layout Shift key andthey've literally received an innovationof the word for this control key alonenow is it actually anything special as acrouch key actually yes so if you playwith your keyboard angled like this thepinky finger doesn't have to reach toavoid the Windows key and thus it'sreally awesome for FPS gamers largercontrol key more area for your pinky tomake mistakes and therefore you willstill press it without needing to reachfor a tiny control instead thisnon-traditional layout also pushes thespacebar to the right giving youmore comfortable reach to the Alt keybut that is something that I had totrain because I'm not really used tousing my thumb for anything other thanthe spacebar which by the way on thescope is also slightly shorter thesecond cool element on the scope is theprivacy key that minimizes your desktopand mutes the audio of course you can dothis yourself with windows d to go intothe desktop however that does notinclude the mute functionality so it'scool that Asus is thinking about ways tointegrate some sort of this Universalshortcut that I will probably use oncein a while and you will to and love tohear what you think about differentmacros that you use on daily basis thatwould be really cool to have on a gamingkeyboard so will share your thoughts inthe comments we've also seen plenty ofsecondary wheel integrations onkeyboards that could replace severalmacro keys I like what Drevo has donewith this low profile easy to accesswheel on the side it's not just thevolume wheel I like what SteelSeries isdoing with the new apex line thatthere's not intrusive and hold multiplefunctionalities now I appreciate theeffort of including additional key capsmost of the time they are just wast keysin different color like the silver onesfor the scope keyboard or differenttexture and contours with the Corsairkeyboards but what about unique Escapekeys or different graphics on the spacebars or just spreading out a littledesign flares here and there that isn'ttoo much but shows you that your brandcares about sort of this whole brandbuilding and recognition there are somereally insanely detailed key capsavailable from companies like dwarfFactory or hot keys project and I'm notadvocating $30 per key caps I just hopethat brands gaming brands use that forinspiration for example I got this keycap from gamers storm and they don'teven make keyboards that I use on myEscape key looks pretty cool and I wouldlove to see a few ROG themed key caps onfuture gaming keyboards or some coollow-profile ones from Logitech itdoesn't have to be super fancy orexpensive just has to align with thebrandimagine having a really cool Escape keythat has little texture or differentgraphic on it or maybe the same thingwith the Enter key or the spacebar itwould definitely elevate that gamingbrand keyboard above the rest because wehaven't seen anything like itin the gaming market we've seen so manyof thosethe enthusiasts keyboard market whereyou buy key caps and you swap them outbut having something that's standardizedon the gaming space would be really cooland I'm not even talking about PBTdouble shot key caps which feel amazingand that really premium and only a fewhandful of keyboards actually have PBTkey caps like the Corsair k70 mark 2 RGBand I know this isn't for everybody butI would love to have this verge of ofgaming keyboards merging with this wholelike enthusiast community of keyboardsare / mechanic keyboards is a reallyfantastic place to explore all types ofideas but gaming brands I'm hoping aretaking note but what's under the key capis even more important like qualitystabilizers and you know there's more tomechanical switches that MX cherry and Ilove the trend of companies making theirown like putting with liquor switcheslarge tech with romaji steel series witha new omni point switch and even HyperXis making their own switch takingchances to set the keyboard apart fromthe rest is one trend that I appreciatemost with gaming brands also it would begreat to have full height adjustabilityand not just the two levels that we seeon most 99% keyboards high customizationis something that's very important fortypists and so that leaves us with thecable I personally love a removable andnon braided light cable like on thedriver Blademaster te and if you guysrecall my Onix had a coiled cable on theway keyboard that looked really awesomeand most of the time now all we have arehard non removable braided cables withthe only advantage of having cablerouting built into the bottom of thekeyboard like with the scope and Corsairkeyboards - but coarser keyboards havethe built-in USB pass-through on many ofthem which makes the cable really thickand the last thing I will say is thefont on majority of gaming keyboardsjust pisses me off why does it have tobe this ugly aggressive bulky stretchyweird font on majority of keyboards thatcome from all these gaming brands whycan't be simple clean letters andnumbers that you can appreciate thatstill looks fine in this aggressivelyaluminum body and so my perfect visionof future gaming keyboards lies in thislike Hybrid territory where you can tellit's a gaming keyboard maybe bycertain keyboard switches like thespacebar the the Escape key or the enterbut the rested body remains clean andalmost minimal but still has a bit ofcharacter as to what the brand tries toachieve and tries to deliver with thecombination of that law sweet sweetdiversity of mechanical switches and Iknow I'm not the only one frustratedwith gaming keyboards every single newone that comes out it's like what is newit's the same thing that we've seen forthe last five years but with a slightlydifferent body and maybe some littletiny little features here and there butnone that have come out that says heyI'm a perfect hybrid here by me for ourcanadian audience memory Express is yourplace for all types of electronics andhardware goodies with fantastic pricesgreat customer service and uber priceguaranteed with stores in BC AlbertaManitoba and the new Saskatoon locationeverything is linked below thank youvery much all right guys I'm Dimitrithanks much for watching let me knowwhat you think about this wholediscussion have you found your perfectkeyboard yet for the hybridfunctionality gaming productivity typingwhatever whatever let us know in thecomments thanks much for watching checkout this other relevant content and I'lltalk to you in next week\n"
