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There’s no shortage of unique gaming peripherals that solve a rather specific problem. From snap-on steering wheels for your controller to a dedicated macro pad for assigning controls, you’ll find plenty of gaming peripherals that might leave you scratching your head.
Gaming keypads are an example of a niche gaming accessory that has become popular worldwide. But what are gaming keypads, what do they offer, and do you really need one?
What Are Gaming Keypads?
Gaming keypads are essentially one-handed keyboards. They usually include keys surrounding the “WASD” area — including keys commonly used in first-person shooter games, along with some macro keys. Some models even feature a thumbstick.
The main reason for their existence is to give gamers an additional and smaller keyboard that they can bash for any game they like while maintaining the same keyboard layout that everyone has gotten used to. Additionally, they also contain macro keys that allow players to bind certain actions to nearby keys preventing players from having to reach out to another key at the end of their keyboard.
This translates into better ergonomics while gaming. Having a dedicated layout for your games with all the keys within your reach is a lot more convenient than having to map key assignments on a full-size keyboard where you might have to get your hands into awkward positions to hit a key.
Gaming keypads also provide extra functionality such as joysticks or even specialized switches for better in-game controls. They also usually have better software support compared to keyboards in the same price range, meaning you get far more configuration options than you would otherwise.
Do keep in mind that gaming keypads don’t necessarily copy the same key layout that you see on your keyboard. They do make some adjustments to the position of each key so that your hand remains relatively motionless but all the necessary keys are within reach. Some gamepads even do away with the traditional “WASD” layout, going for a symmetrical or isometric layout instead.
Why Not Use a Keyboard?
Considering how a gaming keypad is essentially half a keyboard, it’s a very legitimate question. The main point to consider here is the price, and the benefits that gaming keypads offer. There areunique features that gaming keyboards offer, but they’re keyboards after all.
Keyboards are designed to be comfortable while typing. This often translates into a good typing experience, but that doesn’t necessarily warrant a good gaming experience. Gaming keypads, on the other hand, aim for a balance between preserving the same layout as a keyboard while also making it more ergonomic and feature-rich for gaming specifically.
This ensures that you don’t have to learn another format or change your years of muscle memory on a keyboard to get more control over your gaming experience. They’re also far cheaper than a high-quality gaming keyboard, meaning you may have a complete separation between your typing and gaming experience.
Advantages of Using Gaming Keypads
As you can probably guess by now, there are several advantages to using a gaming keypad over a keyboard. Before you head over to ourlist of the top gaming keypads you can buy, let’s take a look at what advantages they bring to the table.
Portability
If you’re the kind of person who likes carrying around a separate keyboard for gaming with your gaming device, be it a handheld or laptop, a gaming keypad makes it a lot easier for your backpack not to weigh a ton. Gaming keypads are smaller, lighter, and overall far more portable than carrying a full-size keyboard.
Additionally, chances are you wouldn’t want to scuff or damage your expensive gaming or mechanical keyboard when carrying it around, so you’d want a carrying case as well which adds to the weight you have to carry around. A gaming keypad fixes this problem by providing you with a dedicated carry device that you can take with you to LAN parties or anywhere else without having to compromise on your gaming experience.
Better Ergonomics
As mentioned before, better ergonomics while gaming is one of the main reasons why gaming keypads exist. Most gaming keypads feature built-in wrist rests and the keys are positioned in a way that minimizes hand movement, making them much more comfortable than standard keyboards.
Since they’re also much smaller than keyboards, they also allow you to bring your keyboard and mouse closer together, making for a more comfortable and ergonomic sitting position. you’re able to achieve a similar effect by tilting your keyboard, but that creates an awkward position for your fingers and might not be to everyone’s liking.
More Hardware Options for Keybinds/Control Layouts
Another reason why gaming keypads can come in handy is because they simply have more control options compared to a traditional keyboard. Most good-quality gaming keypads come with at least a couple of macro buttons and even a joystick.
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If you’re habitual in using a keyboard to control characters in FPS or MMO games, using a joystick on a keyboard can seem weird at first, but you’ll quickly adapt to it. That frees up the rest of the keyboard for macro or other in-game assignments. Should you decide the joystick doesn’t suit you, you may do the opposite as well.
Depending on the gaming keypad you end up buying, the number of control options you’ll have will vary. But you can be sure of having more options than usual if you find yourself scrambling for extra buttons on your keyboard. Additionally, when you’re not gaming, a gaming keypad doubles up as a usual macro keypad, enabling even more functionality.
Software Configurability
Since gaming keypads are a very targeted peripheral, they often get great software configurability with most manufacturers providing companion software that lets users record and assign macros, change in-game assignments, make and manage different control profiles and layouts, as well as other aesthetic changes such as the RGB lighting.
Profiles are beneficial in this case as you can have different keybinds for different programs, and not just the games you play. They allow your keypad to work exactly as you’d like in different programs or games. Sure, it can be a bit cumbersome to set them up, but once you do, I doubt you’ll be able to go back.
Separation Between Work and Play
Last but not least, gaming keypads provide a separation between the peripherals you use for work and games. Sure the rest of your peripherals like the mouse might remain the same, but gaming keypads are made for intense gameplay.
This means you’re able to have a dedicated keyboard for the typing experience you need for work and general PC usage, as well as a separate keypad dedicated to gaming.
Should You Buy a Gaming Keypad?
If you have the extra budget and feel you may benefit from another peripheral, you should go for one by all means. Not only does it free up your keyboard from any bashing it might receive during gameplay, but gaming keypads allow more control, more options, and a much more comfortable gaming experience than their full-sized counterparts.
That said, there’s nothing gaming keypads do that keyboards can’t with a few software tweaks. While this will vary based on what keyboard you own, you can still get almost all of the functionality, so a gaming keypad isn’t necessarily a requirement.
Also, as always, keep in mind that your peripherals don’t dictate your in-game performance. It’s always more important to have fun from what you have, instead of upgrading for better performance.
