Gaming is a big industry, there's no doubt. At a cost of around $260 million to make (that's 260,000,000, or 26 with 7 zeros), GTA-V is the most expensive videogame of all time and the second most expensive media production behind only Pirates of the Carribean IV. But having the software and the hardware to run it is not the entire equation - you also need the means to control it.
But just what exactly differentiates a "Gaming" controller from a normal one, and what should?
I came to this thought while looking around at keyboards. I don't specifically need one since mine still works perfectly, but I was after something better suited to me - which lead me to gravitate towards gaming hardware. Gaming hardware, as its name suggests, is hardware that's designed for gaming. Pretty simple, right? Except it isn't. In fact, most gaming hardware doesn't seem to me as if it's designed for gaming at all - it looks as if it's designed simply for being looked at.
Almost all the keyboards I looked at seemed to have three things in common: they claimed to be "gaming keyboards", they were backlit, and they featured a "game mode" which did little more than disable the left Windows key. Seriously - that's what passes as a major feature of a gaming device? The ability to disable a key that I don't think I've ever accidentally pressed? Other common, but not universal features were things such as dedicated macro keys and passthrough ports for USB connectivity and audio, recoloured keys (typically WASD and the arrow keys) and gaming "clusters" which covered about 10 keys.
Now, I'll admit that I'm fairly unique among gamers. I don't use WASD for my controls - or the arrow keys. Given my background as a touch-typist, I use ESDF instead since that's where my hand naturally sits. It also gives me access to more keys as well as modifiers. But, again since I'm a touch-typist, I don't tend to look at my keyboard so the fact the keycaps are different colours is pretty moot. This does mean that almost all of the "clusters" are one column out for me, pretty much negating their benefit; so I rule that out as a worthwhile gaming feature as I'm certain I'm not the only one like this.
Then there comes the macro keys. Some people probably use them - and more power to them. But I cannot for the life of me see the use outside of productivity (ie Non-gaming). Even the Logitech G15 (original release) with its 18 macro keys has them a non-standard layout and simply lacks enough of them. All they seem to do, at least as far as I can see, is add to the size and cost without giving much back in return. Since all these do is look impressive to people who don't have them (and don't understand they don't want them), I also rule these out as a worthwhile gaming feature.
And, of course, let's not forget about the backlighting. Lights seem to be the universal "cool" symbol, be it the light from behind a key or from under a car. But they all serve the same purpose - form over function. They don't actually do anything. If you think about when you're gaming, how often do you genuinely look at your keyboard? How often do you need to in order to find the key you're after? This same reality is why displays like that on Logitech's G-series boards are pointless, since you're not looking at them anyway. Another feature I rule out for gaming.
So, with all that ruled out, what exactly do I consider to be "gaming" features? That's easy.
First is that it needs to be well built. Any gaming hardware, whether it is a keyboard, mouse, gamepad or whatever, needs to be able to withstand a solid gaming session day after day for months on end. These invariably get rough - not because gamers mean it, but because people get frustrated and need to vent. Thin plastics, poor quality soldering and generally sloppy construction won't cut it. A piece of gaming hardware, therefore, must be built to a high standard of quality parts.
Second is that it needs to be comfortable to use. The greatest gamepad in the world is essentially useless if you're only able to hold it for 10 minutes before your hands start to bleed. This means another design feature of "gaming" gear has to be adjusted - no sharp angles. They of course shouldn't look like they're made out of badly blown glass, either, but they have to be something you can potentially use for hours on end because, let's face it, no-one really pays attention to those warnings to take a break every hour.
Lastly is that it needs to be able to perform its basic function first, before any extra functions are taken into consideration. Consider the Sabertooth I reviewed earlier - I noted that its extra functions were useless to me, but as a traditional gamepad it worked fine. The same cannot be said, however, for its Onza predecessor where it's redesigned D-pad was terrible and the extra shoulder buttons continually got in the way, meaning its basic functionality was compromised.
With all that said, then, what was I actually looking for in a keyboard? I had a simple list of what turned out to be impossible requirements: Well built, 6-key rollover, short-throw keys and preferably in a split layout. How do they fit into the above?
Build quality is obviously not specific in there, but implied. Quality switches, either mechanical or scissor, make for a good life expectancy with little variation in usability over its lifetime. Topre would also work but I've never had the pleasure of using them personally. Traditional membranes, however, tend to be built on traces that shift around and wear out; and that's before you even consider the amount of lateral movement the keys have in them. Seriously - try wiggling the keys on a G-series Logitech sometime.
Comfort comes down to the short throw and split layout. I've been using normal keyboards for a long, long time now so split layouts are still a little weird for me, but my wrists have been begging me for some relief and I consider the mild, short-term inconvenience of learning the new layout to be worth it. Short-throw keys, on the other hand, are simply easier on my hands and fingers as I tend not to push them as hard where I continually bottom out my current mechanicals (despite not actually needing to).
And the function comes from the 6-key rollover. A typical gamer, much like myself, probably has one hand on the keyboard and one on the mouse - this means they can really only push 5 keys at once, or sometimes a little more if they use the side of their palms. But you cannot dictate to them where those 5 keys need to be by limiting it to a small fraction of the keyboard. Gamers are unique, and some of them are even left-handed, so there needs to be freedom of choice when it comes to choosing your controls. As such, the rollover needs to be across the entire keyboard.
Some manufacturers are starting to get onto the "well built" bandwagon now. It's hard to find a mechanical keyboard that couldn't be used as a melee weapon in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Filco, Ducky, Das Keyboard - even Razer - all have well built mechanical keyboards. Outside of these mechanicals, however, the build quality starts to quickly drop off until the creaks, twists and wobbles of cheap construction invariably rear their heads.
Comfort, however, is relegated to a relatively small line-up which is split between the ridiculously expensive, such as TECK and Kinesis, and the relatively-bad-at-gaming Microsoft Ergonomics and Sculpt. In fact, many even seem to consider the Microsoft 4000 as the penultimate in typing comfort - an impressive feat for a keyboard which can be had for around $52 - but the rollover is at bare minimum, which makes it all but useless for competitive gaming.
At least strides are being made in the area of function. Pretty much all mechanical keyboards now support at least 6-key rollover out of the box, while an increasing number of membrane keyboards are getting similar treatment. However, it's still far from universal - all too many keyboards seem to eschew the ability to register keypresses properly and reliably for the ability to light a small theatre. A lot, however, still make no efforts on the front, or restrict the user to a small fraction of the keyboard.
I guess, in all, what I would consider to be the "ultimate" gaming keyboard is one which has the construction quality of an IBM Model 4, rollover of a Filco Majestouch, the layout of the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic and the keys of a Logitech Illuminated. Maybe even replace the caps-lock key (is there a legitimate use for that key?) with a "function" key so media controls can share with the F-keys instead of adding to the size. All of that preferably wired, but not because of some worry about fractions of a millisecond of latency - simply because I know I'd forget to charge the batteries. Backlights, macro keys and "gaming" modes need not apply.
Of course, keyboards aren't the only "gaming" hardware - but they're probably going to get the most use out of any, unless you're using a console. The rest, however, still have similar lessons to learn.
Please remember this represents an opinion based on information assumed to be accurate at the time of writing. You are free to agree or disagree with me, but please remember that I'm entitled to have an opinion just as much as anyone else.
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