How to customize your gaming keyboard for the best experience

Gaming keyboards are an essential tool for serious gamers who want to improve their performance and enhance their overall gaming experience. However, many users are not aware of the numerous ways in which they can customize their keyboards to suit their unique gaming needs.

From programmable keys to switches, there are a variety of customization options available to gamers that can significantly boost their gaming performance.

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5 best ways to customize your gaming keyboard for better performance

1) Using a wrist rest

Wrist rests are one of the most underrated components of a PC build. You should always maintain proper posture during gaming sessions, and a good wrist wrest gaming chair are necessary to prevent complications like carpal tunnel. A wrist wrest also offers better comfort during long gaming sessions.

There are many mechanical gaming keyboards in the market that come with an attached wrist rest. For gamers who don't have an attached one, many brands like HyperX, Cooler Master, and Glorious sell separate wrist rests for keyboards.

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2) Assigning macros and hotkeys

Setting up macros and keyboard shortcuts can be useful in gaming as well as other applications. Keyboard shortcuts allow you to perform any in-game action by pressing any specific set of keys.

Some games have in-game settings that allow users to assign key shortcuts. For games that don't have this option, you can use software like MacroGamer, AutoHotKey, AutoIt, and FastKeys. Setting up macros lets gamers easily carry out complicated in-game actions.

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3) Changing mechanical switches

Brands like CherryMX, Logitech, and Razer make premium-grade mechanical keyboard switches. For those that are on a budget, brands like HyperX, Kalih, and Matias provide pretty good mechanical switches at relatively cheap prices.

There are different kinds of switches from clicky to tactile, so gamers have a lot of choices. Most keyboards come with different mechanical switch options, and users have to select the type of switch beforehand. Recently, hot-swappable mechanical gaming keyboards have been getting more and more popular. These allow gamers to swap each and every switch according to their preference.

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4) Changing keycaps

Alongside switches, keycaps also play an important role in providing a better gaming experience. All mechanical gaming keyboards allow users to swap keycaps. There are several keycap brands in the market that manufacture custom keycaps that change both aesthetics and performance.

HK Gaming, YMDK, XDA, HyperX, Ducky, and Drop+ are a few of the best custom keycap makers out there. Custom keycaps are largely made of either Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). ABS keycaps are more popular and cheaper but get smoother over time. PBT keycaps are more expensive but have a textured feel and are more durable.

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5) Adjusting the polling rate

The polling rate of a keyboard determines how often it sends input data to the computer. In most gaming keyboards, the polling rate is typically 1000Hz, which means that the keyboard sends information to the computer once every millisecond.

There are several ways to set the polling rate on a keyboard. Some keyboards, like Corsair K70 Rapidfire RGB, come with dedicated switches to set the polling rate. Others have software (like e Razer Synapse, Corsair iQue, HyperX NEGNUITY, and Logitech G Hub) that lets users set the polling rate. If neither of these options is applicable to your keyboard, you can download third-party software, like USB Devices Rate Setup, to set the polling rate.