The way a keyboard is mounted can also impact sound and other aspects of your experience, though you won’t usually see mainstream companies allowing for much customization here. Some prebuilt keyboards, like the Keychron Q2, do offer unique mounts, though. And keyboard mounts are certainly a consideration if you are building your own mechanical keyboard.
Finally, if you want to know how a switch—or even a specific keyboard—sounds, YouTube is your friend. There are countless videos providing sound samples of mechanical switches.
N-key rollover
You’ll often see mechanical keyboards, especially ones branded as gaming keyboards, touting N-key rollover. This means the keyboard will register every key if you smash them all down simultaneously. Keyboards with a specific number claim, such as “six-key rollover” or “10-key rollover,” can read that number of key presses simultaneously.
N-key rollover is becoming so common that’s it’s rare for a gaming keyboard not to offer it.
Polling rate
A recent trend among mechanical keyboards is increasing the polling rate from 1,000 Hz to 8,000 Hz. A keyboard’s polling rate is how many times it reports to a PC in a second. So while a traditional 1,000 Hz keyboard has an input delay of as little as 1 ms (1 second divided by 1,000 reports is 0.001 seconds per report), an 8,000 Hz keyboard claims latency as low as 0.125 ms.
Polling rates higher than 1,000 Hz are geared toward serious gamers with professional setups. Many keyboards with high polling rates let you drop the rate down to lower speeds if desired.
Features
So you’ve found some keyboards with the mechanical switches you like, nice keycaps, and a good sound profile. What other features should you look for?
Wireless mechanical keyboards
A common misconception is that there aren’t wireless mechanical keyboards. That’s not true. You can find Bluetooth keyboards equipped with mechanical switches and mechanical keyboards using wireless dongles. Some keyboards offer both Bluetooth and a dongle connection, making it easy to keep the keyboard paired with two devices. Other Bluetooth mechanical keyboards have more than one Bluetooth profile so you can pair it to several Bluetooth devices and toggle through them with on-board controls.
Note that some wireless keyboards rely on batteries, while others charge via a detachable cable.
Backlighting
You may not find a backlight necessary, especially if you typically type in a well-lit room. But if you do, there are options for white backlights, single-color backlights (like all red or all blue), RGB (multi-colored), or per-key RGB, which lets you pick the color for each key.
Some keyboard backlights also come with different effects rather than just static color and brightness controls. Also, consider how you control the keyboard’s backlight: Do you mind having to open proprietary software, or would you prefer on-board control?
Of course, per-key RGB adds the most personality to your keyboard. The feature typically comes at a premium, but as RGB keyboards have become common, the cost of entry has lowered. Gaming brands especially tend to have detailed software that lets you fine-tune effects, including colors, speed, direction, and duration.
Note that if your keyboard is wireless, RGB lighting will quickly consume battery life. White backlights tend to eat up the battery even faster.
Media keys
Media keys provide one-touch access to frequent controls; the most common are play, pause, forward, rewind, and volume. Handling the latter via wheel or rotary knob can be both convenient and satisfying. Media keys add to a keyboard’s price, especially if they light up or have programmable input.
