Can you use a membrane keyboard for gaming?

SteelSeries Apex 3
(Image credit: SteelSeries)

The vast majority of gaming keyboards are mechanical, but that's not to say everyone has a mechanical deck hooked up to their rig. In fact, membrane options can provide a far more affordable alternative to the often costly (Razer's models can reach $250) switch-clickers. Yes, you can use a me🔯mbrane keyboard for gaming but it's important to know what yo🐽u're getting yourself in for when you opt for one of these cheaper models. 

After all, mechanical switches make up the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming keyboards for a reason. They're more durable, often provide a snappier response, and come with n-key rollover far more often. Some even take this a step further, allowing you to customize the specific actuation point (the point of a keypress at which the board recognises a keystroke) or swap out your switches entirely. Not only 🎃that, but mechanical keyboards are actually coming down in price these🅰 days, with a handful of options regularly dropping below $100 / £100. 

Still, if you're up against a budget that rules these decks out it's helpful to know that there's still plenty of game in a membrane keyboard. We've dived into the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:mechanical vs membrane keyboard debate beforeꦬ, but if you've found yourself on the budget side of this argument, these are the things you need to know going in. 

SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL switches

(Image credit: Future)

Membrane keyboards are less durable

This is perhaps the most important point to note if you're considering▨ investing in a long term solution. Membrane keyboards simply don't last as long as their mechanical counterparts. That's because every time you hit a key on a membrane deck, you're pushing that plastic cap against a rubber sheet, and rubber wears away pretty fast. 

Of course, if you're after a stop-gap or you don't use your gaming PC for hardcore sessions every evening, this might not be too much of a concern. Membrane keyboards will still hold up for a good while before they start to give out and you won't have to be overly cautious w💦ith them during everyday use either. 

Membrane keyboards are soft

If you're not fussed about the satisfying clack of a mechanical keyboard, or even if you don't want the extra noise these clickers often bring about, it's worth noting that membrane keyboards are s💃ofter to type on. That can feel mushy and a little strenuous after a longer period of time, but with time they can become second nature - especially if you're a ꦇheavier typist anyway. 

This won't have much of a real world effect in-game. If you're a pro player on a mechanical deck, you'll still be a pro on a membrane one. However, the heavier actuation force sometimes required will take some getting used to in the first instance and if you're playing particularly fast competitive titles, this softness could be a slight hinderance. The 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL, for example, is a particularly heavy deck, but there's still plenty of snap back in its keys which means you'll still be able❀ to move quickly across the board. 

Roccat Magma keys

(Image credit: Future)

Membrane keyboards still offer plenty of features

Outside of the actual typing experience, response times, and durability, many players opt for a cheaper membrane keyboard because they can still access a range of gaming-specific features without having to invest in mechanical keys. RGB lighting, dedicated volume controls, and programmable keys are all available on budget decks like the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Razer Cynosa V2 and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Roccat Magma. You'll also still find anti-ghosting to keep you on form and plenty of models offer cable routing options and spill-resistance as well. While the typ🐎ing speeds may feel more sluggish, there's plenty on offer here to see you interacting with your games in new ways. 


So, to summarize: yes, you can absolutely use a membrane keyboard for gaming. While cheaper and less durable, they still offer a solid range of play-specific🔯 features and keep your setup looking flashy while doing so. Even though a mushier, heavier typing feel may lead to more breaks in your gameplay and can slow down particularly fast competitive titles, the everyday player isn't going to watch their performance melt just by scoring a cheaper deck. 

However, a word of caution. There aren't as many 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:wireless gaming keyboard options here due to that lower price point, and if you're after a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:hot-swappable keyboard, you'll nee𒈔d to visit the mech♍anical side of the market. 

Stilꦜl, there's plenty to love here nonetheless - especially considering these decks rarelꦡy hit three figures in price.