A recent trend in gaming accessories is the move to Hall effect and tunneling magnetoresistance technology. It started in controllers a few years ago, and it was only a matter of time before it made its way into gaming keyboards. There are now dozens of great HE and TMR keyboards to choose from. So now, as with controllers, the question becomes: Is it really worth upgrading?
There are certainly advantages to magnetic keys, but there are also some compromises. The granular levels of customization and significantly shorter response times can make a big difference in competitive games. On the other hand, the typing experience takes some getting used to, the battery life can be shorter and they’re often more expensive than their traditional mechanical cousins.
If you’re on the fence about upgrading, it can be hard to know if and when it’s worth it. For me, though, the answer is now a resounding “Yes, but.” Let me explain.
The Turtle Beach Vulcan 2 TKL uses Hall effect switches.
What are the benefits of magnetic switches?
The concept of magnetic switches is simple: Instead of compressing a physical spring or rubber membrane as part of a mechanism to send an electrical signal that signifies a keypress, magnetic sensors are used to detect when a key is pressed more precisely and with less friction. This leads to some noticeable benefits.
Durability
The most obvious benefit for most casual gamers is the greater durability. Without the mechanical friction caused by the rubbing of physical components, HE and TMR switches can last much longer. Most mechanical switches are rated to last anywhere between 50 and 100 million keystrokes, which averages to about 10 to 15 years (of course, this could vary wildly depending on your usage). HE and TMR switches, on the other hand, are rated for more than 100 million keystrokes, so 15 to 20 years or more. It’s likely the keyboard’s other components will give out before the switches.
Granular customization
The Keychron K4 HE.
The second benefit is technologically much more profound, but also not nearly as useful for the vast majority of gamers. Some HE and TMR switches can, according to their manufacturers, register inputs (called the actuation point) as small as 0.05 millimeters of travel. By comparison, most traditional mechanical switches have an actuation point of between 1 and 2mm. This means that a key needs to travel far less before the keyboard and computer register the movement, greatly increasing response times. That may not seem like a big difference, but in the world of competitive gaming, that shorter actuation point is significant.
What’s even more interesting is that these switches can be customized far more granularly than their mechanical counterparts. So, not only can the actuation point be set to almost nothing, but most HE and TMR keys can store up to four actuation points per keystroke. That means you can perform four separate actions with a single press of the key; two actions on the downstroke and two on the release. For example, you could use the same single keypress to go from crouch to prone, prime and then throw a grenade. Or enter a vehicle, turn on the lights and then start the engine, all in one keypress.
This advanced customization can be useful in all kinds of games, including shooters, roleplaying games, multiplayer online battle arenas and massively multiplayer online roleplaying games like Elden Ring, League of Legends and World of Warcraft. Imagine being able to use a potion, cast a shield, cast an attack buff, then attack all by pressing a single key. There’s a whole world of possibilities. Again, most gamers probably won’t need that much control, and the amount of benefit depends largely on what genre you prefer. But that level of customization can really change the way you play your favorite games.
Rapid fire
The Meletrix Boog75 keyboard with Hall effect switches.
The shorter actuation levels also means response times are much shorter than with traditional mechanical switches. Again, to preface this, if you’re not a hardcore gamer or someone who plays FPS games a lot, you might not notice a difference. However, the more you do notice and practice with it, the harder it becomes to go back. Once you build the muscle memory of not having to fully press the keys to perform an action, going back to a traditional mechanical keyboard might actually start to feel like a chore.
The best pianists learn how to essentially bounce their fingers across the keys, especially when playing faster, more challenging works, and it’s similar here. Once you learn how to bounce your fingers on the keys, you’ll get faster and be able to react to what’s happening in the game. While 0.05mm versus 2mm might not seem like a big difference, in most games, simply starting your attack or trigger pull before the other guy almost always determines who wins the encounter (or how much health you lose during the fight).
That’s not all. Most magnetic keyboards have a feature that ensures all keypresses register, even if two keypresses overlap. With traditional switches, the first key has to return all the way to the top before the next keypress can register. With magnetic switches, the second keypress can register the moment the first keypress reaches the actuation point. This lets you do things like strafing and peeking around corners more quickly.
Are there downsides to magnetic switches?
With all their potential benefits, Hall effect and tunneling magnetoresistance switches have some drawbacks.
Cost
The Redragon FIDD K683.
Like most technologies that aren’t widespread yet, magnetic keyboards are generally more expensive than traditional mechanical keyboards. That’s certainly not true across the board. There are some magnetic keyboards like the Redragon FIDD K683 for as low as $30, but on average, you’ll have to pay a bit more for magnetic switches, particularly TMR ones.
Keep in mind that keyboards vary widely in their materials as well as the types of switches. Arguably, the biggest determining factor in the price of a keyboard is the materials for the rest of the keyboard (you can even get one made of concrete if you want). So, if you want to just test out magnetic switches before investing in a more premium keyboard, pick up a couple of cheaper ones to make sure you like the feel of them before upgrading to a nicer model.
Daily typing
The Keychron K6 HE keyboard.
Ever since I started testing magnetic keyboards (about two years ago, when they became more widely available), it’s been hard to find one I can also use as my daily typing keyboard. The typing experience on almost all of them has never quite matched the feel and sound of my mechanical keyboards. They are getting better, and I know enthusiasts are shouting loud enough for me to hear that you can change the springs on the switches. Even so, there’s still a way to go.
I say “almost all” because there is one glorious exception, the Keychron Q3 HE 8K. I say this unequivocally: the Q3 HE 8K is by far the best keyboard I have ever typed on. I’ve typed on many keyboards in my lifetime, and I am well aware that there are hundreds, if not thousands, I have never tried, but the Q3 HE 8K is my absolute favorite of the ones I’ve tested.
The Q3 uses Keychron’s custom Lime Magnetic Switches, which are hot-swappable. It has a full metal body, a gasket mount design and polybutylene terephthalate, or PBT, keycaps. I don’t know why or how, but the unique combination of everything on this keyboard adds up to an absolutely superb typing experience. Plus, the gaming benefits of the magnetic switches make it one of the best gaming keyboards you can buy.
A closeup of the Keychron Q3 HE 8K switches.
Battery life
Most magnetic keyboards have significantly shorter battery life than their mechanical brethren. That’s mostly due to how the technology works: Magnetic-switch keyboards have to continuously scan their sensors. They have to continually process the exact location of every switch, and the ones with rapid-trigger and low-latency features (most of them) use a high polling rate, typically around 8,000 Hz.
All this puts a lot of strain on the battery, which is why many magnetic keyboards, such as the Q3, are wired only. It’s also why the wireless ones suffer from short battery life. While many mechanical keyboards can last well over 1,000 hours with backlighting off, magnetic keyboards typically last between 100 and 200 hours. This will vary depending on which features you keep on or off, but it’s still a fraction of a mechanical keyboard’s battery life.
Should you buy a magnetic keyboard?
As I said at the beginning, “Yes, but…” The extreme levels of customization, rapid response time and greater durability are wonderful benefits for any gamer. However, by and large, they’re benefits that only the most competitive gamers will truly be able to appreciate. There are tons of fantastic gaming keyboards out there that don’t have magnetic switches, and any gamer can enjoy them.
If you have the money or really want to invest in improving your gaming, then a magnetic keyboard is absolutely worth it. It’s taken a few years for them to get this good, but it’s safe to say that if you’ve thought about upgrading, they’re ready for you.
