Is ghosting in keyboards an actual problem?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
M

ManBearPig

Diamond Member
Sep 5, 2000
9,173
6
81
I can find barely any keyboards that are anti-ghosting and actually decent (I hate macro keys since I don't use them and almost all gaming keyboards have macro keys along with anti-ghosting so those are out). Is it really important to get an anti-ghosting keyboard? Will my casual game playing suffer greatly if I don't? I don't want a mechanical keyboard either.

I never remember these keyboards when I built my first computer 8-10 years ago and game play seemed fine. Are keyboards getting shittier and shittier or something? Man, nothing in my build has taken as long to choose besides a fucking keyboard and it's driving me nuts lol. The only decent looking, non-macro anti-ghosting keyboard I've found is this...and this doesn't even seem great.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
D

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
I've never used a keyboard with anti-ghosting, but I mostly play single-player games so maybe it does matter for hardcore online shooter gamers.

My last two keyboards were Microsoft wired media keyboards with extra buttons for controlling media center and launching calculator and my computer (but not the weird split in half ones). I've never noticed "ghosting" in any game.

PS - buy Borderlands complete on Steam for $7.49 today for your new PC.
 
C

Cheesetogo

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,823
10
81
Probably not. The only time I've ever noticed it was competitive play in an MMO, where you might have 20-30 keybinds (For example, if I tried to run forward, while strafing to the left, while pressing shift, and then pressing a specific key (can't recall which), that key wouldn't register.) I'd say you'll probably never notice it.
 
Last edited:
R

Ross Ridge

Senior member
Dec 21, 2009
830
0
0
I've run into this sort of problem a few times, and I very rarely play competive multiplayer games. It can be annoying when it happens, but so far it hasn't been a big enough problem to get that can reliably handle more than couple of keys down at the same time.

I don't think keyboard are any worse in this regard as they were 10 years ago, but I think they were better 20 years ago.
 
K

kamikazekyle

Senior member
Feb 23, 2007
538
0
0
I had to look up anti-ghosting. Didn't know it was a marketing term for key rollover. Look for a keyboard that supports NKRO (n-key rollover) or 6KRO (six key rollover), and that might expand your search resultgs. Since most NKRO/anti-ghosting keyboards are mechanical in nature, you probably won't find all that much that isn't mechanical. Though if you're looking for a membrane feel, look to a Topre Realforce. It has all the reliability and performance of a mechanical, but is silent and has a feel closer to that of a membrane. It'll run a crapton of money, though.

But, you probably don't have much to worry about since most decent keyboards are going to have common gaming keys and the modifier keys on different matrices so they won't interfere with one another. It's not true NKRO/anti-ghosting, but does the same thing. And really, unless you're pracitally smashing your fist into your keyboard you really have to work to lose keypresses. I haven't had a keyboard (generic OEM or otherwise) mess up with in-game rollovers in a long time.

Basically, I wouldn't worry about it. And if you still want one, look to that Realforce or a keyboard with Cherry Blacks (like from Steelseries or Das). They're mechanical, but still will give you something close to a membrane keyboard in sound/feel.
 
JamesV

JamesV

Platinum Member
Jul 9, 2011
2,002
2
76
Rollover and ghosting are different things. Rollover is when you have three keys pressed like run/forward/strafe and you hit a 4th key like jump during this and it doesn't register. Ghosting is when you have those three keys pressed, and a 4th 'ghost' key is sent by the keyboard (before you hit a 4th key).

I've had problems with rollover in the past on cheap keyboards, but have never run into ghosting. Like another poster said, I had to actually look it up since I've never been affected by it. I can't even remember ever seeing the term while browsing keyboards.

Can I ask why this feature is so important? Did you have issues before? I've never had this issue in 20 years and around 30 keyboards used, the wiki article mentions the use of 'jamming' by keyboard manufacturers to negate ghost keys, and my lack of ever hearing about this makes me think it is a non-issue (unless you are buying super cheap keyboards from China or something maybe).
 
coloumb

coloumb

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,069
0
81
pontifex said:
wtf is anti-ghosting on a keyboard?
Click to expand...

I wondered the same thing - but I've never competed so thus why I didn't know either:

"SELECTIVE ANTI-GHOSTING CAPABILITY AROUND WASD GAMING CLUSTER
The Razer Arctosa addresses "ghosting" signal failure that occurs when you press multiple keys simultaneously on traditional keyboards. Selective anti-ghosting around the WASD gaming cluster on the Razer Arctosa allows more commands to be entered at any one time without the "ghosting" signal failure."
 
Markbnj

Markbnj

Elite Member <br>Moderator Emeritus
Moderator
Sep 16, 2005
15,682
14
81
www.markbetz.net
kamikazekyle said:
Though if you're looking for a membrane feel, look to a Topre Realforce. It has all the reliability and performance of a mechanical, but is silent and has a feel closer to that of a membrane. It'll run a crapton of money, though.
Click to expand...

I've wanted to try one of these, but they're amazingly expensive for a keyboard, and they stupidly use only dark lettering on their keys... so the keys on the black keyboard can't be read in low light. For $295, I would like to see the labels on the keys.
 
C

CurseTheSky

Diamond Member
Oct 21, 2006
5,401
2
0
I've had it happen in a few games, mostly MMO or FPS. If I'm trying to run in a direction while strafing and sprinting and trying to cast something, it might drop one or two of the keys out of the sequence.

Most of the time I haven't had any issues. If I was a "professional" gamer I would definitely consider an NKRO keyboard, but for normal typing and gaming, my Logitech K800 works just fine. :)
 
Karstein

Karstein

Senior member
Mar 31, 2011
392
0
71
The only time rollover is really a problem these days is if you use something other than WASD, ESDF etc. as companies tend to design them around that area of the keyboard.

I used to use the arrow keys for a certain subset of games (just because I was used to it from starting playing them that way a long time ago) and I literally couldn't use some keyboards like the G15 because the matrix around that area only allowed you to push a couple of keys maximum before you got lockup.

I don't use arrow keys for anything these days, but I certainly went through a number of different keyboards back then as a result.
 
P

Pia

Golden Member
Feb 28, 2008
1,563
0
0
kazaam said:
I can find barely any keyboards that are anti-ghosting and actually decent (I hate macro keys since I don't use them and almost all gaming keyboards have macro keys along with anti-ghosting so those are out). Is it really important to get an anti-ghosting keyboard? Will my casual game playing suffer greatly if I don't? I don't want a mechanical keyboard either.
Click to expand...
For me it makes a real difference at work. Every single keyboard I have tried without NKRO has failed to register some 3-key combo I use daily in coding and office tasks. That includes all so-called "anti-ghosting" boards; I regard that term as roughly equivalent to "rip-off". I will never again buy a board that isn't NKRO.

Unfortunately there is no board with your specs. MS Sidewinder X4 has macro keys. Every other NKRO board is mechanical. I personally like mechanicals so I have no problem.
I never remember these keyboards when I built my first computer 8-10 years ago and game play seemed fine. Are keyboards getting shittier and shittier or something?
Click to expand...
Not sure if ghosting has gotten worse but it probably has. Stock keyboards are a lot flimsier in general than 10 years ago. The manufacturers are no longer saving every dollar they can, but every cent. What's ironic is that most "gaming" boards like the Razer OP linked come with crappy anti-ghosting and are also built flimsy, despite costing almost as much as solid mechanical boards with NKRO.
 
P

Pia

Golden Member
Feb 28, 2008
1,563
0
0
Markbnj said:
I've wanted to try one of these, but they're amazingly expensive for a keyboard, and they stupidly use only dark lettering on their keys... so the keys on the black keyboard can't be read in low light. For $295, I would like to see the labels on the keys.
Click to expand...
It's not stupid. It looks as good or better as 100% blank keys, while preserving the ability to occasionally read the keys.

Since you want higher visibility, you can go with another Topre model. In addition to black-on-black, they have black-on-white, black-on-yellow, and sell separate keysets as well.

A recommendation, though - don't get the most common Topre model that has variable weight keys. The outermost keys are way too light and I suffer from accidental A key presses constantly. Either fixed 45g or fixed 55g keys are good. The variable board can be modded to fix that and then I think it will be superior to any of the stock boards, but I haven't bothered to do it yet. The process involves cutting up the rubber membrane inside.
 
P

Pia

Golden Member
Feb 28, 2008
1,563
0
0
Karstein said:
The only time rollover is really a problem these days is if you use something other than WASD, ESDF etc. as companies tend to design them around that area of the keyboard.
Click to expand...
The manufacturers aren't really even designing around that area of the keyboard. Caps lock is the absolute closest large key to the WASD cluster, and combos with it never work properly unless the board is NKRO.
 
Markbnj

Markbnj

Elite Member <br>Moderator Emeritus
Moderator
Sep 16, 2005
15,682
14
81
www.markbetz.net
Pia said:
It's not stupid. It looks as good or better as 100&#37; blank keys, while preserving the ability to occasionally read the keys.
Click to expand...

Guess it's me, but I need some contrast. I don't get the appeal of blank keys.
 
AyashiKaibutsu

AyashiKaibutsu

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2004
9,306
4
81
Who in the world needs to look at their keyboard at all in this day and age? I stopped doing that when I was like 11 (17 years ago).
 
Throckmorton

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
3
0
Pia said:
The manufacturers aren't really even designing around that area of the keyboard. Caps lock is the absolute closest large key to the WASD cluster, and combos with it never work properly unless the board is NKRO.
Click to expand...

I use capslock for crouch in FPS games and I've never had a problem with "ghosting".

I don't understand why anyone would... Are you guys using both hands on the keyboard? How do you control the mouse, with your foot?
 
T

TidusZ

Golden Member
Nov 13, 2007
1,765
2
81
It is definitely a problem with the microsoft sidewinder x6 unfortunately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom