What Are Optical Keyboard Switches And What Benefits Do They Offer Gamers?

When it comes to wanting laser-fast movement in online shooter games where every second means life or death, your keyboard truly matters. Throughout the years, keyboards have continued to improve their feel and functionality for competitive gaming — and one of those innovations is optical keyboard switches. Optical keyboard switches boast faster response times by using a light beam and a sensor to trigger a keystroke instead of waiting for full physical contact, making them quite beneficial for competitive gamers. 

Like a regular mechanical key, optical switches still utilize physical moving parts to function — pressing on the key cap pushes a spring that resets a switch to its original position. However, optical keyboard switches receive and transmit inputs via light, utilizing an infrared beam to enable instant keystroke recognition. This ensures quicker inputs with zero delay compared to mechanical keyboards with metal components, enhancing gamers' response times.

A lot of online games rely on fast reactions to get ahead, whether a fighting game player needs to instantly counter an incoming attack or an FPS player hopes to strike down an enemy with a headshot right when they peek around the corner. This has made optical keyboard switches very beneficial for competitive gamers. By using light instead of a mechanical switch, the amount of pressure needed to actuate the key is reduced, meaning the key does not need to travel as far to register the input. Also, the metal contact bounce in a traditional mechanical switch can introduce a debounce delay, resulting in a few milliseconds of latency before the signal reaches the PC. 

Some gamers are skeptical whether optical keyboard switches truly deliver faster inputs. It can be difficult to notice the difference since it's so minimal, and player skill is still required to make the most of that split second. However, every peripheral can add up to make a difference when it comes to competitive gaming performance. 

Due to the unique way optical switch keyboards receive and transmit inputs, these keyboards are more durable and long-lasting compared to keyboards with mechanical switches. Some optical switch keyboards boast over 100 million keystrokes. The reason optical switches last longer is that there's less contact every time a gamer presses a key, reducing wear and improving reliability. Because the keys don't have metal contact points that can degrade over time, these keyboards can also feel smoother and have more consistent keystrokes longer than a mechanical alternative.

The downside of optical switch keyboards is a lack of options. Due to various socket types, not every keyboard is compatible, and optical switches are limited to certain models. With the technology being relatively new, you'll have fewer manufacturers to choose from and a lack of style options. Mechanical keyboards are much more popular at this time, with plenty of brands to choose from (although some are better than others). Two well-known optical switch keyboard companies are A4tech and Adomax.