DEVICE DEEP-DIVE
Keyboard Input Lag Explained
For most gamers, keyboard latency matters less than mouse. But in rhythm games and fighters, every ms counts.
Typical End-to-End Keyboard Latency
2-8ms
Gaming Mechanical (Wired)
vs
15-30ms
Office Membrane / Bluetooth
Where Does Keyboard Latency Come From?
Scan Rate
How often the keyboard checks for key presses
1000Hz
1ms
4000Hz
0.25ms
8000Hz
0.125ms
Switch Type
Actuation mechanism latency
Optical
~0.2ms
Magnetic (Hall Effect)
~0.3ms
Mechanical
~5ms
Membrane
~10-15ms
Debounce Time
Software filter to prevent double inputs
0-2ms
Aggressive
5ms
Standard
10ms+
Conservative
Switch Types: Speed Comparison
⚡
Optical / Hall Effect
No physical contact needed for actuation
<1ms
🔧
Mechanical
Metal contact + debounce processing
~5ms
📄
Membrane
Rubber dome + low scan rate
10-15ms
📋 N-Key Rollover (NKRO)
NKRO means every key press registers, even if you press all keys at once. It doesn't directly reduce latency, but prevents input drops in complex key combos.
Most gaming keyboards support NKRO. Budget keyboards often limit to 6KRO.