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
2-8毫秒
Gaming Mechanical (Wired)
vs
15-30毫秒
Office Membrane / Bluetooth
Where Does Keyboard Latency Come From?
Scan Rate
How often the keyboard checks for key presses
1000Hz
1毫秒
4000Hz
0.25毫秒
8000Hz
0.125毫秒
Switch Type
Actuation mechanism latency
Optical / Hall Effect
~0.2毫秒
Magnetic (Hall Effect)
~0.3毫秒
Mechanical
~5毫秒
Membrane
~10-15毫秒
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
<1毫秒
🔧
Mechanical
Metal contact + debounce processing
~5毫秒
📄
Membrane
Rubber dome + low scan rate
10-15毫秒
📋 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.