When it comes to gaming, the keyboard is one of the most important aspects of your whole set. A fully-loaded with hardware computer needs a responsive gaming keyboard, that’ll bring up the beast out of you. There are lots of different keyboard models, but recently there’s a tendency of going after “Tenkeyless” keyboards, that are essentially standard full-sized keyboards without Tenkey / numberpad.
The reason why they are preferred by some is that they are more compact and offer wider space to fly in-game with the mouse. As opinions may vary, in the following article we’ll discuss why full-sized keyboards are still on top, as they should be and why tenkeyless keyboards will never be the better option.
To start with, tenkeyless keyboards started to show recently in the last couple of years. This on its own means that there are not as many tenkeyless models as it is with full-sized keyboards. Ever since I started using a computer, the design of keyboards hasn’t changed that much. Through the last 20 years there were and still are companies, that always try to bring up the best looking and performing model, which means that the rivalry is on point. Rivalry brings innovation within, which means that there are far more awesome full-size keyboard options, that you can choose from.
Price is also an important factor and we all know that everything that’s considered as innovative and new is worth more money. Same’s the case with tenkeyless keyboards. They lack buttons and cost more, which sounds ridiculous. That’s like paying the full price for a pair of shoes but getting only the left one. Competitiveness is why full-size keyboards cost less and that’s one of the main reasons why I’ll always choose and stick to this type.
If you’re switching from a tenkeyless to a full-size keyboard, then you should know that with some backlit models you can light up only a section of buttons that you’ll happen to need mostly in-game. The reason behind the come-up of this type of keyboards is that they are more versatile while gaming. You can easily avoid this problem with the bigger and traditional keyboards just by turning them and adjusting them properly, so they don’t stand in the way of your mouse pad. This way you can use both your mouse and keyboard easily and will still have all the buttons needed, that may be found useful in many situations.
Sacrificing Numpad buttons for only 4-5 inches of free space is a stupid thing to do, as these buttons that are excluded may be of use in different programs or used as Windows shortcuts, which is another big reason why I dislike these “innovative” new keyboards. I personally use the Numpad buttons while gaming for quick access, along with those that I have on the sides of my gaming mouse. Not only while gaming, but I use it while adding numbers in different off-game situations and I really often use the Enter button that’s located at the lower right corner of the Numpad section, which is missing on the tenkeyless models. We all know that great programmers don’t use the mouse more than the keyboard and know all the shortcuts needed and if you get to know them too, you’ll optimize your workflow to the fullest
Overall, whether you use a full-size keyboard or not is your own personal preference and if you happen to use your computer only for gaming, then a tenkeyless option is reasonable. If gaming’s not the only thing on your mind and you use your PC for work related stuff or just for browsing, then a full-size keyboard will always remain the best option for all of us. If you think that the Numpad section is getting in the way of your mouse movement, then just slightly tilt the keyboard to the right and you’ll end up with a full set, that’ll have your back in whatever you do- gaming, browsing, programming, chatting and etc.
