Playing Games with a dedicated mechanical keyboard always gives you a different experience and helps you to dominate the game.
As mechanical keyboards are equipped with some necessary keys combination mounted on the perfect wrist position as well as linear switches that make the keyboard react within a split second.
How sound, if I say, 60% of keyboards are one step ahead as far as fast-paced gaming is concerned.
That’s why a question always surround gamers’ mind Are 60 Keyboards good for gaming?
Can 60 keyboards have broad advantages in gaming compared to standard mechanical keyboards?
Well, I have prepared a well-researched article and tested myself on 60 keyboards in gaming to get the conclusive answer which I’m going to share through this article.
In short, 60% Keyboard is excellently suitable for fast-paced, and FPS gaming due to its compact size which provides wider space for mouse movement and allows better wrist position which significantly reduces finger strain during long hours of gaming.
First of all, let’s understand What is a 60% keyboard and how it impact gaming.
Table of Contents
What is a 60% Keyboard?
A 60 percent keyboard is a mechanical keyboard that comes without a Numpad, Function keys row, arrow keys, and navigation key cluster making it compact and allowing frequent finger movement over the keyboard.
A 60% Keyboard got its name due to having only 60 percent keys compared to a full-sized mechanical keyboard.
After a Full-sized keyboard, TKL (TenKeyLess) keyboard, A 60% keyboard is the most popular keyboard layout, especially since it is widely popular among the gaming community due to its significant advantages.
Usually, A 60 percent keyboard has 61 or 62 keys which can perform most of the operations on the keyboard as well as make this keyboard very compact and ergonomic.
The 60% Keyboard allows better wrist positions, request hand movement, and complete control over every side of the keyboard due to its minimalistic design.
While constructing 60% keyboards, most manufacturers keep in mind the application of function keys and Numpad keys that’s the reason they provide special shortcut keys commands for their keyboard to perform the function keys operations.
Advantages Of 60% Keyboards
This is the most asked question on the forum and many platforms what are the advantages of owning a 60% Keyboard?
Well, there are lots of vital advantages which can impact your gaming, typing, and programming that’s why 60% keyboard layout is gaining popularity over time.
Here are the several practical advantages of using 60% keyboards in day-to-day life:
1. Easy Portability
Easy portability is the most vital reason for using a 60 percent keyboard as it can easily be fitted into the backpack and can be kept anywhere with you.
Having 60% keys in the keyboard and a minimalistic design make this keyboard ultra-compact and lightweight compared to full-fledged mechanical keyboards.
That’s the reason it can be ported easily by keeping it inside the backpack which is going to be very helpful for people who often travel with their tech gear. Just easy to keep in and kept out of the bag and start using it whenever required.
As far as the easy portability is concerned, I would say a 60 percent keyboard definitely gives you a slight edge over the heavy full-sized mechanical keyboard.
I have a full-sized mechanical keyboard but I can’t keep it inside my bag due to its heavy and large design structure.
So if you are the kind of tech guy who used to travel with all your tech gear, 60% keyboard is certainly an excellent keyboard option.
2. Compact Size
As a 60% Keyboard is equipped with 60% of keys compared to a full-sized keyboard that’s why it becomes easy for manufacturers to shape these keyboards in compact space.
Being a compact module, the 60% keyboard occupies very less space on the computer desk and beatifies your desk with its premium built.
The other advantage of using a 60 keyboard is you have wider space on your desk to move your mouse frequently during the games.
You can personalize desk work properly and more efficiently with the 60 keyboards.
Apart from these benefits, there are some other positive aspects as well when having a compact size keyboard which can significantly improve your typing productivity and better gaming control.
3. Better Wrist Position
When you have a full-fledged mechanical keyboard, you need to stretch your wrist more to reach the Numpad section which may create strain in your fingers during long typing sessions perpetually.
Whereas with 60% keyboard, the wrist position is far better and more identical, a user may notice the differences during the perpetual typing.
The better wrist position and more ergonomic design may bring a huge difference in your gaming performance as well because some battle-royal games such as PUBG, and Apex Legends required half an hour to get finished.
In terms of gaming and long typing sessions, a 60 percent keyboard is definitely a good option for a user compared to conventional full-sized keyboards.
4. Less Expensive
Price is always been the most decisive factor for a user as being a tech guy I too look for value for money products which means the best performance at an affordable price.
Most 60% keyboards are not that pricier compared to a full-sized mechanical keyboard, some keyboards may cost you higher because the price of keyboards completely depends on the components such as Switches, Keycaps, and Brands.
But it is certain that a 60 percent keyboard usually comes at an affordable price, all you need to do is compare top keyboards and then make a buying decision.
If you want to buy a 60% Keyboard, jump to our top five 60% keyboard list in the below section as I’ve picked the top 3 keyboards for you.
Are 60 Keyboards Good For Gaming?
After going through the introduction and advantages of a 60% keyboard, I now the main question needs to be answered ‘Are 60 Keyboards Good For Gaming?’
Yes, 60 Keyboards are Good For some games such as PUBG, and Call of Duty which don’t require arrow keys and function keys during the gameplay, you can control the entire game movement better through the mouse due to having lots of space for the mouse.
For other games such as Blizzard’s, and Defense of the Ancients, a 60% keyboard is not considered a good option because some gaming functions are assigned to Numpad keys which lack on 60% Keyboards.
For Shooting genre games, a 60% keyboard works best as most of the gaming functions can be performed with W, A, S, and D keys as well as a mouse for viewing angles.
Now you need to decide which kind of games you play if it is required arrow keys and function keys to perform some action then a Full-sized keyboard is a better option for you.
But If arrow and function keys are not required during the gameplay, a 60% keyboard is the best layout you should go with, the best compact layout under a great budget.
Why 60 Keyboards Ideal For Gamers?
From the gaming point of view, 60% keyboards are preferred by most gamers due to their compact and clean allocation of keys, ergonomic design, better wrist position, and most important their inexpensive price.
Some exceptional games such as Defense of the Ancients which required arrow and function keys during the game may not be the best fit for 60 keyboards.
Now, most 6o keyboards support remapping functionality which means you can assign preferred keys which is not actually physically located in the keyboard to any physical key through the software.
In gaming, reassigning or remapping arrow keys to WASD and function keys to standard row numbers can definitely make your work very easy and feasible as well as make 60% keyboard ideal for gaming purposes.
In the end, you can certainly go with a 60% keyboard when gaming is your priority.
Best 60% Keyboards For Gaming: Top 3 Picks
After answering Are 60 Keyboards good for gaming, now you would be curious to know which 60% keyboard is perfect to buy.
Considering all technical aspects, I have short-listed the best three 60% keyboards for gaming, you should definitely check them out.
Here are our top three picks of 60% keyboards for gaming:
60% Keyboard Name | Best for Segment |
1. Corsair K65 Mini | Best Fastest 60% Gaming Keyboard |
2. Royal Kludge RK61 | Best Budget 60% Gaming Keyboard |
3. HyperX Alloy Origins 60 | Best Premium 60% Gaming Keyboard |
Now we will discuss these keyboards in detail one by one so you’re able to pick one keyboard among three.
Kindly note that all three 60% gaming keyboards are best as per our study and research so you should buy according to your budget and preferences.
1. Corsair K65 Mini
When it comes to the best mechanical keyboard brand, Corsair is always grabbed the top position in the list due to its premium components, excellent build, and great durability.
Same with the 60% keyboard as well, the Corsair K65 mini comes on top of the list of the best 60% keyboards for gaming purposes.
Linear switches are always a hot favorite in the gaming community due to their express fast response time and quiet sound profile. Corsair K65 mini comes with the same, premium Cherry Speed silver and affordable Cherry Red switches.
This keyboard is powered by CORSAIR AXON Hyper-Processing Technology which is said to be 8x faster in gaming compared to conventional mechanical keyboards.
The other significant features associated with the Corsair K65 mini are dynamic per-key RGB backlighting, Premium PBT keycaps, Radiant spacebar, and CORSAIR AXON technology to enhance the overall typing experience.
Having all these exceptional features, Corsair K65 mini keyboard is certainly the best 60 keyboard on the market.
Bestseller No. 1
- ✅Small Size, Big Features
- ✅Powered by CORSAIR AXON Hyper-Processing Technology
- ✅100% CHERRY MX SPEED RGB Silver Mechanical switches
- ✅Personalize Your Play
2. Royal Kludge RK61
Royal Kludge RK61 is the most popular 60% keyboard on Amazon and other platforms with a 4.6 rating from above 10k users.
Royal Kludge RK61 comes with an ultra-compact design giving your desk a neat experience along with Red linear hot-swappable switches for ultra-fast response time and actuation.
The build mechanism is quite different for this RK61 as it is built with Scientific stair-up keycaps which provide superb comfort and great ergonomics during perpetual gaming.
Talking about some other significant specifications of the RK61 keyboard are, it provides full keys anti-ghosting features, 18 RGB backlight modes, and type-c for expressly fast connectivity to your system.
Royal Kludge RK61 60% keyboard is definitely an excellent pick for hard-core and FPS gamers.
Bestseller No. 1
- ✅MINI 60% KEYBOARD
- ✅HOT SWAPPABLE–Red Switch
- ✅GORGEOUS RGB EFFECT
- ✅SMOOTH GAMING EXPERIENCE
3. HyperX Alloy Origins 60
As far as gaming is concerned, HyperX keyboards are beasts due to their HyperX mechanical switches which are tremendously fast, precisely accurate, and very highly durable.
HyperX Alloy Origins 60 keyboard taking its legacy to new heights as this 60% keyboard is specially designed for the gaming community.
A full aircraft-grade aluminum body with an aluminum casing enhances this keyboard’s beauty along with its Petite 60% form making hyper Alloy Origin 60 one of the best-looking keyboards out there on the market.
HyperX Alloy Origins 60 are equipped with Double-shot PBT keycaps which are resistant to wear and friction, along with it has RGB backlit keys with radiant lighting effects.
HyperX NGENUITY software is capable enough to customize gaming mode, set up Macros, and allow single-key RGB customization.
Looking at all its exceptional features, HyperX Alloy Origins 60 is the most featured 60% gaming keyboard which can’t be ignored.
Bestseller No. 1
- ✅[Petite 60% form factor]
- ✅[Double shot PBT keycaps with side printing]
- ✅[HyperX Mechanical switches] Mechanical switches
- ✅[RGB backlit keys with radiant lighting effects]
Conclusion
It’s time to wrap up this post on ‘Are 60 Keyboards Good For Gaming?’
As a conclusive thought, definitely yes 60% Keyboard is the fastest growing keyboard segment and it is mostly preferred by hard-core and FPS gamers.
Their Compact size and Ergonomic design allow wider space for mouse movement, on the other side better wrist position, allows frequent finger movement with less finger fatigue during long hours of gaming.
There are also some disadvantages associated with a 60% keyboard such as No Numpad, and arrow keys can be a downside for some exception games but it can be overcome with remapping functionality.
In the end, you don’t need to be concerned before buying a 60% gaming keyboard as some little downsides can be shorted out easily.
You just need to buy a 60% keyboard from our given list as these keyboards support all major functionalities.
Let me know which 60% gaming keyboard you like.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!!
FAQs On 'Are 60 Keyboards Good For Gaming'
What are the downsides of 60 percent keyboards?
There are some downsides of 60 percent keyboards such as it comes without Numpad, arrow keys, and Function keys which means if you use these keys frequently on the keyboard, 60% keyboard might disappoint you, in fact, most work can be done now with only using 62 keys. you can also remap the keys to perform the arrow and function keys' functions.
Is a 60 keyboard better than a full keyboard?
Well, it completely depends on the individual, if you need to keep your keyboard inside your backpack and want a compact-size keyboard for easy portability, a 60% keyboard is slightly a better option compared to a full-sized keyboard, at initial learning 60% keyboard may take some time as well.