List of Pro Gamer Keyboards

[IPT]

i don't usually agree with tp4 as i think he trolololo majority of the time, but yeah this is marketing drive frankly
OP did the same post on his Mechkey FB page.

Also agree with tp4 that keyboards don't make you a better gamer, case is so many pro korean SC2 players use the Sammy dt-35.  A cheap rubber dome keyboard.

[davkol]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

[davkol]

Also agree with tp4 that keyboards don't make you a better gamer, case is so many pro korean SC2 players use the Sammy dt-35.  A cheap rubber dome keyboard.

From what I've heard teams usually replace keyboards every few months, because the old ones are worn out. My experience is that most RDs (there certainly are exceptions though) feel horrible (which sometimes results in missed keystrokes or pain in my joints) after only about a year of casual use, hence it makes sense to replace it every now and then. Mechanical keyboards obviously last a bit longer.

[IPT]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

[tp4tissue]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

micro delay

[IPT]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

micro delay

i'll let the master explain micro =D

[davkol]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

But the point is that don't float! There's nothing wrong with floating, but most I've seen keep the wrist resting on the edge of the desk—awkwardly bent.

[IPT]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

But the point is that don't float! There's nothing wrong with floating, but most I've seen keep the wrist resting on the edge of the desk—awkwardly bent.

from the flash vid it looks like its leaning on the desk, but the way he moves his hands i'd say its just hovering.
They don't actually "rest" their wrist on the desk i don't think

Also i dont think they play with their hands in such a rest position that a wrist rest will help
look at how Rotti plays compared to PhoeNix who isn't even a pro pro lol

oh and obligatory JD 700R shot

[Lu_e]

You just have to look at their sponsorships in relation to what they're using... saying they're getting a deal and yet they're playing on a realforce is funny. As is seeing pros with hw sponsors using a different kb

People just like seeing what pros prefer. Try and look at pros when they're not sponsored, or are changing sponsors, and its not a 'set-up' picture.

[davkol]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

But the point is that don't float! There's nothing wrong with floating, but most I've seen keep the wrist resting on the edge of the desk—awkwardly bent.

http://youtu.be/ieXVL9ST0IQ
from the flash vid it looks like its leaning on the desk, but the way he moves his hands i'd say its just hovering.
They don't actually "rest" their wrist on the desk i don't think

Also i dont think they play with their hands in such a rest position that a wrist rest will help
look at how Rotti plays compared to PhoeNix who isn't even a pro pro lol
http://youtu.be/WC9oHqweqf0

oh and obligatory JD 700R shot
http://youtu.be/glSiSoAounY

Take a look at that album linked above. Or attached pictures. I'll be surprised if they don't have very serious CTS by the age of 30.

[IPT]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

But the point is that don't float! There's nothing wrong with floating, but most I've seen keep the wrist resting on the edge of the desk—awkwardly bent.

http://youtu.be/ieXVL9ST0IQ
from the flash vid it looks like its leaning on the desk, but the way he moves his hands i'd say its just hovering.
They don't actually "rest" their wrist on the desk i don't think

Also i dont think they play with their hands in such a rest position that a wrist rest will help
look at how Rotti plays compared to PhoeNix who isn't even a pro pro lol
http://youtu.be/WC9oHqweqf0

oh and obligatory JD 700R shot
http://youtu.be/glSiSoAounY

Take a look at that album linked above. Or attached pictures. I'll be surprised if they don't have very serious CTS by the age of 30.

look at when its moving
you can't tell from the camera angle as obviously its top to down
but you can't move your hands from leaning against the edge of the table upwards to the way they're typing.
its similar to how people play the piano

[tp4tissue]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

But the point is that don't float! There's nothing wrong with floating, but most I've seen keep the wrist resting on the edge of the desk—awkwardly bent.

http://youtu.be/ieXVL9ST0IQ
from the flash vid it looks like its leaning on the desk, but the way he moves his hands i'd say its just hovering.
They don't actually "rest" their wrist on the desk i don't think

Also i dont think they play with their hands in such a rest position that a wrist rest will help
look at how Rotti plays compared to PhoeNix who isn't even a pro pro lol
http://youtu.be/WC9oHqweqf0

oh and obligatory JD 700R shot
http://youtu.be/glSiSoAounY

Take a look at that album linked above. Or attached pictures. I'll be surprised if they don't have very serious CTS by the age of 30.

yea... they' sacrifice their wrists, but honestly look at box, he sells out to intel, bangs an snsd member, i think you can retire after something like that...

[IPT]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

But the point is that don't float! There's nothing wrong with floating, but most I've seen keep the wrist resting on the edge of the desk—awkwardly bent.

http://youtu.be/ieXVL9ST0IQ
from the flash vid it looks like its leaning on the desk, but the way he moves his hands i'd say its just hovering.
They don't actually "rest" their wrist on the desk i don't think

Also i dont think they play with their hands in such a rest position that a wrist rest will help
look at how Rotti plays compared to PhoeNix who isn't even a pro pro lol
http://youtu.be/WC9oHqweqf0

oh and obligatory JD 700R shot
http://youtu.be/glSiSoAounY

Take a look at that album linked above. Or attached pictures. I'll be surprised if they don't have very serious CTS by the age of 30.

yea... they' sacrifice their wrists, but honestly look at box, he sells out to intel, bangs an snsd member, i think you can retire after something like that...

if rumors are to be true (which who knows lol) KT Flash makes 500mil Won annually.

[tp4tissue]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

hence the difference in speed between wrist rest vs floating.
They deal with wrist issues because they want to maintain the top performance against the competition
this time difference maybe 0.5 seconds, but those add up in an engagement to maybe a difference of 2-3 seconds if not more

when 1 second micro delay can be the difference between winning against Life or losing, there's the reason why these gamers float.

But the point is that don't float! There's nothing wrong with floating, but most I've seen keep the wrist resting on the edge of the desk—awkwardly bent.

http://youtu.be/ieXVL9ST0IQ
from the flash vid it looks like its leaning on the desk, but the way he moves his hands i'd say its just hovering.
They don't actually "rest" their wrist on the desk i don't think

Also i dont think they play with their hands in such a rest position that a wrist rest will help
look at how Rotti plays compared to PhoeNix who isn't even a pro pro lol
http://youtu.be/WC9oHqweqf0

oh and obligatory JD 700R shot
http://youtu.be/glSiSoAounY

Take a look at that album linked above. Or attached pictures. I'll be surprised if they don't have very serious CTS by the age of 30.

yea... they' sacrifice their wrists, but honestly look at box, he sells out to intel, bangs an snsd member, i think you can retire after something like that...

if rumors are to be true (which who knows lol) KT Flash makes 500mil Won annually.

the money is nothing when compared to sexing a pop group member. 

[davkol]

yea... they' sacrifice their wrists, but honestly look at box, he sells out to intel, bangs an snsd member, i think you can retire after something like that...

if rumors are to be true (which who knows lol) KT Flash makes 500mil Won annually.

That's not really surprising considering popularity of eSports in Korea. For example, professional ice hockey players (and I don't even mean NHL or KHL) are paid about the same amount of money.

[thegunner100]

Violet uses a realforce 87u 10th Anniversary :O. Anyone else watching dreamhack?

[davkol]

Yeah. DreamLAG.

[tns]

I will say that mechanical keyboards are better for their lifetime...

I personally broke few scissors switches x) that I now prefer gaming on mechanical keyboards x)

and something else <3

Violet uses a realforce 87u 10th Anniversary :O. Anyone else watching dreamhack?

Show Image

Oh I have a question is that one the Topre Realforce 30g? to know if that color exists in 30g version ToT
edit : or ... still exist somewhere?

[Danule]

Yeah. DreamLAG.

hahahha

[knotra]

IIRC EGs were sponsored by Razer, thus probably BW.
Polt is sponsored by CM Storm.

EG players use the BlackWidow Tournament Edition with blues or browns

[thegunner100]

The 10th anni only exists in variable or 55g. Btw i haven't had any lag on 720p+ these two days

[Photoelectric]

I remember reading this same kind of discussion on OCN where people were arguing that mechanical keyboards don't make people better gamers and such.  I can definitely see where good keyboards facilitate gaming where many keypresses per minute are required, increasing precision.  I can still mis-type or accidentally actuate a key on my MX Browns though and could do that on MX Blacks too.  But overall, mechanical keyboards do feel nicer, so people spending a lot of time in front of a keyboard will probably move on to mechanical keyboards eventually, given the opportunity.

There was a video of a professional starcraft player with some insane APM, and he had many keycaps removed on his keyboard to avoid accidentally pressing them.  That indicates a good level of comfort with that particular keyboard.

Ahh found that thread   Was fun to read through initially
http://www.overclock.net/t/1242136/mechanical-keyboards-improving-gaming-performance-is-complete-bs

But can't find another similar one with youtube links to "pro gamer" videos =/

[rootwyrm]

MLG Rules are here! Anything with a macro function is banned or disallowed - which is why the Meka G1 and SteelSeries 6V2 have the Fn key left layout with no macro functionality. Same with the Black Widow TE - that's why it lost the macro functionality.

That's why you don't see people using the Orbweaver or n52te - when the macros are firmware stored and driver-independent you can't enforce the no macro rule effectively.

As to some professional eSports keyboards, well, let's say to be "pro" means you need to be playing for cash or equivalent - or sponsored. So we'll fire up the wayback machine and include:

IBM Model M, no joke. (I know several used to use them in actual tournament FPS play - as did I, way, way back.) CPL had a few.
There's also the Focus FK-2001 - the non-Windows key version - because it was cheap. Primarily for FPS circuits.
CPL used to see a lot of just about everything under the sun back in the day - and a fair number of Cherry G80-3000's.
How about Dell QuietKey? Yes, that goes on the list too.

Way back when, the rules were a lot simpler because the keyboards were simpler. There wasn't a need to worry about macros in the keyboards so much, far fewer actual sponsorships and none of this "SPECIAL GAMING HARDWARE!!!" crap, and everyone went by personal preference primarily centered around whether or not it had one of the new Windows keys, and whether you wanted durability for travel or low cost for equipment loss/theft.
This is part of why I am so negative on the whole "PROFESSIONAL GAMING HARDWAREZ!" crap. What, you think the professionals are allowed to have macros? Nope. You think they always needed some magical fool's gold connector voodoo? Crap on a crutch, I'm pretty sure Wendel (yes, Fatal1ty) won using rubber dome.

Cheap Microsoft rubber dome? Sure, why not? Cheapo Logitech rubber dome? Used by the professional teams! Some crazy generic blue rubber dome piece of junk I can't ID? Fair game. Who likes Dell QuietKey? Apparently The Titans do.
And of course, can't miss Crap scissor-switch and MS Mouse 3000 versus Dell rubber dome and Logitech MX-family.

Pretty much if it's a keyboard, yeah. Somebody out there is using it.

[Leslieann]

Mechanical keytboards are like a woodworkers tools.

In the hands of a novice, all the best tools in the world will still produce junk.  Hand a professional junk tools and he can still turn out good work, but to truly unleash his potential, he needs quality tools.

[rootwyrm]

Mechanical keytboards are like a woodworkers tools.

In the hands of a novice, all the best tools in the world will still produce junk.  Hand a professional junk tools and he can still turn out good work, but to truly unleash his potential, he needs quality tools.

You're joking, right? The mythos of "mechanical is better" has been so thoroughly debunked by professional play that to claim it is somehow a "better tool" requires deliberate and willful ignorance.

What, you're going to claim Wendel didn't get to the final with this piece of crap and that vOo isn't using rubber domes here? Those are the two in that picture.
Sponsorships are about selling products. Professionals are not using mechanical keyboards because they want to or even like them - and it sure as hell doesn't do anything at all for their skills, period. They use what the sponsor tells them to use because the sponsor gives them money and tells them if they want to keep getting money they use this particular product so they can sell more.

Mechanical doesn't make a damned bit of difference, never has, never will. Either you're good enough to go professional and you use what you like, or you're spending money hand over fist for lies. These are real professionals who are better than anyone here likely ever will be, using two of the worst piles of crap ever made. And beating every other professional player, people at or near their skill level, many with mechanical keyboards.

[davkol]

Yeah, many (if not most) of them have issues with their hands (mostly mousing hands though), yet...

I meant mostly something like the huge hand rest on the SS 7G. You'd at least have your wrist a bit higher. I'm not sure if there are any players with rather short fingers, but that would be an advantage in that case.

Heh, elfi does use a steelseries with such hand rest. Also, look at his APM. Much like mine, yet he got to stage 3 of DH and defeated Taeja.

MLG Rules are here! Anything with a macro function is banned or disallowed - which is why the Meka G1 and SteelSeries 6V2 have the Fn key left layout with no macro functionality. Same with the Black Widow TE - that's why it lost the macro functionality.

DH isn't MLG, but I doubt some players have different keyboards for different tournaments—I've seen one of them with the BWU today.

[davkol]

Sponsorships are about selling products. Professionals are not using mechanical keyboards because they want to or even like them - and it sure as hell doesn't do anything at all for their skills, period. They use what the sponsor tells them to use because the sponsor gives them money and tells them if they want to keep getting money they use this particular product so they can sell more.
(...)
Mechanical doesn't make a damned bit of difference, never has, never will. Either you're good enough to go professional and you use what you like, or you're spending money hand over fist for lies. These are real professionals who are better than anyone here likely ever will be, using two of the worst piles of crap ever made. And beating every other professional player, people at or near their skill level, many with mechanical keyboards.

You're contradicting yourself.

Also, why does viOLet use a realforce then?

[rootwyrm]

You're contradicting yourself.

Also, why does viOLet use a realforce then?

No, I'm not. You're trying to pick things out of context and ignore the facts being presented.
Fact: sponsored teams frequently use specific keyboards because that is what the sponsor dictates, not because they chose that keyboard.
Fact: mechanical versus rubber dome does not make the least bit of difference beyond personal preference at that level of play.
Fact: events can require competitors to use sponsor selected and approved keyboards per MLG rules. Sponsors want to sell their stuff.
Don't like those facts? Too bad. You're entitled to your own opinions - you're not entitled to your own facts. And CPL and MLG records are matters of fact, not opinion. A contest was held. These people won using rubber domes and scissor switches as documented by photographs. MLG established a set of rules and those rules say they can exclude any given keyboard or provide a required keyboard at their discretion.

And I have no clue what you're on about with viOLet using a RealForce having to do with anything I said. Did you read the rules I linked? Also, did you know Azubu Blaze (the LoL group) uses SteelSeries 6GV2, QcK and not sure which SteelSeries mouse? But then on the competition stage, everybody has Razer BlackWidow. Why? Presumably because Razer was a headline sponsor of the event and wanted their equipment on stage.

Maybe viOLet wanted to use a BlackWidow but the SC2 Open banned that model so it was his backup. Maybe he was testing it out. Maybe their sponsorship contract with Razer doesn't require use of specific equipment - I would presume it doesn't given Azubu Blaze openly uses SteelSeries. Hell, maybe he was borrowing it from someone else or maybe they were in talks with Topre about a sponsorship contract. You'd have to ask viOLet why he was using the RealForce to know why, either way.

[Vintage]

Mechanical keytboards are like a woodworkers tools.

In the hands of a novice, all the best tools in the world will still produce junk.  Hand a professional junk tools and he can still turn out good work, but to truly unleash his potential, he needs quality tools.

You're joking, right? The mythos of "mechanical is better" has been so thoroughly debunked by professional play that to claim it is somehow a "better tool" requires deliberate and willful ignorance.

What, you're going to claim Wendel didn't get to the final with this piece of crap and that vOo isn't using rubber domes here? Those are the two in that picture.
Sponsorships are about selling products. Professionals are not using mechanical keyboards because they want to or even like them - and it sure as hell doesn't do anything at all for their skills, period. They use what the sponsor tells them to use because the sponsor gives them money and tells them if they want to keep getting money they use this particular product so they can sell more.

Mechanical doesn't make a damned bit of difference, never has, never will. Either you're good enough to go professional and you use what you like, or you're spending money hand over fist for lies. These are real professionals who are better than anyone here likely ever will be, using two of the worst piles of crap ever made. And beating every other professional player, people at or near their skill level, many with mechanical keyboards.

Not that i don't agree with you... but that argument does not prove anything IMO. Just because many pros have proven themselves to be better than others who may have been using mechanical keyboards, this does not somehow mean that these players would not perform even better if they had been using a mech keyboard.

I think the best way to prove this is by referencing pros who seem to care less about what they use. I remembers when all the EG SC2 pros switched the Razer BW (tactile switches) from the old Steelseries ones (Linear switches) and I did not hear any of them complain or seem to play worse using different keyboards. Same has happen to any pro who has switched to a team  with a different peripheral sponsor.

[Photoelectric]

I'll reference my OH who refuses to give mechanical keyboards a good try.  I don't know if it's on principle, but he likes his rubber dome Dell keyboard at work, and anything else I present is too loud or too easy to actuate, or not bumpy enough or whatever.  I said it takes a couple of weeks to get used to, but it's like walking uphill through snow.  It's entirely possible that people who get good at a game are happy enough with what they have and don't like anything that's different, and never switch to a mechanical keyboard, etc.

[dndlmx]

Check this out for now. It's a listing of gear compiled by Liquipedia. I'll hunt the thread I'm thinking of later.

http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Pro_gear

A disturbing number of Razer Lycosa...

[IPT]

If Nestea and MKP a bunch of old BW pros and what not can use the cheapo Sammy/Qsenn dt-35 and win, im 99% sure mech keyboards don't make any big diff whatsoever and its all about sponsorship.

[Danule]

If Nestea and MKP a bunch of old BW pros and what not can use the cheapo Sammy/Qsenn dt-35 and win, im 99% sure mech keyboards don't make any big diff whatsoever and its all about sponsorship.

They are probably better with the old dome style because that is what they are used to playing on for so long.

[Glenn315]

This is the thread I was thinking of. But I think that Liquipedia article is more up to date.

Go to page 37 and scroll down to get a kinda updated list instead of the one in the op of that thread.

[Leslieann]

You're joking, right? The mythos of "mechanical is better" has been so thoroughly debunked by professional play that to claim it is somehow a "better tool" requires deliberate and willful ignorance.

A pro is paid to use a product, that proves nothing except that the person was paid to use a product and not one thing you said actually debunks what I said.

Look at Nascar, just because a driver drives a Ford, it doesn't mean anything about how he actually feels about Ford, the car doesn't even relate to a car on the street. However, if he wins, you can bet he will say the Ford was the best... Because he is paid to.

Truth is, if you want to see what parts actually work better, look one notch below those being paid. They tend to run what they believe to be the best. Unfortunately, even they can get caught up in hype, but generally they will run what they believe to be the better product, even sponsored will sometimes swap out and just add sponsor stickers. I have seen it in cycling where one product is so good, most of the sponsored riders ride that one product, and just put a sponsor sticker on it so it looks like they are running the proper part. A good eye can spot the difference though.

Honestly, pros are the last people you should be looking at towards what products are best. As I said, a good carpenter can make bad tools look good. Which is exactly what a sponsor wants. In this case a good player can make a bad part look good. To the sponsor, it doesn't even matter if that part needs to be replaced regularly.

So, why is mechanical actually better?
Domes can be less consistent, especially over time. Mechanicals can be tuned, Jailhouse Blues are a PERFECT example of this, as are o-rings, adding a plate, even changing the key cap type. Not all of these necessarily make one item better than another, some do nothing but add comfort, however sometimes even that is important.

The British Cycling team last Olympics (and the regular race season) went so far as to lug the rider's mattresses from one hotel to the next, as well hire as a team chef, and brought their own drinks. This way, they always felt at home between races and limit outside influence. Was it a significant amount of performance gain? No, even they admit it was minimal, however, a teeny bit here, and a teensy bit there adds up enough to where non performance enhancing drug riders were keeping up with those who were (and yes, riders knew which riders, including Lance were doing it, it wasn't even hidden). These little edge on the competition is what all sports are about, getting that teeny little fraction of a bit of an advantage, because sometimes, that is what determines the winner from the loser. Keep in mind though, sponsors sometimes interrupt that in the name of profit.

[tns]

it must be a coincidence that pros switch to mechanical keyboards right after they've got sponsored... yes it is a coincidence...

MKP used to play on Qsenn... then... MEKA G1... then... non mechanical Knucker ;o makes sense

[tns]

The 10th anni only exists in variable or 55g.

I wanted to say/ask if it's still on market? or only on ebay, amazon, geekhack etc... ?
i meant in a place with sellers etc... or in manufacturer stocks

[Johan]

For most if the pros it's sponsorship, for the rest it's preference. A keyboard for unless its 2kr won't limit any progamer ability. As long as the key spacing ain't funky,it doesn't have a slower repeat rate( I can't play with my model m for this reason) or if the don't keys feel heavy/awful, it's all good.

[davkol]

You're contradicting yourself.

Also, why does viOLet use a realforce then?

No, I'm not. You're trying to pick things out of context and ignore the facts being presented.
Fact: sponsored teams frequently use specific keyboards because that is what the sponsor dictates, not because they chose that keyboard.
Fact: mechanical versus rubber dome does not make the least bit of difference beyond personal preference at that level of play.
Fact: events can require competitors to use sponsor selected and approved keyboards per MLG rules. Sponsors want to sell their stuff.
Don't like those facts? Too bad. You're entitled to your own opinions - you're not entitled to your own facts. And CPL and MLG records are matters of fact, not opinion. A contest was held. These people won using rubber domes and scissor switches as documented by photographs. MLG established a set of rules and those rules say they can exclude any given keyboard or provide a required keyboard at their discretion.

And I have no clue what you're on about with viOLet using a RealForce having to do with anything I said. Did you read the rules I linked? Also, did you know Azubu Blaze (the LoL group) uses SteelSeries 6GV2, QcK and not sure which SteelSeries mouse? But then on the competition stage, everybody has Razer BlackWidow. Why? Presumably because Razer was a headline sponsor of the event and wanted their equipment on stage.

Maybe viOLet wanted to use a BlackWidow but the SC2 Open banned that model so it was his backup. Maybe he was testing it out. Maybe their sponsorship contract with Razer doesn't require use of specific equipment - I would presume it doesn't given Azubu Blaze openly uses SteelSeries. Hell, maybe he was borrowing it from someone else or maybe they were in talks with Topre about a sponsorship contract. You'd have to ask viOLet why he was using the RealForce to know why, either way.

You claiming that (1) keyboards do not matter and (2) pros use keyboards based on their sponsorship. Why would a player use a limited edition of a $200 keyboard instead of something much cheaper?  Some players (e.g. Flash) are extremely sensitive about their setup.

BTW Hyun is playing with a keyboard that looks like a Gigabyte GK-K8000. See those macro keys?

[tns]

by the way violet is so good at acting  such an actor

1m52

[Photoelectric]

He's using some black TKL keyboard there before he is presented with the box   Looks kinda like a Filco or similar.

[tp4tissue]

by the way violet is so good at acting  such an actor

1m52

ugh... why is the american team seem so crass... they're so uncool....

[rootwyrm]

You claiming that (1) keyboards do not matter and (2) pros use keyboards based on their sponsorship. Why would a player use a limited edition of a $200 keyboard instead of something much cheaper?  Some players (e.g. Flash) are extremely sensitive about their setup.

BTW Hyun is playing with a keyboard that looks like a Gigabyte GK-K8000. See those macro keys?

Wow, did I miss myself pissing in your cornflakes or something?

Again: how the bloody hell should I know why viOLet was using a Realforce, much less whether or not their sponsorship deal includes required equipment use? I'm not part of their team and I've already made this point. Twice. Grow up, learn reading comprehension and move on.

Secondly, you obviously know nothing about how the events actually work. Dreamhack 2013 Open rules are here. Yeah. It's not an MLG event and there's no keyboard restrictions. There's a good half-dozen circuits with different rules before the "open" events like Dreamhack - which is basically a big LAN party. That's his personal computer, personal keyboard, and so on.
Then there's GSL - which viOLet doesn't play in - with stricter qualification and equipment restrictions than MLG.

[rootwyrm]

by the way violet is so good at acting  such an actor

Heh.. gotta love sponsor videos. That's a BlackWidow TE MX Blue (US ISO) parked next to an Abyssus on a Goliathus.
But yes - he's a good actor. You hear him typing - but then you catch a shot that includes the entire screen and there's nothing open at all. Staged shot - not that I blame them.

[davkol]

Wow, did I miss myself pissing in your cornflakes or something?

lol, trying to turn it into pissing contest?

[Johan]

BTW Hyun is playing with a keyboard that looks like a Gigabyte GK-K8000. See those macro keys?

Hyun has said many many times on stream that he uses the Skydigital nKeyboard Mechanic-2. 

[Grim Fandango]

A little while ago some of the most dominant players in the world were playing on rubber dome , so do not take it all too seriously.

I am not saying that the keyboard does not matter. Any peripheral matters. But I do not believe things would really be affected all that much if they were not to use a mechanical keyboard. I also do not believe there is a keyboard out there that is objectively better outside of the necessary features. They use all sorts of keyboards in the "pro scene", so I guess they are all pretty much viable at the highest level of competition. From the Zowie Celeritas to the Logitech Classic Keyboard 200.

You can find lists with overviews of gear on the teamliquid wiki.

Some of them look like geekhackers


And even though I do believe most of these guys would be able to beat any normal player on keyboards made of cardboard, I do realize they can be very (VERY) specific when it comes to their setup.


There are also people making all sorts of comments assuming this and that. Just go by the actual facts, since there are probably none of us that have played at this level of competition. Even if you are the best player you know, that means little really.

[ShakeR]

oh god no.. not this... omg...

MECHANICAL KEYBOARDS MAKE NO DIFFERENCE IN GAMING PERFORMANCE....

I don't think the point of this thread is to equate gaming performance to a particular keyboard, but rather see how effective gaming-oriented keyboard brands' (Razer, Tt, etc) marketing is.

Not surprised you didn't think deeper on it though...

No, it is you who is shallow minded and a dummy.

ShakeR the op's primary concern is not keyboards, he primarily cares about selling them... This is why this thread is a thinly veiled advertisement campaign...

I do think ShakeR is a good guy overall, but even then he should not be doing this....

I'm not against advertising, as long as your claims are true...  but to tie better keyboard to better performance in gaming is corruption...

1) A little harsh on Jabar.

2)  Not sure what I would be 'thinly advertising' since our bread and butter is Ducky and they sponsor zero pro gamers last I checked.

I actually find this interesting as I personally competed in some pro gaming tournaments myself when I was younger.  It is intriguing to me which models (especially those sponsored by brands with multiple switch types or have no sponsors at all) the pros prefer.

Unless you are a pro gamer, you cannot claim that better hardware makes no difference on performance.  Can Stephano crank out 400+ APM on a Logitech rubber dome?  Maybe... but it sure as hell wouldn't be as easy as Cherry Reds.  We're not talking about polling rates here... Riding the actuation point like some of these guys do is an incredibly rare / hard to develop skill.  I'm not sure what you find so outlandish about this claim.

 

[tp4tissue]

oh god no.. not this... omg...

MECHANICAL KEYBOARDS MAKE NO DIFFERENCE IN GAMING PERFORMANCE....

I don't think the point of this thread is to equate gaming performance to a particular keyboard, but rather see how effective gaming-oriented keyboard brands' (Razer, Tt, etc) marketing is.

Not surprised you didn't think deeper on it though...

No, it is you who is shallow minded and a dummy.

ShakeR the op's primary concern is not keyboards, he primarily cares about selling them... This is why this thread is a thinly veiled advertisement campaign...

I do think ShakeR is a good guy overall, but even then he should not be doing this....

I'm not against advertising, as long as your claims are true...  but to tie better keyboard to better performance in gaming is corruption...

1) A little harsh on Jabar.

2)  Not sure what I would be 'thinly advertising' since our bread and butter is Ducky and they sponsor zero pro gamers last I checked.

I actually find this interesting as I personally competed in some pro gaming tournaments myself when I was younger.  It is intriguing to me which models (especially those sponsored by brands with multiple switch types or have no sponsors at all) the pros prefer.

Unless you are a pro gamer, you cannot claim that better hardware makes no difference on performance.  Can Stephano crank out 400+ APM on a Logitech rubber dome?  Maybe... but it sure as hell wouldn't be as easy as Cherry Reds.  We're not talking about polling rates here... Riding the actuation point like some of these guys do is an incredibly rare / hard to develop skill.  I'm not sure what you find so outlandish about this claim.

 

Where are you people reading that pros RIDE actuation points.  That makes no sense.... why would you do that, even if you can develop muscle memory to do it.. It would not be faster. and wouldn't give you any advantage.

[ShakeR]

^ Whether it's 'Riding actuation points' or jumping back and forth between keys.  How can 'you people' argue that a more consistent actuation point is irrelevant?

TP4 -- are you a pro SC2 gamer - yes or no?

i don't usually agree with tp4 as i think he trolololo majority of the time, but yeah this is marketing drive frankly
OP did the same post on his Mechkey FB page.

Also agree with tp4 that keyboards don't make you a better gamer, case is so many pro korean SC2 players use the Sammy dt-35.  A cheap rubber dome keyboard.

Lol @ this 'marketing drive'.  Too many conspiracy theorists on this forum. Posting the same question on GH and FB is somehow additional evidence that this isn't a sincere question that I would like the community's help in answering?  4 pages of responses in a few days must mean some one is interested in the topic... Next time I post outside Vendor Forums I'll be sure to include a coupon code so I can live up to the stereotype lol

Good point about Sammy dt-35!  I did not know that.