What's better when it glows? Advantages and Disadvantages of Backlit Keyboards
Over the past few years, more and more models have been equipped with backlighting on their keyboards. This section summarizes what is good about having backlighting on keyboards, what types are available, and the advantages and disadvantages.
Table Of Contents
Types of keyboard backlighting
There are two types of keyboard backlighting
- to illuminate the letters on the keycaps
- shining the entire keyswitch
Basically, both are the same in that they are lit from under the keycaps, but they are quite different in use.
Advantages of having backlight on key letters
The advantage of having backlighting on the key letters is that the key letters are easier to see in any environment.
The backlight makes the key letters recognizable in the dark, and the backlight makes the key letters recognizable in somewhat dark places, such as cafes.
Some recent keyboards are equipped with an ambient light sensor, which automatically reduces lighting in bright places and increases lighting in dark places.
At first you may think, “I would never use a keyboard in a dark place,” but once you try it, the convenience of being able to use it in any location is something you won’t want to give up.
Advantages of backlighting on the keyswitches
The keyswitches themselves are lighted type, as is often the case with gaming keyboards.
This type also brightens the letters on the keycaps, but the main advantage of this type is that it is more of a gimmick, with the light shining in conjunction with the key typing.
The key switches of the light type can produce various effects depending on the setting. The entire key backlight glows in wave, flash, etc., in accordance with the typed keys, making typing enjoyable as if it were a rhythm game. It makes typing fun.
Keyboards from gaming gear makers such as Razer also feature a function that synchronizes with in-game effects. This feature allows the lighting on the keyboard to react to attacks and damage in the game in a color you set, enhancing the realistic feel of the game.
Disadvantages of backlit keyboards
High price
A keyboard with simply glowing key letters is not that expensive, but a backlit keyboard with light-type key switches is a little more expensive because of its many functions.
For that reason, many people find the backlight effect enjoyable only at first, and “once you get used to it, you may find it surprisingly unnecessary”.
It can be “light harassment” that can be a nuisance to those around you.
When using a key switch backlight type keyboard, depending on the lighting setting, it may become “light harassment,” which is a flickering light that is annoying to those around you.
In most cases, there is no problem if you use the backlight setting to reduce the glow, but if it does not glow very much, you may feel that there is no point in daring to use a keyboard with a backlight effect.
If you are using the keyboard for gaming in your room, it is often no problem, but in an office, cafe, or other places where many people are around, it is better to use a regular keyboard.
