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Keyboard Basics

Suitable and Unsuitable Uses for Mechanical Keyboards

Mechanical keyboards are popular among users who are particular about their keyboards, but they are not perfect for every situation. This time, let's look at the uses that suit mechanical keyboards and those that do not.

Modified at: 2025.6.19Posted at: 2023.6.5

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Suitable Uses for Mechanical Keyboards

Mechanical keyboards are suitable for tasks that require high-quality typing.

Gaming

Mechanical keyboards offer fast response times and accurate input, making them ideal for games where quick typing, rapid keystrokes, and reliable input are important.

The reason mechanical keyboards are widely used in gaming is not just because they are comfortable to type on, but also because they provide stable performance even in highly competitive situations.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that "gaming keyboard = mechanical keyboard" is a perfect match.

Programming

Ultimately, programming, which is a conversation with the computer, is the task of "writing code as a language." Therefore, accuracy in typing is important, and reducing fatigue during long typing sessions also affects programming performance.

For this reason, in the programming community, more programmers are using mechanical keyboards to reduce typos and fatigue.

While a mechanical keyboard is not essential for programming, programming is a suitable use case for mechanical keyboards.

Long-Form Text Writing

In terms of writing, not just programming but also long-form text writing is a suitable use for mechanical keyboards.

When writing long texts, the accuracy of typing and the responsiveness of the key switches affect input speed, so if you want to type faster, a mechanical keyboard is a good choice.

Unsuitable Uses for Mechanical Keyboards

Mobile Use

Due to the structure of mechanical keyboards, where each key has an independent switch, they tend to be heavy and large in size.

Of course, there are compact-sized mechanical keyboards, but their layouts often reduce the number of keys to about 60%, which introduces certain limitations.

In this sense, mechanical keyboards are not suitable for use cases where portability is required.

Use in Quiet Environments

While the noise of mechanical keyboards can be reduced depending on the type of switch used, the typing sound is still louder than that of typical keyboards. Therefore, they are not suitable for situations where typing sounds may be a nuisance, such as in quiet offices or libraries.

The sound of someone else's typing can be more bothersome than expected, so even if you are not in an environment that requires silence, it is considerate to be mindful when using a mechanical keyboard around others.

Even if your mechanical keyboard is a noisy type, such as one with blue switches, it is possible to reduce the noise by using silencing rings.

HHKB Professional Classic
HHKB Professional Classic

Although not mechanical, the HHKB, which uses the "capacitive non-contact method," offers a typing feel close to that of mechanical keyboards while maintaining high quietness, making it ideal for mobile use and quiet environments.