3 Reasons You Should Ditch Your Membrane Gaming Keyboard

Look, there is nothing wrong with using a membrane keyboard. At some point in time, every one of us has used one for gaming. However, we are here to give you five simple reasons to upgrade your current membrane board to a brand spanking new mechanical keyboard. We hope that the information in this article will help you make a more informed purchasing decision down the line so you can finally ditch membrane and join the mechanical keyboard community.

The main difference between mechanical and membrane keyboards is how you "activate" each key. On a membrane board, you are typing on essentially one big, flexible pressure pad. Each keyboard key, when pressed, creates a connection that lets the computer know to register an input. This pressure pad method is reliable and easy to manufacture, but the typing experience is generally mushy, quiet, and provides minimal feedback. Mechanical keyboards utilize dedicated mechanical switches for each key instead of a singular pad. Just one press of a mechanical keyboard switch, and you will notice the difference. They offer greater feedback while typing, allowing you to feel each key more distinctly than on a membrane board. The sound produced is clean and resonant compared to the muffled sound of their counterparts. This improved typing experience is essential when making quick, rapid inputs in games. You get a greater sense of when your input has been registered by your computer, allowing you to quickly move onto the following key with confidence - perfect for anything from FPS to MOBA titles.

Not only do mechanical keyboards provide an improved typing experience by default, they even let you go further beyond with their unmatched modularity. Unlike membrane boards where all the components are firmly in place, certain mechanical keyboards, like the ones in our GMMK family, allow you to swap switches in and out - adjusting the typing feel and sound drastically. Are you looking for even more feedback while typing? Tactile switches create a tiny bump when you actuate them, telling your fingers to move on before bottoming out. Want to retain that tactility but seek audible feedback? Clicky switches create a loud click sound akin to a typewriter. These different switch types are just scratching the surface. While it can be overwhelming, the process of finding your ideal switch can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. To try out a bunch of switches in hopes of finding your perfect one, we recommend ordering our switch sample pack to test a swath of options.

One of the main draws to the mechanical keyboard community is their impressive aesthetic customization. Typically, membrane keyboards do not have the most comprehensive array of customizable features outside of RGB lighting. With a mechanical keyboard, you can pop off the keycaps that came with it and replace them with a colorful set that better represents your style. Had a mainly red desk setup when you first got into gaming but switched to a more reserved black and white? Swap out your board's cable, pop in some new caps, and replace its rotary knob - your mechanical keyboard can change and adapt with you. It is no wonder why a vast community dedicated to keyboard personalization has grown like wildfire on Reddit's r/MechanicalKeyboards subreddit.

While this article merely scratches the surface of the benefits that a mechanical keyboard provides, we hope that it gives you a brief glimpse into why so many people treasure their boards. As the market continues to grow for these niche peripherals, pricing and availability have become more accessible than ever. You may feel pressured to go all out on the nicest custom board with only the best parts, but getting a well-reviewed, reliable, and budget-friendly keyboard is always the best place to start. We promise anything you get will feel leagues better than a membrane alternative.