Keyboard rollover

What is n-key rollover?N-key rollover is commonly cited as an advantage of choosing a mechanical keyboard over a rubber dome alternative, but the concept often is’t well explained. In this article, we’ll explain what we mean by rollover, how keyboard rollover is classified and show you how to test rollover for yourself. We’ll also give some hints on what you should look for when you’re buying a new keyboard.What does rollover mean?Rollover is simply how well your keyboard can correctly register multiple keys being pressed simultaneously. When typing slowly, you’re probably typing one key after another, but if you’re writing more quickly or playing a game, it’s very likely that you’ll be holding down, pressing and releasing multiple keys simultaneously. Musical instrument emulation and Plover (a stenotype software) also require many keys to be pressed simultaneously, and therefore require sufficient rollover.How are keyboards classified in terms of rollover?Not all keyboards are created equal when it comes to rollover. Where one keyboard might be able to handle half a dozen or more inputs, others might struggle to correctly recognise three keys pressed simultaneously.Rollover is quantified as n-key rollover, where n is the minimum number of keys that can be correctly registered when pressed simultaneously. This is often written in its short form KRO. For example, 2 key rollover becomes 2KRO.Many inexpensive keyboards have only 2KRO, while higher-end keyboards (and many mechanical keyboards) have 6KRO or higher. If a keyboard can register all of its keys being pressed simultaneously, then this is called NKRO.Note well that this limit doesn’t include modifier keys like Ctrl, Alt, Win or Shift.Note also that not all 2KRO keyboards are equal, as their rollover may be quite different (or optimised towards different expected usages). For example, a 2KRO keyboard marketed towards gamers might take extra care to ensure that the commonly used WASD movement keys don’t cause rollover issues, allowing it to perform better when playing games that use these keys than keyboards built for general purpose use.What happens if you exceed a keyboard’s rollover limit?Two things can potentially go wrong if you press more keys simultaneously than a keyboard can handle.The first is called ghosting, where a unpressed key is erroneously registered as having been pressed. For example, on a 2KRO keyboard, pressing down three keys simultaneously might cause four key presses to be registered.Modern keyboards include anti-ghosting, a feature which essentially blocks additional keys from being registered once the rollover limit has been reached. Here, when three keys are pressed on our 2KRO keyboard, only two are registered, and the third one is blocked. This is why anti-ghosting is also called blocking or jamming.How do I test rollover?Rollover can be tested using apps that you download or run online. Run the program, and press and hold an increasing number of keys. Ensure that each key is correctly shown on-screen when pressed and released.It’s important to test as many key combinations as you can. Keys next to each other are often prone to not being recognised,

Press multiple buttons simultaneously, consecutively, and at high speed. Pushing a keyboard beyond its capabilities can lead to ghosting and malfunctioning. To prevent these issues, consider upgrading to a keyboard with a high rollover count and maintain your hardware to ensure optimal performance.How can I find out what rollover rating my keyboard has? The rollover rating of a keyboard refers to the number of keys you can hit simultaneously without experiencing ghosting. However, some keyboards may not have a high rollover rating, yet they can handle common combinations, such as WASD, for character movement in gaming.To find out the rollover rating of your keyboard, you can use online tools such as Microsoft's free online demo. Follow the instructions on the site, and you'll quickly learn your keyboard's rating and which key combinations ghost. With this information, you can determine whether your keyboard suits your needs and, if necessary, consider upgrading to a keyboard with a higher rollover rating.How to prevent or fix keyboard ghosting If you are in the middle of a tense game and your keyboard fails to operate correctly, frustration levels will go through the roof when you cannot play the game to the extent of your experience and skill. So, what can you do about it?Cleaning your keyboard may help. But as the primary cause of ghosting is limitations in the design or functionality of the keyboard, the best way to sort out the problem is to use a keyboard with a more advanced design or by

Octopus PBT and Bloom MatWhen you are in the process of buying a new mechanical keyboard, a lot of companies like to boast their “n-key rollover” as a great feature to get customers to buy it, but what exactly is n-key rollover?N-key rollover is quite simple as it basically just means that the keyboard has the ability to scan each button press individually, and not miss out on any keypresses if you are pressing more than one key at a time. This feature is very popular among gaming keyboards, but nowadays it is a feature that is expected on all mechanical keyboards as it just makes the experience a lot more enjoyable because you don’t have to worry about your keyboard not recognizing keypresses.TG67 Mechanical KeyboardThe reason why you would want N-key rollover for gaming, in particular, is mainly because sometimes you are pressing down more than one key at a time, and if the keyboard doesn’t recognize that input, you could end up losing in the game you are playing.If the keyboard has a number that has replaced the n in “N-key rollover” for example “ 4-key rollover”, that means that you can only press up to 4 keys at the same time and your keyboard will still recognize the inputs, but if you press more than 4, it will not recognize the inputs after the first 4 that you press.TG67 Mechanical KeyboardOverall, N-Key rollover is a very important feature that is definitely a need in any keyboard that you are thinking about purchasing. So before you decide to buy one, make sure to check that it has this feature.