Whether you love playing fast-paced FPS titles or quiet farming simulators, you need a high-quality keyboard that can handle it all. With so many different keyboard types and sizes available, you don’t need to worry about compromising on performance or comfort if you have a small setup or office space.
All you need is a keyboard that suits the size of your desk, that still offers you a distinct advantage in all your favourite games!
Different Keyboard Sizes:
Not only are keyboards available as either mechanical or membrane, there are also a plethora of different form factors to choose from!
The most common keyboard sizes are:
- Full-Sized
- TKL (Tenkeyless)
- 75%
- 65%
- 60%
- 40%
Full-Sized:
Full-sized keyboards typically have 104 keys and features all of the function, arrow, and navigation keys along with the numpad.
In terms of gaming, full-sized keyboards are beneficial as they feature macros and programmable keys. This is particularly helpful for fans of MOBAs, such as League of Legends. Macros offer players of MOBAs a distinct advantage where instead of pressing a multitude of keys simultaneously, you can set up a dedicated macro key to speed up your response times and destroy your enemies.
Advantages:
- Good for data entry and office use
- May come with dedicated macro keys
- Often have a lot of options for programmable keys
- Often include dedicated media controls or volume dials built in
Disadvantages:
- Takes up a lot of space, not ideal for small office spaces
- Typically more expensive
- Heavy, not easy to transport
Ducky One3 Classic Full Size USB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard:
- All-new Quacky mechanics
- Full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard
- Hot-swappable PCB
- PBT double-shot keycaps
- Per-key RGB backlighting
TKL (Tenkeyless):
TKL keyboards usually have 87 keys. The main difference between full-sized and tenkeyless keyboards is that TKLs don’t have a numpad.
TKL keyboards are good for gamers who want to save space on their desk and have more room for their mouse. Ideal for lovers of FPS titles that require intense flicks, swishes, and clicks for you to be victorious!
Advantages:
- Saves space
- Portable / relatively lightweight
Disadvantages:
- No numpad
- Often don’t have dedicated media keys or volume control buttons
Ducky One3 Fuji TKL USB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard:
- Quacky mechanics
- TKL form factor
- Mechanical gaming keyboard
- Hot-swappable PCB
- Double-shot PBT keycaps
- Unique blue and pink design
75%:
75% keyboards will typically have 84 keys and are slightly smaller than a TKL keyboard. On a 75%, you’ll notice the arrow and home cluster keys are placed right next to each other.
This intelligent space saving design won’t impact your typing or gaming performance. In fact, you may find your typing speed improves and you can reach for your mouse a lot faster. Perfect for intense boss battles where every second counts!
Advantages:
- Small form factor
- Lightweight
- Improved response and travel times
Disadvantages:
- No numpad
- Small adjustment time due to the new arrow and home cluster key layout
- Not compatible with a lot of custom key caps
Glorious GMMK Pro 75% Barebone Ice White Keyboard:
- Barebones gaming keyboard
- 75% form factor
- ANSI-layout
- Per-key RGB backlighting
- Removable keycaps
- Key switches sold separately
Glorious Panda Mechanical Keyboard Switches:
- 36 Glorious Panda key switches
- Tactile
- 67g actuation force
- Not pre-lubricated
65%:
A 65% keyboard will have between 67-68 keys and doesn’t have the numpad or function row. Some 65% keyboard don’t even feature the home cluster keys!
This is the smallest keyboard available that still includes the arrow keys, which provide some benefits to gaming. With the arrow keys, you can still swiftly move around whilst enjoying the benefits of a lightweight keyboard and lots of space on your desk. You can forget accidentally knocking over your precious cup of tea!
Advantages:
- Small form factor
- Extremely lightweight
- Portable
- Widely available
Disadvantages:
- Don’t have the numpad or function row keys
Glorious GMMK 2 65% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard:
- Mechanical gaming keyboard
- 65% form factor
- Glorious Fox linear switches
- Per-key RGB backlighting
- ABS double-shot keycaps
60%:
60% keyboards typically feature 61 keys and don’t have the numpad, function row, home cluster or arrow keys! They are much more compact than 65% keyboards and are a popular choice for those looking to create custom keyboards.
Advantages:
- Small form factor
- Portable
- Popular for custom keyboard builds
- A lot of PCB and case layouts are available for 60% keyboards
- Cheap to build 60% custom keyboards
Disadvantages:
- Doesn’t have the numpad, function row, home cluster or arrow keys
- Can be quite hard to get adjusted to
Corsair K65 RGB Mini 60% White USB Mechanical Keyboard:
- Mechanical gaming keyboard
- 60% form factor
- RGB per-key backlighting
- Detachable USB Type-C cable
40%:
40% keyboards are the smallest form factor you can still use to type on. A 40% keyboard only has 47 keys and doesn’t feature a numpad, function row, home cluster, arrow keys, or the entire top row of numbers! Plus, any non-letter keys are also removed.
Advantages:
- Very small!
- Extremely lightweight and portable
Disadvantages:
- Long adjustment time
- Not widely available
- Most likely have to build a custom 40% keyboard yourself
Do You Have a Preference?
Do you have a preferred keyboard size? Have you found that one size is better for gaming than others? Leave a comment down below.
- 5 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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