Keyboard Layouts: ANSI vs ISO - What Does It Mean?!

ANSI vs ISO – what are the different keyboard layouts, and do they affect your gaming performance?

We’ve all seen the words ANSI and ISO being thrown about to describe keyboards, but it’s not always obvious as to what it means. But that’s where we come in! It’s time to ease your confusion about keyboard layouts as we’re going into detail about what ANSI and ISO mean, along with the key differences between them.

ANSI

An ANSI keyboard follows the layout set by the Amercian National Standards Institute and is commonly used in the United States. An ANSI keyboard is defined by the wide rectangular Enter key which sits underneath the Backslash key along with larger left and right shift functions.

Full-sized ANSI keyboards have a total of 101-104 keys. There is no space for any additional key for special characters or diacritics.

Pros

More ergonomic than ISO as all the keys are mounted and closer together.
Can be cheaper than ISO.

Cons

Enter key isn’t as distinct since it’s a simple rectangular shape.
Lack special characters and the Alt Gr key used to create diacritics.

ISO

ISO keyboards follow the layout established by the International Organisation for Standardisation and are more commonly used in the UK and other European countries. An ISO keyboard is defined by the Enter key which is shaped as an upside-down L and sits directly under the Delete key. In addition to this, the Alt key is also replaced with Alt Gr which is used for characters that feature diacritics, such as á.

ISO keyboards will typically have 102-105 keys. Those with 105 keys have the backslash button at the bottom left of the Enter key and the right shift key is notably larger the left.

Pros

Inclusion of the Alt Gr key, which is widely used in European countries to create accents.
The closer backslash key. Helpful for programmers and developers as this key is frequently used.

Cons

Not that ergonomic since other popular keys are further away meaning you’ll have to extend your hand whilst typing.
Can be more expensive than ANSI keyboards.

So… What’s the Difference?

All those different keys and sizes can sure get confusing. But to make it easier to understand the differences between ANSI and ISO, we’ve included the handy table below.

	Number of Keys	Availability	Shift Key (Left)	Enter Key	Alt Key (Right)	Backslash Key	Number of Tenkeyless Keys
ANSI	101-104	US	Bigger and closer	Wide rectangular shape	Same left and right Alt keys	Directly above the Enter key and same size as the right Ctrl key	87
ISO	102-105	Europe	Small and far	L-shaped and upside down	No right Alt key	Directly to the left of the Enter key	88

ANSI vs ISO – Which Do I Want on My Keyboard?

There aren’t any in-game benefits to each layout. It won’t affect your performance but rather the size and placement of the keys. For example, on an ISO keyboard, the backslash key is notably closer to the enter key. However, as a result both the enter and left shift keys are placed further away, meaning you’ll have to extend your hand to reach them. Therefore, which keyboard layout you pick all depends on your individual preferences and ergonomics.

What’s more, if you have always used one layout over the other, you’ll probably be best with sticking with the layout that you know best. This will avoid those moments of panic and confusion when the key you want isn’t in the spot you think it is…

Looking to Upgrade Your Keyboard?

Are you in the market for a new keyboard for your set-up? At Overclockers UK, you can find a huge range of gaming keyboards and keycaps available in both ISO and ANSI layouts.