Top 5 Gaming Keyboards with Macro keys

Experience intelligent technology that gives you a distinct advantage in all your favourite games, with a keyboard that supports customisable macro keys.

Here to tell you everything there is to know about macro keys, we’ve compiled our list of the top 5 gaming keyboards with programmable macros available at Overclockers UK

What are Macro Keys?

Macro keys are essentially different keystrokes that you can register in order to perform or repeat a certain action. By assigning different commands to macro keys, you can quickly execute tasks by pressing one key instead of a possible three different keys.

Are Macro Keys Beneficial to Gaming?

Macro keys are great when it comes to gaming. Creating different sequences of keystrokes or mouse clicks into one button can allow you to have even quicker reaction times and give you a distinct advantage in games.

A perfect example of how you can use macro keys in gaming would be creating one to help you mine blocks for materials and ore in Minecraft. Macro keys are especially beneficial in fast-paced FPS games, such as Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt. You can register macro keys that can quickly help you destroy an enemy you’ve spotted hiding in the shadows.

It’s important to note however, not all games see macros as favourable and a good thing. For example, Fortnite considers using macros as cheating. It’s recommended that before you set up macros for a certain game, you consider looking online for information about using macros.

How to enable Macro Keys

Your gaming keyboard may come with dedicated software used to control any RGB lighting, synchronise with other compatible devices, and register macro keys.

For example, on a Razer keyboard with Razer Synapse, to set up macro keys you need to:

Open Razer Synapse
Go to ‘Dashboard’
Select your keyboard
In the ‘Customise’ dashboard, select the key you want to assign a macro key
Select ‘Macro’
Click the ‘Assign Macro’ drop down menu
Select the macro you wish to assign and your preferred playback
Click ‘Save’ to complete the process and save your settings

For a step-by-step video on registering macro keys in Razer Synapse, take a look at the video down below.

Along with the dedicated control software, some keyboards come with on-the-fly macro settings, meaning you can register macro keys without having to open separate software.

However, these steps can change with different keyboards and software, so it’s important you check online or in your keyboard’s manual for how you can set up macro keys.

We covered how you can map macros on several popular keyboards in our dedicated blog post.