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Most of the mechanical keyboards marketed as "gaming" boards don't have many features that brand them demonstrably ameliorate for gaming. That's not the case with the Wooting One, an intriguing mechanical keyboard that was launched on Kickstarter before this year. It looks like a fairly standard keyboard, but the switches are an entirely new design that feature optical analog input–information technology's not merely on or off like other switches.

The Wooting 1 gives you more control over movement in games, similar to the analog stick on a controller, simply with the added precision of a mouse. You might see a existent advantage in certain titles. However, not all games play nicely with analog switches.

The Flaretech Switches

The designers of this keyboard have come up with two switches: a red switch and a blue 1. The stems aren't colored to match the names, only the properties of the switches are an gauge match for the standard Cherry Bed and Blue switches. The reds are linear, so there'south no click or bump as y'all printing. They have a 55g operating force, which is considered a medium-weight switch (information technology'southward slightly heavier than a Reddish Cherry-red). The Flaretech Blue has the same operating force, but there's a click after nigh 1.7mm of travel.

If you're non sure which of these switches sounds more appealing, there'southward good news: The Wooting 1 supports swappable switches. Most keyboards require switches to be soldered into place, and even those with "hotswap sockets" oft fail subsequently a few uses. There are no pins on these switches, and so they merely prune into the plate and sit above the PCB. If you buy a Wooting 1, you lot can choose red or blue for the board, just you lot get a kit of four extras of both types. Then, yous can swap some of the other flavor on your board to test them out. There'due south also a premium bundle that comes with a set of both switches.

When you have a keycap off the Wooting One, it doesn't wait much unlike than a standard mechanical keyboard. The Flaretech switches use the standard Cherry-style cross stem, which means it can accept custom keycaps for MX boards. When yous look inside the switches, things get weird.

Other mechanical switches have a metal contact of some sort inside that is triggered when you button the stem down. The Flaretech switches don't have that. Inside is simply the stem, spring, and a calorie-free pipe. The light pipe is a nice bear upon as information technology allows calorie-free from the RGB LEDs on the circuit board to polish upwardly through the elevation of the switch and the transparent stem.

The within of a Flaretech Red. Note the prism on the left side of the stem and light pipe on the far right.

The spring appears to exist a typical blueprint you lot'd find in any Cherry-style switch, but the stalk is unique. In that location's a small prism protruding from the side, so it moves up and downwardly as you press the switch. The PCB does all the piece of work with an infrared optoelectronic sensor. As the prism moves upwards and down, the sensor registers the altitude as analog information. Because this is all handled by the PCB and not the switch, you tin exercise a lot of wild stuff with the Wooting One.

The Lath and Software

To customize your experience with this keyboard, you'll demand the cleverly named Wootility desktop customer. It's available for Windows and macOS with a Linux version coming soon. This app lets you customize the color of each LED on the board however you like, and multiple profiles tin can be configured for different games.

The keycaps are ABS with smooth-through legends. The quality is okay—like to what y'all get with other consumer keyboards.

The Wooting One has analog data from all the switches, so it tin basically pretend to be a game controller–information technology uses either Xinput or Directly Input. So, you tin can press a fundamental downward a trivial, and it'due south similar you nudged an analog stick slightly in i direction. The most obvious advantage here is that your WASD cluster movements can speed up or dull downwards based on how difficult you press the switch.

There are some very cool options built into Wootility that are only possible thank you to the optical analog switches. You can change the analog curve of the gamepad output, which controls how much stick movement is emulated as you press. You tin even change the actuation point of the switches to exist higher or lower.

The lath itself has a tenkeyless layout, then at that place'southward no number pad. The top plate is aluminum, and the keys have a floating design. That exposes the edges of the switches nether the keycap. You'll be able to encounter some of the light spilling out under at that place, which is a fun upshot.

On the underside, you've got flip-out feet and a micro USB port in a small-scale recess. Removable cables are a overnice bonus on a keyboard. You tin can get fancy themed cables to match your keycaps or just bundle up the stock cable when you're moving the board around, and so it doesn't get in the way.

Gaming

I tested the Wooting One in a few games, and it worked mostly equally expected. Analog input on a keyboard takes some getting used to, and some games won't work correctly. While many PC games do support controllers, they won't permit you use a controller and a mouse at the same fourth dimension. I was unable to get Fallout four to piece of work with the Wooting I, merely Doom and CounterStrike seem to work well. Rocket League works great later some lilliputian with profiles.

The Wooting One is far from a plug-and-play gaming experience right now, but it seems similar you can get almost games working. Is the analog input actually an reward? I'thou not completely sold on that yet. Y'all've got almost 2mm of travel that tin can be used for analog sensing (nearly half the total switch travel), and that means you need to carefully control how much pressure level yous utilize. Information technology'll accept exercise to master this.

So, is this the gaming keyboard you've been wanting? Maybe… if yous don't mind tinkering with things to become them working. I don't know that you lot'll benefit much in a FPS, but driving and flying games could be much easier to play on the Wooting One. The optical analog switches are likewise super-cool. Pricing starts at $160, which is similar to other high-end keyboards marketed to gamers.