As a gamer, have you ever tilted your keyboard? If you haven’t, then you’re probably missing out on some potential benefits to your gameplay. You might have seen pro gamers tilt their keyboards diagonally or even vertically.
It seems weird ways during matches, pro gamers do, especially the CSGO players. In case you didn’t know, there are reasons and advantages for this curious way of positioning the peripheral on the table!
Be with me. Here, I’m going to uncover the reasons behind why do pro gamers tilt their keyboards and how they are using this to their advantage while they play games.
Why Do Pro Gamers Tilt Their Keyboards?
There are many reasons pro gamers tilt their keyboards. It could be a matter of preference for the gamer, a habit, or it could depend on the game competitiveness being played and the edges it can give over opponents.
Below are important reasons and benefits for pro gamers to tilt their keyboards.
1. Matter of preference
One of the most common reasons gamers tilt their keyboards is their specific preference for keyboard type and layout. Some find tilting their keyboard helps them play better because it puts them in a more comfortable position, gives them better access to certain keys, and prevents fatigue during long gaming sessions.
Still, some players don’t have a need to tilt their keyboard; they are just as comfortable doing so. The best way to find out if tilting your keyboard works for you is to try it out and see how you feel.
Just place your keyboard in a position that feels most natural, and you should be fine. Tilting your keyboard might be unnecessary for casual gamers.
The key is to find a position that feels most natural to you and stick with it. You may find that you don’t need to tilt your keyboard at all; it all depends on your preference.
2. Helps you to save and create space on your desk.
A large keyboard or monitor on your desk can obstruct the space around the mouse pad size area, which is often quite large and typically need lots of space surrounding them for movement. So having a tilted keyboard frees up many desk spaces for gamers to move their mouse around.
Likewise, the conditions in LAN tournaments (competitions over a local network and clubs): players are given relatively small tables in some of them.
As many esports players prefer to be very close to their 27 inch long monitor screens, the keyboard in a regular position simply does not fit on the table. Due to the limited physical space provided at LAN competitions, many players opt for a diagonal setup instead.
Note – As most players got used to the lack of space and keyboard position on the desks in old LAN houses, many ended up continuing to use them in the same place, even though today many LAN tournaments and events provide more spacious tables. This characteristic obviously influenced many fans, who ended up experiencing the different position and got used to it, either out of pure desire to copy their idols or lack of space.
Thus, if you are looking for ways to create more space on your small table, tilting your keyboard might be a suitable solution. Means don’t have to worry about the mouse hitting the keyboard! This slight change could be the deciding factor in Fortnite, StarCraft II, and League of Legends.
3. Accessible to reach more keys:
For a gamer, professional or novice, it’s competent to have quick and easy access to more keys on your keyboard. Tilting the keyboard allows you to reach more buttons in hand, which is favorable for complex games requiring quick movements.
For instance, If you use the WASD keys layout, you will notice how it is hard to stretch your fingers to reach the other vital keys such as the Q, E, or Z (or if you’re playing a game that uses these).
However, if you place your keyboard 45 degrees turned on its side, you will add six extra keys! So instead of having 21 out of 56 functions easily accessible on your keyboard, you would now have 27 out of 56.
When I tested remapping the WASD keys on the TFGH, F, and H for strafe and G and T to move forward and backward and J and K for the jump and crouch. I achieved almost twice as many letters on my keyboard, which is more than double the amount in the normal WASD position.
It may sound weird, but this method works if taken from an ergonomic standpoint.
When I put all of this into practice, I impressed at how well it worked. When I saw how much room still remained on my keyboard even with these new mappings in place, that’s when it finally clicked. There is no need to increase the size of a keyboard if you can just make it more efficient by tilting the keyboard.
This technique can also be used for other games genre. For instance, if you’re playing a strategy game, you may need to quickly issue commands to your troops. By tilting your keyboard, you can soon get the command keys without having to take your hands off of the mouse.
So if you’re looking for a peak in your next gaming session, see tilting your keyboard while gaming. You’ll be able to reach more keys easily including Menu key, which can give you a competitive advantage over your opponents.
4. Ergonomics
Nowadays, many players say they use the diagonal keyboard layout because it’s more comfortable.
The average professional gamer spends hours every day playing games. And this means that comfort is essential! Rotating the keyboard at an angle provides convenience for the gamer. In the same way, gaming chairs provide lower-end comfort.
But how does simply rotating the keyboard improve comfort?
Usually, when you sit naturally at a desk with your elbows close to your body, your arm is at about a 45-degree angle. The natural angle of 45 degrees.
Over time, this can become tiring and even cause injury. Rotate the keyboard perpendicular to the corner of your hand. This should reduce stress and strain on your wrists, arms, neck, and back!
However, there is no scientific study on a fundamental difference that the keyboard position can cause ergonomically, affecting or not the user’s health here only the choice matters.
5. Tilting the keyboard increases accuracy & control:
When your keyboard is in its usual position, you might find that your wrists are slightly bent while you’re playing, which can affect your accuracy.
Tilting the keyboard can give you an edge during gameplay by allowing your wrists to remain in a more neutral position. This is good for accuracy and will help ensure that all of those shots hit their target!
All the reasons I have already mentioned give the player much more control over themselves, the game, and their gameplay!
Ergonomics + Spacebar + More Keys + Creates Space = Control
Basically, adding all the reasons together will bring tremendous control to you and the game. Control is essential during a gaming tournament.
Plus, there’s a bonus: you sort of balancing your hand on the desk when you have your keyboard rotated. So you literally have more control because your hands aren’t dangling!
Limitations of Using Rotated Keyboard
While many gamers choose to rotate their keyboards for several reasons, including a matter of preference as the main one. Still, many people find that tilting their keyboard may not be very efficient and quite inconvenient.
Therefore, when you tilt the keyboard, I suggest keeping in mind that your elbows will swell more than they should. This can lead to discomfort in the shoulders wrist and tightness in the neck. Not to mention, the pose doesn’t even look that comfortable!
Furthermore, this could be the most significant limitation to the average gamer. While it’s true that the basics of gaming are relatively simple to learn, getting better at it takes a lot of practice and patience – which not everyone has.
One will end up getting more and more frustrated and eventually lose faith in this method – even though it’s actually quite an epic skill!
How Much Should I Tilt My Keyboard?
For tilting your keyboard, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for everyone. The finest way to find out what works for you is to experiment with different angles and degrees of tilt.
The easiest way to get started is to move the keyboard a few degrees at a time! Move it to the optimal starting position for novice gamers: 20°.
Remember – that you are not racing against anyone – you’re just trying something new! Initially and over time, increase the angle of incline, but only when your hand and wrist really adjust to the new playing position!
One last thing: don’t expect yourself to be perfect right away. Learning a new keyboard angle positioning is like all skills – it will take some time.
In the end, it’s up to you to decide how much you want to tilt your keyboard and just be sure to experiment with various positions to find which angle works best for you.
Is it Worth Playing Games with the Titled Keyboard?
There is a lot of debate over whether you should tilt your keyboard while gaming. Some say it’s essential to get the most out of your gaming experience, while others claim that it’s simply a waste of time and can even be harmful to your wrist. So, what’s the truth?
In general, tilting your keyboard can be a helpful way to increase your mouse area and improve your gaming experience. However, it’s not suitable for every game, and it may not be comfortable for everyone. Moreover, the effectiveness of keyboard tilting depends on the particular game genre.
Nowadays, many players say they use the keyboard diagonally because they feel more comfortable. However, there is no in-depth and non-commercial study on the real difference that the keyboard position can cause ergonomically, affecting or not the user’s health.
So should you tilt your keyboard while gaming?
It really depends on the game you’re playing and your own comfort level. If you think that tilting your keyboard will give you an advantage, try it out and see how it works for you. Experiment with different angles and movements to find what works the best.
But if you find that it’s not comfortable or effective – if it causes any pain in your wrist, finger or hand, then stop immediately, then don’t feel obligated to keep using it. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable while playing, and that you’re able to perform at your best.
Don’t want to tilt the keyboard? But wanted to take advantage, here are some alternatives.
- Buy Keyboard Without Number Pad:
If you don’t want to tilt your keyboard, you can buy a number pad, i.e., a TKL (tenkeyless) keyboard, without the numeric keypad in the right corner. This will give you more room to move your hands around and reach all the keys on the main section of the keyboard.
- Use a Mouse with Additional Buttons:
If you find that you’re constantly needing to reach for the mouse to hit keys that are far away from each other, you might use a mouse with additional buttons. This will give you more keys to perform more gaming functions within a mouse and help reduce the amount of hand movement required.
- Use a Controller:
If you’re playing a game that requires more movement from the WASD keys, you might use a controller. This will allow you to move around quickly and free up your hands for other tasks.
- Use a half keyboard:
If you want to take things a step further, you can also try using a half keyboard. This smaller keyboard attaches to your regular keyboard’s left or right side. This will allow you to reach the keys on the other side of the keyboard without moving your hands.
FAQs
Why do gamers tilt keyboards in tournaments?
There can be different reasons for keyboard tilt in gaming tournaments. Sometimes, it’s done to increase the soft or hard mouse pad area for movement due to the limited space on the table. Additionally, tilting the keyboard can help reduce the number of missed keystrokes, which can be helpful in fast-paced games.
Do Pro Gamers Always Tilt Their Keyboard?
No, not all professional gamers tilt their keyboards. In fact, there are some genres of games where tilting the keyboard can actually be a disadvantage. For example, first-person shooters are typically played with the keyboard in a more regular position. Tilting the keyboard to the side while playing these games can make it challenging to hit the keys you need to shoot accurately.
What Games Benefit from Keyboard Tilt?
Certain games benefit from keyboard tilt more than others. Strategy and role-playing games, for example, are genres where tilting the keyboard can give you a bit of an advantage. This is because it allows you to have more of your mouse area in front of you, which can help control the action on the screen.
Is it reasonable to tilt the keyboard for the casual gamer?
Casual gamers may also find that tilting the keyboard can help increase their mouse area and improve their gaming experience. Just be sure that you don’t rotate your keyboard so far that it becomes uncomfortable to use. And if you experience any pain in your hand, it’s probably a sign that you should adjust your membrane keyboard position back to its regular placement.
Does Tilting Your Keyboard Make You A Better Gamer?
There is no definitive answer; tilting your keyboard can help you have more control over the action in some games, but it can also make it difficult to hit the keys you need to hit accurately. It really depends on the game you’re playing and your own comfort level. If you think that tilting your keyboard will give you an advantage, try it out and see how it works for you.
What are the bad sides of tilting the keyboard?
The biggest downside to tilting your keyboard is that it can cause pain in your wrist, finger, or hand. If you find that tilting your keyboard is not comfortable or effective, then stop immediately. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable while playing and that you’re able to perform at your best.
Wrapping Up
There are many reasons professional gamers turn their keyboards around! from comfort to practicality and increased control. There isn’t one main reason for tilting the keyboard. Instead, it is a combination of all the reasons I have discussed!
If you mix the first 4 reasons (ergonomics, space, extra keystrokes, and space on desk), you will get a lot of control over the game. What is vital in any tournament!
Although tilting your keyboard can sometimes lead to wrist pain and bad posture, be aware of that. However, I’m pretty sure that this ability to rotate the keyboard is one of those skills that improve with time and practice!
Well, now I have reached the end of this post ‘Why do Pro Gamers Tilt their Keyboard?’. Hopefully, I did my decent best of teaching you something today. Have you tried tilting your membrane or mechanical keyboard? What are your thoughts on this gaming technique?
