The mouse and keyboard may be the preferred weapon of PC gamers, but you do not need a whole keyboard to play your games because you can go with a one-handed keyboard.

One-Handed Keyboards Defined

A one-handed keyboard, referred to as a keypad, is a device that does not feature the typical 101-key layout. They are designed to be used by a single hand according to HowtoGeek.

If you put your palm on the keyboard's palm rest, you can reach every key on the pad without having to lift your palm.

One-handed keyboards combine aspects of gamepads and keyboards into a hybrid gaming device, even though the degree to which this is true depends on the style and the design of the pad.

Also Read: Microsoft Launches Word Flow App For iOS: Here's How To Use The One-Handed Keyboard

Styles of One-handed Keyboards

While all one-handed keyboards doesn't seem too special, it has a lot of variety, especially when it comes to design, according to New York Times.

The most basic form of a one-handed keyboard is what you would get if someone had split a regular keyboard. A good example of this is the RedThunder keyboard.

The leftmost section of a standard keyboard is what the RedThunder consists of, but there are some minor changes. It is detected as a standard keyboard device. It is universally compatible with any title that works with a standard keyboard.

Another popular one-handed keyboard is the Redragon K585. This type of pad offers the same standard of keyboard keys, but it also has number of customizable keys. This makes up for the lack of right-hand keys that would usually be assigned to secondary functions like opening the inventory.

You can also go for the Beastron Aula Excalibur. This keyboard includes all 12 function keys, media controls, and a whole host of programmable keys, according to GamingCutter. This might be a style of pad that is best suited for MMORPG players who need to have a couple of macros ready to go at the touch of a button.

Finally, there is the Razer Tartarus, which is a fully custom pad design. All of the keys are programmable and it has a scroll wheel and thumb-operated cursor keys. It is a radical ergonomic design, with an adjustable palm rest and curved keypad.

There are also other designs that fall somewhere on this spectrum, so there is a massive chance that the right pad for your needs is out there.

Where One-handed Keyboards Shine

Then most obvious benefit of a one-handed keyboard is comfort. They are proven to be more comfortable to use than the regular keyboards. Switching to a one-handed keyboard reduced wrist pain and fatigue compared to traditional keyboards.

Another benefit of a one-handed keyboard is the cost. Gamers favor keyboards with mechanical keys or at least keyboard switches that are made to perform well for video games instead of typing.

Equipping a while 100+ key keyboard with expensive keycaps, switches, and low-latency electronics is more expensive compared to doing it for the handful of keys on these pads. It is even a bit wasteful, given that most of the keys on the full mechanical gaming keyboards are never used in-game.

These benefits is the reason why even iPhone has added the one-handed keyboard to its operating system. Google has also added a one-handed keyboard feature for those who prefers to search online in that way.

Related Article: Microsoft Word Flow Keyboard For iOS Now Features Bing Search, GIF Support

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Written by Sophie Webster