Gaming

Gaming

This is how we justify our hardware purchases: we play games. I haven’t played a single game in the last three months. I did play No Man’s Sky for about two weeks, but I’m not counting that. I have been watching streams, however, and that’s pretty awesome. When last I took up a keyboard and mouse in anger, it was Witcher 3 and Fallout 4, broken up with more fast paced Project Cars. Let’s get back into that groove.

Now we return to those worlds to see how the GMMK holds up to a few hours of gaming. How will the GMMK stand up to hours of gaming abuse? Let’s find out!

Project Cars
  

 
Of course you watch Top Gear. Maybe you used to watch it, but there’s nothing like firing up a racing game when the inspiration strikes. I normally use MX Blacks for gaming, so the MX Brown switch is a little bit of a change. Some may like the tactile bump, but I’ve evolved a technique where I can ride the switch just above the activation point. It’s very efficient to do with linear switches. The tactile MX Brown just doesn’t have the same ability to ride the actuation point, so no, boo.

Fallout 4
  

 
Fallout 4 has had some expansions, none of which I have installed. While it’s not particularly a fast paced game, it can get pretty intense, often. I’m thinking the default Gateron brown switches aren’t the best for gaming. Well, why not swap in a few different switches? Cherry MX blacks? Gateron Yellows? No, we go with Gateron Yellow for that smooth, linear experience, without the knuckle cracking strength of the MX black.

You see what Glorious has done, haven’t you? Not only have they just removed the whole ‘should I buy a new keyboard’ dialog from your brain, they’ve actually encouraged you to easily and simply swap in some different switches when you feel like it. Hey, this is progress!

Witcher 3
  

 
Back on the horse, as it were. Picking up where I left off, at 260 hours of time played, I decided to take care of the Novigrad brawler quests. Controlling the Witcher is not a finesse kind of deal, you mash the key down and keep it down, and click the mouse like mad. For that the stock GMMK is glorious. Fun, even.

I think with fast paced games that require more finesse, the MX Brown tactile switch is not the best for gaming. A linear switch, like the MX Red or Black, is much better. It’s no surprise then, that Glorious also sells 120-pack boxes of switches. Wink, wink. There’s also no mention from Glorious what the USB polling rate is, but like any modern mechanical keyboard, I had no issues with ghosting or NKRO.