Last Updated on 09/20/2023 by Dean
Long have keyboards been ignored as the gaming keyboards on the market have always been quite similar. Choosing any one of them would have sufficed in the past. But in 2023, keyboards do offer a competitive advantage.
Gaming Keyboards equipped with Hall Effect sensors are much faster than those without. In a game like Valorant where movement is everything, these faster keyboards are going to make you a better player.
So what is the Hall Effect? How does it work? Which keyboards have this feature? All your questions are answered in this guide. Of course, we’ll finish off with listing the best Valorant keyboards on the market today.
Feeling lazy? Skip the nerd shit and go straight to the keyboards.
P.S. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Hall Effect Sensors (and how they disrupt the Valorant meta)
New gaming keyboards come with electromagnetic switches that enable the use of the Hall Effect.
Using this Hall Effect, your keyboard accurately detects how far you have pressed your key. As a user, this means you have full control over the switches on your keyboard.
Keyboards not equipped with electromagnetic switches have a set ‘actuation point’. For example, the switches on the Logitech G Pro X have a 2mm actuation point. As long as you press past this 2mm point, your command will be detected.
Having full control over your actuation point means you can set it to anything you desire. So for example, you can set the actuation point of your WASD keys to 0.5mm or lower. This means you only need to press down ever so slightly to strafe.
While this does take some getting used to, it does offer a massive advantage in gunfights where strafing is so vital.
Here’s Ethos’ settings on his Wooting 60HE keyboard:
As you can see, Ethos has set the actuation point of his movement keys to 0.1mm. This gives him a massive advantage in gunfights against opponents who have a higher actuation point.
You’re just faster, thus you have the advantage.
Furthermore, there is another feature that makes Hall Effect sensors so OP for Valorant. This feature is known as Rapid Trigger.
Basically what it does is that when enabled, Rapid Trigger keys will automatically deactivate as soon as you let go of the key. While old-school switches have to reach their deactivation point, hall effect switches detect exactly when you’ve let go of the key.
So for example, if you strafe right (pressing the D key) as soon as you let go of the key, you will come to a stop, allowing you to shoot.
Your opponent might have to wait for their key to reach the deactivation point before they can shoot. Now, of course, we’re talking about ms here, but at a competitive level, this does make a difference.
Essentially, Hall Effect switches allow you to be much faster and get rid of any delay caused by your keyboard.
These switches are so advantageous for gaming, pretty much every gaming keyboard manufacturer is rushing to get these to market to keep up with the meta.
So if you’re looking for a Valorant keyboard right now, and you take the game seriously, opt for one that has Hall Effect sensors to avoid being forced to upgrade in the future.
Here’s a clip where TenZ says the Wooting 60HE feels like cheating to him.
Top 4 Gaming Keyboards for Valorant
Wooting 60HE – The Crème the la crème
The Wooting 60HE is the fastest gaming keyboard on the market right now, and the first keyboard that used Hall Effect sensors to its full advantage with Rapid Trigger technology (which other companies have now copied).
Wooting completely disrupted the Valorant meta with their 60HE keyboard and is now used by an abundance of pros (including TenZ, Zekken, f0rsaken). Just like everyone got their hands on the Logitech G Pro X when it changed the scene, the same thing is happening with the Wooting 60HE.
Let’s go over the features of this keyboard.
The 60HE features Lekker x Gateron switches which are electromagnetic and make use of the Hall Effect, enabling you to set your actuation point to anything you desire.
Furthermore, the 60HE features Rapid Trigger (obviously, as Wooting invented it) meaning there is no delay when deactivating a key. E.g. if you strafe right, as soon as you let go of the key, you will stand still.
Through Wootility.io, you have full control over the keyboard. Enabling you to set the Actuation Point and Rapid Trigger on any keys you desire. This kind of control over every single switch is not seen on any other keyboard right now. Additionally, the Wootility software is just a website meaning there is no bloatware whatsoever and you don’t need to have the browser open either. Talk about innovation!
You can also import the Valorant profiles of others into the Wootility software. E.g. here’s Ethos’ Valorant code for you to check out his settings:
3ed1c785e63eda0ec6479e4a168529859207Aside from being the fastest gaming keyboard on the market today, the Wooting 60HE is also fully customizable. You can replace the keycaps, swap the case, and mod it in any way you see fit. They even have a ton of modding videos on their official YouTube channel to help you out.
Really the only downside to this keyboard is that they are never in stock and it can take up to 2 months to get your hands on one. So unless you can wait that long, you’re out of luck for the time being.
Steelseries Apex Pro
The Steelseries Apex Pro is your best alternative to the Wooting 60HE. It features magnetic switches and Rapid Trigger technology, just like the Wooting.
The major advantage the Apex Pro has over the Wooting is that its widely available. So if you can’t wait for your keyboard, the Apex Pro is your best choice for the fastest keyboard on the market right now.
The main disadvantage of this keyboard is you have to have Steelseries’ bloated application running in the background to make use of its features, and this application can take up quite a bit of RAM and cause FPS loss.
However, it’s still a solid choice if the Wooting 60HE is just not an option for you.
Razer Huntsman Mini
⚠️ WARNING: Rapid Trigger is only available for Razer Huntsman Mini with ANALOG OPTICAL SWITCHES
The Razer Huntsman is an interesting one on this list. While it doesn’t feature magnetic switches, it does have Rapid Trigger technology on its Analog switches.
Thus the keyboard can detect when your key is deactivated faster than keyboards that don’t have Rapid Trigger. However, this feature isn’t as responsive as it is on keyboards with magnetic switches that make use of the Hall Effect (such as the Wooting 60HE and Apex Pro).
If you’re interested in knowing what this means, I recommend you check out Optimum Tech’s video on the Steelseries Apex Pro vs Razer Huntsman vs Wooting 60he.
If you’re interested in the delay, here’s a test done by Optimum Tech.
While I would recommend the Steelseries Apex Pro over the Razer Huntsman, this is still a solid choice and belongs in this top valorant keyboard lineup.
HyperX Alloy Origins
The Alloy Origins is the budget king. If you’re looking for a gaming keyboard with minimal delay but don’t need fancy Hall Effect sensors or Rapid Trigger, the HyperX Alloy Origins is the best price/performance option on the market.
You’ll still benefit from a 1ms response time and an acceptable actuation point of 1.8mm.
Depending on whether or not you’ve hit an Amazon sale, you can pick these up stupid cheaply. But even without a sale, they’re really inexpensive compared to the competition.