Gaming is a great hobby that people of all ages can enjoy. Gamers want to have the best possible gaming experience, and one way to improve your gameplay is to use a keyboard tray. A keyboard tray is a piece of furniture that holds your keyboard and mouse at the proper height for gaming.
Keyboard trays are designed to offer a more comfortable typing experience by bringing the keyboard closer to you and at a better angle. This can help reduce strain on your wrists and arms and improve your posture. They can also help keep your desk clutter-free and organized.
If you search about keyboard trays, you will find several other benefits of using keyboard trays. But, despite so many benefits, do you ever wonder why so few gamers use a keyboard tray? Why do most gamers still use their desk to place their keyboard on it? Are keyboard trays good for gaming?
In this article, I will answer all these questions, including whether keyboard trays are good. So, keep reading the article to the end.
A keyboard tray is a platform that attaches to the underside of a desk and provides a place for your keyboard and mouse. The tray allows you to position your keyboard and mouse at a comfortable height, which can help reduce strain on your wrists and shoulders.
Keyboard trays also typically have a sliding drawer that can be used to store your keyboard when it’s not in use. This helps to keep your desk surface clean and clutter-free. Some keyboard trays even come with built-in wrist rests and mouse pads to further improve ergonomics.
Keyboard keys are mostly made of plastic. Also, some keyboard trays are made of wood. You can even make a custom wooden keyboard tray for your setup, but they are more expensive than plastic ones.
Advantages of keyboard trays:
Below are some advantages of having a keyboard tray:
1. Maintain a good body posture
While gaming, maintaining a good posture is important to avoid any back or neck pains, especially if you are going to be sitting in the same position for long periods. Also, good posture helps increase blood circulation and prevents you from getting tired too easily.
Having a keyboard tray helps you do just that by keeping your wrists and hands comfortable, thereby reducing strain. It allows you to sit up straight, so you can game for more extended periods of time without feeling any discomfort.
In addition, with a keyboard tray, you don’t have to lift your hands up too high to type, which can prevent shoulder and neck pain.
2. Keep your setup organized and tidy
The environment of your gaming setup is important to your success as a gamer. A cluttered and messy gaming setup can lead to distraction and hinder your performance. Every gamer knows that a tidy and well-organized gaming setup is the key to victory, but most fail to achieve it.
Read: Mouse Bungees Help Keep Your Setup Tidy
A keyboard tray helps you achieve just that by giving you a designated place to keep your keyboard and mouse. You can hide the cables of your devices and keep them organized with a keyboard tray.
This way, your gaming setup will be more organized and tidy, which can help you focus more on the game without being distracted by the mess around you.
3. Provide extra storage for other accessories
If you are one of those gamers who always suffer from short desk space, then a keyboard tray is a godsend for you. It provides extra storage space for your gaming accessories and devices.
You can keep your controllers, headphones, and other devices on the keyboard tray when you are not using them. Also, you can use the keyboard tray to store your snacks and drinks, so you don’t have to leave your game to get them.
However, keyboard trays are not designed for heavy accessories or devices, so don’t put anything too heavy on them.
4. Adjustable to fit your needs
The adjustable features of keyboard trays have made them so popular. You can adjust the tray to fit your needs and gaming style.
For example, if you are a left-handed gamer, you can adjust the keyboard tray to the left side so you can have a comfortable gaming experience. Also, if you want to use a controller instead of a mouse, you can adjust the tray accordingly.
The height of the keyboard tray is also adjustable, so you can set it at a comfortable position for your wrists and hands.
Disadvantages of keyboard trays:
There are a few disadvantages to consider with keyboard trays despite the advantages. These include:
1. There is less space for the mouse
Gamers know how important it is to have plenty of space for their mouse, especially if you are a low-sensitivity gamer. But with a keyboard tray, there is less surface area for your mouse. It can be difficult to find the right balance of space for your keyboard and mouse when using a tray.
In addition, it can be very frustrating to have your mouse constantly running off the edge of your keyboard tray. Even sometimes, you might find yourself having to pick up your mouse and reposition it in the middle of gaming which can be a huge pain.
Read: Are Mouse Pads Necessary?
Also, some keyboard trays include a wrist rest which can get in the way of your mouse and further decrease the amount of space you have to use your mouse.
2. You need to sit far away from your monitor
Another disadvantage of using a keyboard tray is that you need to sit further away from your monitor. This can be a problem if you have a smaller desk or workspace. It can also be challenging to find the right monitor height if you are using a tray.
Also, it can be very painful for sweaty gamers. Because, sitting that far they cannot spot enemies coming from the sides in some games, which can be a significant disadvantage. No gamer wants to get ambushed because they couldn’t see their peripherals!
Read: How to Get Hair Out of Keyboard
In addition, if you have an eye problem, it can be hard on your eyes to sit so far away from the monitor.
3. You might not have enough legroom
Comfort is very important when you are sitting at a desk for long hours. But depending on the height of your chair and the size of your desk, you might not have enough legroom when using a keyboard tray. This can be uncomfortable and can even lead to back and neck pain.
Some keyboard trays also have a tendency to slide around, which can be frustrating. Because of this, you might find yourself constantly readjusting the tray or your chair. This can be a big pain, especially if you are in the middle of working on something important.
4. The angle of the keyboard can be uncomfortable
If you don’t adjust the height of your keyboard tray correctly, it can be uncomfortable to type at. The wrist rest can also get in the way if it is not at the right angle. This can lead to pain in your wrists and arms.
Read: Best Keyboards for Transcripton
Gamers who don’t play video games for longer periods may not suffer from this problem as much, but it can still be an issue if they are gaming for long hours.
Are keyboard trays good for gaming?
Despite having several benefits, keyboard trays are not ideal for gaming. They offer a comfortable typing experience and better cable management, but they have several disadvantages that outweigh the advantages when it comes to gaming.
Keyboard trays can make it difficult to access your keyboard and mouse simultaneously. This can be especially problematic if you need to make quick movements during gameplay. Plus, Keyboard trays can limit your range of motion, negatively impacting your game performance.
Also, many gamers like to use their keyboard tilted at an angle for better control. But with a keyboard tray, this is not possible, which can be uncomfortable for some people.
Moreover, if you are not a touch typist, you have to look down at the keyboard to see the keys, which can be distracting and cause you to lose focus.
In simple words, keyboard trays can be an excellent option for those who want a tidy and organized setup, but they can be more of a hindrance than a help for gamers. That is why you will hardly see any professional gamer using a keyboard tray. But if you feel comfortable with a keyboard tray then you can use it to your advantage.
Also Read: Are Blue Switches Good For Gaming?
Conclusion
So, now you should be clear about the advantages and disadvantages of using a keyboard tray. Now it is totally up to you whether you want to use one or not.
If you are a gamer, then I would recommend against it. I am not saying that keyboard trays are completely useless, but they can be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to gaming, that’s it.
Keyboard trays can be great for office workers who want to have a tidy and organized desk. Also, some ergonomic keyboard trays can help you prevent injuries like carpal tunnel and tennis elbow. But if you are a dedicated gamer, then a keyboard tray is not the best option for you.
Hopefully, this article has answered all the questions that you had in mind. If you have any comments, feel free to leave them down below.
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