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Should You Buy a Mechanical or Membrane Keyboard for Gaming?

By / Tech / July 7, 2025

Whether you should buy a mechanical or a membrane keyboard for gaming depends on factors such as the games you play and your budget.

Picture of membrane vs mechanical keyboard
Membrane vs mechanical keyboard (Image via Saif Ahmed & Michelle Ding on Unsplash)

You have finally built your new PC and are ready to start gaming, but are unsure whether to get a mechanical or membrane keyboard. You might be surprised to learn that the choice between mechanical and membrane keyboards is an age-old question in the PC gaming community. Some users are die-hard fans of mechanical keyboards and cannot use membrane ones. On the other hand, some prefer membrane keyboards because they don’t like the sound mechanical ones produce.

This article will answer the age-old question and help you choose the right keyboard for gaming.

Note: The article is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinion.

What Are the Differences Between Mechanical and Membrane Keyboards?

Picture of the colorful keycaps of a mechanical keyboard
The colorful keycaps of a mechanical keyboard (Image via Paul Esch-Laurent on Unsplash)

The primary difference between mechanical and membrane keyboards is the mechanism of the keys and how they function. Each key on a mechanical keyboard has a dedicated switch. Every switch is connected to an advanced printed circuit board (PCB) and a microcontroller. Therefore, even if you press 20 keys or more at once, all the keystrokes will be registered on your keyboard.

On the other hand, membrane keys are fitted with rubber domes on top of pressure-sensitive layers. They are then connected via simpler circuitry and a small PCB. Most membrane keyboards can only accept five or six keystrokes at once. Anything more than that and the keyboard will fail to register the extra keystrokes. Many titles, especially MOBA, RTS, FPS, and Fighting games, often require users to press more than six keystrokes. This is one of the major pain points of the membrane keyboards.

Mechanical keyboards also offer more customization. You can even customize the LED backlighting color of individual keys since every switch has a dedicated LED. On a membrane keyboard, you can only change the backlighting color of each zone at best. Also, mechanical keyboards have way more features, including the ability to replace individual switches, full key mapping, tactile feedback, actuation customization, and more.

Should You Use a Mechanical or Membrane Keyboard for Gaming?

Picture describes mechanical keyboards have more customizable options
Mechanical keyboards have more customizable options (Image via Michelle Ding on Unsplash)

If you are a professional gamer and play competitive games like Counter-Strike 2, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Fortnite, World of Warcraft, and others like them, mechanical keyboards are a must. That’s because the N-key rollover feature allows for more than six keystrokes to register at once. You simply cannot do this on a membrane one, which makes them a no-go.

If you play story-based games or any game with basic controls, you can use both mechanical and membrane keyboards. Also, mechanical ones tend to last longer due to the higher lifespan of each individual key compared to the shorter lifespan of membrane keys.

The final choice will boil down to the features, RGB customizations, and most importantly, price. A good mechanical keyboard can cost hundreds of dollars, whereas most decent membrane keyboards are often lower than $80. Therefore, users who prefer playing story-based or any game with a basic control system can simply buy a cheaper membrane keyboard and start gaming. However, if you have a budget to spare, go with a decent mechanical keyboard.

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