I tried Hall effect and I’m sticking with mechanical keyboards for these 3 reasons

There’s always a new gaming trend to keep an eye out for, and right now, that’s Hall effect. The technology isn’t new by any means, but it’s now starting to take the gaming world by storm, hitting gaming handhelds, controllers, and even the best keyboards. Essentially, magnetic (Hall effect) keyboards use magnets and sensors rather than a direct electrical connection for actuation. This makes features like dynamic actuation points, Rapid Trigger, and Snap Tap possible. They’re objectively faster than the top mechanical keyboards.

Still, after trying a Hall effect keyboard — the Yunzii RT75 — I’m convinced mechanical keyboards are still the best option for my needs. It’s true that Yunzii’s keyboard is a budget option and there are way better magnetic keyboards out there. However, the three reasons I’m sticking with mechanical keyboards apply regardless of whether we’re comparing them to the best or worst Hall effect boards have to offer.

3 I love customizing my mechanical keyboard

The custom options for Hall effect boards simply aren’t there yet

Customization is a huge perk of using mechanical keyboards. They’ve been around forever, and that means there are plenty of first and third-party accessories that can help you make a keyboard your own. In fact, you can build a keyboard from scratch if you’d like. With the advent of hot-swappable boards, it’s easy to change out everything from the keycaps to the switches without needing to solder.

In theory, you should be able to customize Hall effect keyboards in the same way — but that isn’t the reality. Not every magnetic keyboard has pinholes in the PCB to support the majority of aftermarket switches, and some magnetic keyboards that claim to be hot-swappable don’t actually support third-party switches. It’ll be relatively easy to change the keycaps of a Hall effect keyboard, but if you care about the ease and viability of swapping out your key switches, mechanical is absolutely still the way to go. It will take a while for aftermarket market to catch up with the magnetic keyboard trend.

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2 I’m a huge fan of clicky and tactile switches

These aren’t available on Hall effect keyboards — and for good reason

There’s no fundamental reason why Hall effect keyboards can’t be equipped with clicky or tactile switches, which are designed to provide enhanced audial or physical feedback while typing. However, it would fundamentally defeat the point of magnetic keyboards. You see, having clicky or tactile switches requires a fixed actuation distance. Hall effect switches can be triggered when a magnet gets near a sensor in the PC, whereas mechanical switches need to make physical contact to be actuated.

This makes the best feature of magnetic keyboards possible: dynamic actuation points. You can precisely set the actuation point of your keyboard between 0.1mm and 0.4mm on the fly. For example, you could want a low actuation distance for gaming and a high actuation distance for normal typing. Adding a clicky or tactile switch into the mix would eliminate this functionality, bringing a fixed actuation distance and making a Hall effect keyboard more akin to an optical one in terms of feature set.

While I understand the reason Hall effect keyboards often neglect to support clicky or tactile switch types, I can’t help but love those unsupported options. I find the audible “click” of a clicky switch or the satisfying feel of a tactile switch to be a must-have while typing. That’s why I can’t help but stick with my mechanical or ergonomic keyboards, rather than switch to Hall effect.

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1 For me, dynamic actuation points and Rapid Trigger aren’t enough

I won’t call them a gimmick, but they’re not for me

For some high-level gamers, the compromises I’ve mentioned are acceptable. That’s because features like dynamic actuation points, Rapid Trigger, and Snap Tap make using a magnetic keyboard undeniably faster than a mechanical keyboard. But before you buy a Hall effect keyboard, you should ask yourself: do I really need that extra speed? I play quite a few casual multiplayer games, from battle-royale titles like Fortnite to open-world games like Grand Theft Auto V: Online. Still, I’ve found that a top-tier mechanical keyboard is just fine for low-latency, competitive gaming.

I won’t call Rapid Trigger and Snap Tap gimmicks. They’re absolutely one of the best reasons to pick up a Hall effect keyboard over a mechanical one. I will say that, as a casual gamer, I didn’t find that my performance was notably improved thanks to a magnetic keyboard. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

The extremely low actuation distances and higher sensitivity led me to make more accidental clicks, and I ended up wishing for a mechanical keyboard back on my desk. It comes down to personal preference, but something like the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is more satisfying to me than a magnetic keyboard — even if the latter is objectively quicker.

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Should you stick with the old or get with the new?

There are certainly advantages to choosing both mechanical and magnetic keyboards. If you’re a competitive gamer with a lot of experience, the switch to a Hall effect keyboard might make a lot of sense. That’s especially the case if you feel like the keyboard in particular is slowing down your gameplay. However, for those content with a mechanical keyboard worried about missing out on the next big thing, I can safely say that your existing mechanical keyboard is probably just fine.

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