Most mechanical keyboard switches have two positions -- off and on. Either the key is activated, or it's not. The switches in the Wooting One keyboard are different. Like the analogue trigger on a gamepad, they detect a range of motion. I wouldn't say it's something every PC gamer needs, but it can definitely change the way they play games on a keyboard.

A good mechanical keyboard can make any computer setup really click, but with so many different layouts, mechanical switch types and extra features to choose from, finding a good starter board can be a daunting tasks. We're here to help.

The space bar of Varmilo's "Chicken Dinner" keyboard is no substitute for actually winning a round of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, but it might serve as a reminder of past triumphs, depending on how good you are.

Split mechanical keyboards are a great way to reduce the arm and joint strain often caused by typing on a traditional keyboard. New gaming hardware maker Dygma wants to bring those benefits to the esports scene with the Raise, which they're calling "the world's most advanced gaming keyboard".

Sleek mechanical keyboards that strip away lesser-used keys in favour of a smaller footprint are picking up, but some people just can't do without that number pad. Vortex's new Vibe keyboard is a nice compromise, with some outstanding keycaps on top.

Players who figured out the blocky glyph language of Hyper Light Drifter should have no problem typing on this officially-licensed set of keycaps. Don't worry, they come with actual letters as well.

A standard mechanical keyboard switch is about 2cm tall and 1.5cm wide and deep. NovelKeys' "Big Series" switches are four times that size. Why? If I had to guess, I'd say it was for the clicks.

Last month I introduced readers to the X-Bows, a weird-looking mechanical keyboard featuring a unique cross-radial layout designed to keep the wrists straight and typing strain to a minimum. Now that I've gotten my hands on it, weird feels pretty good.

Do you want a split keyboard that allows the hands, arms and shoulders to sit at a more natural angle while typing, or a fully-programmable gaming keyboard with extensive macro support? Kinesis, makers of the Freestyle Edge mechanical gaming keyboard, say why not both?

There are a lot of big-name peripheral manufacturers making mechanical keyboards, but a search for the term "mechanical keyboard" on Amazon yields a ton of keyboards from companies you've probably never heard of. Such as Vava, makers of the relatively good $US80 ($100) no-name mechanical I've been typing on for the past week.

Imagine your hands typing on a standard keyboard. Now relax your shoulders and unbend your wrists so your hands line up with your forearms. That's why the new X-Bows keyboard is so oddly shaped.

Hyperkin is a company known for its retro emulation consoles and affordable gaming accessories. It is not a company known for high quality mechanical keyboards, and the Super Nintendo-inspired Hyper Clack is not going to change that.

Inspired by the old-fashioned typewriter and designed with luxury in mind, the Azio Retro Classic is a mechanical keyboard sporting rounded backlit keycaps, a zinc aluminium alloy frame and a genuine leather base. The nameplate says "Elegantly Fierce." It's not wrong.

There's been a lot of talk on Kotaku about mechanical keyboards over the past six months, talking about customising them, building them and making them pretty. We put together a little video to explain why many of us are so smitten with those clicky keys.

Tenkeyless keyboards lose the number pad on the right side in favour of a more compact footprint. I say, why stop there? Vortexgear's 75 per cent Race 3 features nearly all the functionality of a tenkeyless board in a smaller, sleeker package, and it's gorgeous to boot.

While there are plenty of amazing pre-built mechanical keyboards on the market these days, it can be tough to find one with the perfect combination of switches, keycaps, case and electronics. The solution? Build your own. It's much easier than it sounds. It just takes the right parts, a couple of tools and a relatively modest investment.

Many of today's mechanical "gaming" keyboards are innocuous devices that are just at home in an office as they are a game room. Corsair's K95 RGB Platinum is not one of those. It's a brushed aluminium boat of a keyboard with dedicated macro keys, a silver volume wheel and extra RGB lighting, just in case.

Despite evidence to the contrary, a mechanical gaming keyboard doesn't need to have bright glowing LED lighting. Cooler Master's MasterKeys L PBT favours style over substance, losing the light show and adding some lovely thick keycaps to create an excellent sub $US100 ($132) keyboard.

This is the WhiteFox, a custom 60 per cent keyboard created by Matteo "Matt30" Spinelli. A couple of years back this board was offered as a DIY kit on Massdrop, and over 4,000 kits were sold. Now Matt30 and the folks at Input Club are offering the WhiteFox once more, fully-assembled for the masses.