Genius KB-G265 lighted keyboard brings value to gaming

Genius announced the release of the KB-G265 Gaming Keyboard in North America a couple of months ago. The KB-G265 is perfect for gamers on a $40 budget that are still seeking a good quality keyboard with many features. The KB-G265 keyboard boasts blue LED back-lit keys, 8 macro keys, 20 anti-ghost keys, and a 1000Hz polling rate.

We have been using it for more than a month in gaming as well as for a day-to-day keyboard for typing. Evaluating a keyboard is subjective and much will be said about the “feel” of the keyboard.

Genius makes a bold statement when introducing the KB-G265 on its homepage:

Meticulously designed and engineered specifically for the advanced gamer, KB-G265, a brand new LED backlight keyboard from Genius, is the latest weaponry in the Genius gaming line. This full size keyboard provides gamers sophisticated battle tools and eight hot keys to manage media and Internet controls. Additionally, gamers will hold a tactical advantage with the numerous features such as switchable LED backlight, and 20 anti-ghost keys for advanced gaming control even when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously. The KB-G265 has a gaming mode option to deactivate the Windows key for distraction free gaming. In addition, a smart cable allocation design allows the USB cable to be secured to the left or right side of the keyboard depending on the location of your PC.
In addition, two USB ports allow users to connect with other USB devices such as mouse and headset simultaneously, to achieve the full gaming experience. With its 1000Hz full speed USB report rate, gamers can enjoy a faster gaming response time, especially on FPS games for that competitive edge.

We are gamers. And we are going to explore whether a keyboard can make the difference between winning and losing. We will attest to the quality of the lettering, the usefulness of the backlighting, and its full-size. It is certainly not the ideal keyboard for LAN parties because it is large.Many PC users think of their keyboards as cheap and disposable or don’t think of them at all unless there are issues. Gamers demand much more from their keyboards than casual users and are willing to pay well over a hundred dollars for high quality. We have evaluated both the Cooler Master  Quickfire-TK and the Thermaltake MEKA compact gaming keyboards which feature mechanical keys and each retailed for over $100. Naturally, we want to determine if the KB-G265 is a good value for only $40 since generic keyboards can be purchased for as little as ten dollars.

We feel that we can give the reader a thorough evaluation as we have put it to good use in daily tasks, including playing SangFroid, Tales of Werewolves – and typing – for over a month.

Does the type of key really matter?

The best keyboards feature mechanical key switches and usually are constructed of high-quality materials. Thus they are more generally reliable and will last longer than cheap or generic keyboards.  Genius gives the KB-G265 a 1-year warranty and specifies the key lifespan as 5,000,000 strokes.

Mechanical switches are very fast – there is almost no lag time from when a key is pressed to action on the screen.  To address this particular issue of lag that may be found in generic keyboards, the KB-G265 features a 1000MHz pooling rate to match the capabilities of mechanical switches.

Most keyboards including the KB-G265 are rubber dome or membrane keyboards. Their main feature is that they are inexpensive and that they get the job done. Not that long ago we needed a USB keyboard in a hurry and paid $12 for a Logitech K-120 at a brick and mortar WalMart. It looks nice and it works for basic PC functions. But it is still quite inferior as a keyboard for typing or for gaming compared to the Genius KB-G265.  Features such as blue LED-backlit keys, programmable keys, anti-ghosting, and cable management, set the KB-G265 apart from the generic keyboards.

These rubber dome keyboards usually provide users with less tactile feedback than a mechanical switch keyboard.  In comparison, the keys themselves feel mushy even when they are brand new. Unlike with a lot of cheap keyboards including notebooks, the KB-G265 keys all actuate at the same point, they do not feel mushy and they do not stick. Cheap keyboards also tend to flex and move around, especially when used for gaming. Not so with the Genius KB-G265 keyboard which is rather solid and weighs in at about two pound (930g).

The main advantage the mechanical key switch offers to the user is tactile feedback.  The Genius KN-G265 offers much more feedback than this editor’s notebook keyboard, but still less than a mechanical key keyboard.

The Sound of the KB-G265 keys

Unlike with most mechanical keyboards which are moderately to loudly noisy with distinct clicks as you type or frag, the Genius KB-G265 is relatively quiet.  However, it is not silent as each key press registers a little sound as it is pressed.

Let head over to the unboxing and take a closer look at the Genius KB-G265.