TheRetroArcade
Veteran
Posts: 1,965
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
Turns out a keyboard is a keyboard. Who knew?
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This week I've been: Continuing to exercise in VR, and playing The Seance of Blake Manor.
I don't think anyone would challenge me on the assertion that 'ergonomic keyboards look a little weird'. However, that's not the thing that has kept me away from them for, well, ever. It's that they feel weird. There are many types, of course, but mostly they're designed to keep your hand in the same position, and perhaps slightly elevated. They all come with their own learning curves, and I frankly just don't want to shape up how I type. I still use QWERTY, and I don't touch type. For shame, I know.
As you get more and more comfortable with hardware (and the marketing around said hardware), you are constantly bombarded with the benefits of buying new tech, and that's particularly true of things labelled 'ergonomic'. That's especially when they're as expensive as keyboards can get. But, I've decided to drop the cynicism a tad and actually get used to a keyboard, namely the Cloud Nine C959 Ergo TKL sat underneath my paws.
That's not to say there aren't benefits to swapping to a keyboard that aligns with how your arms traditionally sit. It's partly an acknowledgement that I do plenty of other things in unergonomic ways, and don't necessarily know if the swap will be worth the effort (and price).
Luckily, the PC Gamer office had the aforementioned C959 Ergo TKL in a closet, and I thought it would be the perfect time to blow the dust off the box, get it plugged in, and finally make the swap.
Other than the fact that you need to plug this keyboard in a very specific way, and the fact that drivers failed to update and entirely tanked the keyboard for a day, the swap was relatively easy when it comes to actually typing. My model has two halves that are split, but can be snapped together to feel closer to a traditional keyboard. Of course, you still get the benefits of an ergonomic keyboard, with a space in the middle so you don't have to cross your arms too much and wrist rests to keep your hands at an angle.
Some of the bigger hurdles in making the swap involve where I naturally place my palms and which keys I hit with which fingers. For instance, I'm very used to hitting the 'B' key with my right hand, as there are four keys to the left of it and two on the right, in a standard QWERTY layout. This means I often ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
This week I've been: Continuing to exercise in VR, and playing The Seance of Blake Manor.
I don't think anyone would challenge me on the assertion that 'ergonomic keyboards look a little weird'. However, that's not the thing that has kept me away from them for, well, ever. It's that they feel weird. There are many types, of course, but mostly they're designed to keep your hand in the same position, and perhaps slightly elevated. They all come with their own learning curves, and I frankly just don't want to shape up how I type. I still use QWERTY, and I don't touch type. For shame, I know.
As you get more and more comfortable with hardware (and the marketing around said hardware), you are constantly bombarded with the benefits of buying new tech, and that's particularly true of things labelled 'ergonomic'. That's especially when they're as expensive as keyboards can get. But, I've decided to drop the cynicism a tad and actually get used to a keyboard, namely the Cloud Nine C959 Ergo TKL sat underneath my paws.
That's not to say there aren't benefits to swapping to a keyboard that aligns with how your arms traditionally sit. It's partly an acknowledgement that I do plenty of other things in unergonomic ways, and don't necessarily know if the swap will be worth the effort (and price).
Luckily, the PC Gamer office had the aforementioned C959 Ergo TKL in a closet, and I thought it would be the perfect time to blow the dust off the box, get it plugged in, and finally make the swap.
Other than the fact that you need to plug this keyboard in a very specific way, and the fact that drivers failed to update and entirely tanked the keyboard for a day, the swap was relatively easy when it comes to actually typing. My model has two halves that are split, but can be snapped together to feel closer to a traditional keyboard. Of course, you still get the benefits of an ergonomic keyboard, with a space in the middle so you don't have to cross your arms too much and wrist rests to keep your hands at an angle.
Some of the bigger hurdles in making the swap involve where I naturally place my palms and which keys I hit with which fingers. For instance, I'm very used to hitting the 'B' key with my right hand, as there are four keys to the left of it and two on the right, in a standard QWERTY layout. This means I often ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?