Keyboard polling rates explained

When browsing through our selection of gaming keyboards, you’ll notice a lot of information in the “Tech Specs” section.

Alongside switch type, layout, and compatibility, you’ll also find a specification called “Polling rate” and it’s measured in Hz. So, let’s take a moment to explain every you need to know about keyboard polling rates.

Polling rate is how often the keyboard reports data to the device it’s connected to. It’s measured in Hz, which is a unit of frequency and tells you how many times something happens per second. So, for example, if you’ve got the CORSAIR K70 RGB PRO, then it has a polling rate of 8,000Hz, which means that you computer is updated 8,000 times per second on your inputs via the K70.

For regular computer use, high polling rates are not necessary. However, when it comes to gaming, the polling rate can have a significant impact on consistency and performance. Games that require pixel-perfect responses like Counter Strike 2, Valorant, or Apex Legends benefit from high polling rates.

Let’s take Counter Strike 2 for example, much like the gameplay of Counter Strike for decades now, a very valid tactic is peaking. This is when you position yourself at a corner or behind some cover and strafe sideways back and forth in and out of cover.

This rapid alternation of “A” and ”D” means that your keyboard is receiving a lot of key presses and must be able to report those inputs to the PC often enough to avoid the game missing an input.

Now you might be thinking, “it’s great that the K70 Pro Mini Wireless can report data to the PC 8,000 times a second, but no one could press a key more than 8,000 times a second so why does it matter?”

Well, it matters because the higher the polling rate, the less likely you are to get unlucky and press a key at the wrong moment for the polling rate in question, causing the keystroke to be missed. Essentially, a higher polling rate makes for a slimmer margin of error, helping to ensure consistency and provide as little interference as possible.