What is Keyboard Ghosting & Anti-Ghosting? [Importance Explained]

Keyboards play a key role in some professions, like blogging, gaming, etc. However, the problem of ghosting might occur to specific people like gamers because of their heavy usage.

Some heavy duty mechanical keyboards don’t have problems with ghosting. But their cost is high compared to normal keyboards.

Today, let’s see what Keyboard ghosting and anti-ghosting are, why it is important to you, and what you need to consider when you are buying a new keyboard. You can find all the required information here on this page.

what is keyboard ghosting

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What is Keyboard Ghosting?

Keyboard ghosting is an error in which it doesn’t read all the simultaneous key commands by the user. This problem occurs when you want to use keyboard shortcuts.

For example, I’m typing this info on Google Docs on my MacBook. By default, the word count is not displayed in a document. So, to display the word count I need to use the keyboard shortcut key ‘Command + Shift + C’.

When I type this shortcut, immediately a pop-up will appear on my screen which shows the word count in the document. However, if I’m using an external random keyboard and use the same shortcut, then I can’t get the same result with that much speed. This is because of keyboard ghosting.

You can’t find this problem in most of the mechanical keyboards because they are robust in performance.

What is Anti-Ghosting on A Keyboard?

Keyboard anti-ghosting means it can perform simultaneous key actions on a keyboard without any action errors. These keyboards are best for gaming, writing, editing, and more because of their unmatchable performance capability compared to the normal keyboard.

The keyboard manufacturer will highlight this feature if it supports anti-ghosting. Don’t know what keyboard you have in front of you? Well, here is a guide for you to find what keyboard you have on your PC. It helps to find keyboard brands, models, and specs.

Keyboard Ghosting Test

You have a random keyboard on your PC setup and want to know how to perform a keyboard ghosting test. Well, just follow the steps below to find your keyboard whether it is a ghosted or anti-ghosting one.

How to Test Keyboard Ghosting?

You need to perform different shortcut codes on your keyboard to test for ghosting. Here is a tool from Microsoft to find your keyboard’s anti-ghosting feature.

  1. Select 10 to 15 shortcut keys to perform on your PC
  2. Open the Microsoft tool using the above link
  3. Try all the keyboard shortcuts and see whether the system performs actions according to them or not
  4. If all actions perform well with your keyboard commands then you can conclude that you have a heavy-duty anti-ghosting keyboard.
  5. Otherwise, it is a normal keyboard with some limitations.

If your keyboard has an anti-ghosting feature and you know it from the manufacturer, then you don’t need to perform any of these actions. However, anti-ghosting keyboards are useful in many ways.

Best Anti-Ghosting Keyboards to Buy

You have an outdated keyboard and want to buy a keyboard that is best and useful for all kinds of work. Well, here are my top 5 recommendations. These keyboards are all-rounders and good in every aspect of usage.

  1. Apple Magic Keyboard – If you are an Apple user like me, you’ll undoubtedly love Apple Magic Keyboards. The product’s built quality is extremely good and better for hard and long-run usage. Like all Apple products, the Apple Magic keyboard cost is also high compared to the normal keyboards.
  2. Logitech MX Master Keyboard – Logitech is one of the best brands when it comes to computer peripherals. They are good at designing keyboards, mouses, headphones, webcams, etc. Logitech MX Master Keyboard cost is high because of its outstanding build quality and robust usage.
  3. Keychron Q5 Max Keyboard – Keychron is another best brand in the market which has full potential in every aspect like gaming, programming, typing, etc. You can change keys if you want and this feature is called hot swapping keys. With this, you can change the sound of your keyboard
  4. Das Keyboard 6 Professional – With professional design and looks, you’ll love this keyboard. And you can find all the professional keyboard features in it like heavy duty, hot swapping keys, anti-ghosting, high durability, etc.
  5. Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard – With an excellent Ergonomic design Microsoft helps to increase your work productivity by spending much time without any strain on your hands or fingers.

These are the best keyboards that have anti-ghosting features and are good in all aspects of usage.

How to Fix Keyboard Ghosting?

Some keyboards temporarily show the ghosting error even if the manufacturer mentions the item as anti-ghosting material. In such cases, you can find the following fixes.

  • Unplug and reconnect the keyboard – If the keyboard is not working properly, then you can simply unplug it from the port and re-plug it after a minute or two. This helps to reset the signal connection and makes the product better.
  • Reset your keyboard – Professional keyboards have this feature to reset them. Because they are good at controlling the computer with custom commands, if you reset your keyboard, then all the custom keyboard shortcuts will erase, and the keyboard settings will go to the default state.
  • Remove your PC cache – Sometimes PC cache will cause an interruption in computer performance. In this case, it is better to remove your PC’s cache and then restart your computer.

Conclusion

I think now you know what is the meaning of keyboard ghosting and anti-ghosting. Don’t compromise with your keyboard if your work is mainly dependent on it like a gamer, writer, editor, etc.

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Also, take a look at the complete list of function key uses along with their shortcuts. It helps you to increase your productivity at work. And don’t forget to visit our channel on YouTube to find the best technology how-to guides, reviews, news & updates, and more.

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