Last Updated on August 26, 2020 by Jake
If we’re being completely honest, there hasn’t been a ton of innovation in the gaming industry lately. I’d argue that this statement holds true from the perspective of both game design and gaming equipment.
Sure, gaming mice have been created with extra buttons to bind to actions. Sure, LED lighting has been added to just about every peripheral imaginable. But is that true innovation or just window dressing?
I came across the Azeron Gaming Keypad not too long ago and was blown away at the true innovation being done by this company. They are designing a gaming keypad that will completely replace the keyboard for some and revolutionize the way games are played.
Table of Contents
What is the Azeron Gaming Keypad?
The Azeron Gaming Keypad is a stand-alone gaming device for PC gamers. It’s design aesthetic almost looks like Thanos’ Infinity War Gauntlet – while that’s really cool, the Azeron is much more style over substance.
There are so many features to the Azeron Gaming Keypad that it’s really hard to know where to begin. So, we’re just going to dive right into the obvious ones and go from there.
Analog Thumbstick
The Disadvantage of a Traditional Keyboard
The analog thumbstick may not be the sexiest feature of the Azeron Gaming Keypad, but I’d argue it’s one of the most important. If you a right-handed gamer, the thumbstick will be captained by your left thumb. It takes a little getting used to, but the learning curve on this switch is not steep.
Think about this for a second. If you are like most gamers, you probably use the ‘W-A-S-D’ keys for movement… that’s four keys that are typically covered by three of your fingers.
Most skilled players hold down the W key with their middle finger to move forward over 90% of the time spent in-game.
For turning, you have to also employ either your ring or pointer finger on the A or D key.
Those are some important fingers! Your middle and pointer fingers, in particular, are high functioning and shouldn’t be tethered to something as basic as easy as a forward movement.
The Advantage of the Azeron Gaming Keypad
With the Azeron Gaming Keypad, your left thumb controls all of the WASD movement. This is SO much more efficient. Your left thumb is typically only used for space bar on conventional keyboards, so you can make your left thumb incredibly useful while freeing up multiple fingers with more mobility.
It doesn’t end there though. Azeron really thinks of everything with their product. The thumbstick can be set up as an analog stick or as keyboard buttons for maximum customization. The dead zone sensitivity of the thumbstick can be easily adjusted. Also, they have designed the keypad so that you can switch back and forth between 2 setups instantly.
That’s a really nice feature if you play multiple games where it’s more comfortable to have a different setup and approach for each game.
For example, you may want a different dead zone setting across different game titles, and you don’t have to manually change the settings each time you want to switch back and forth.
From an ergonomic perspective, the thumbstick angle can be easily adjusted. In congruence with the rest of the keypad, this helps promote a healthy hand and wrist position.
26 Programmable Buttons
The next innovative feature of the Azeron Gaming Keypad is the intuitive placement of programmable buttons.
13 of the buttons create an alcove like cavity where the pinky through pointer fingers rest. Most gamers will bind these keys to “main” or most used in-game actions because of how little movement is required.
Each button is connected to an individual input, so you can press any combination of keys while moving in any direction at the same time.
Think about a game like Fortnite, where building things is such a big aspect of the game. No matter how fast you are on a normal keyboard, you are losing time with the distance most gamers have to travel to their building and editing keys.
We already mentioned this, but having your ring, middle, and pointer finger to not cover any movement is huge. The advantage comes with having 13 action buttons literally millimeters apart from your main left-hand fingers. The other programmable buttons aren’t hard to get to either. All 26 of the buttons are reachable without moving your hand.
The button towers on each finger are even customizable, so if the default settings aren’t quite comfortable you can easily modify to test new positions.
Design and Construction
Not only is the Azeron Gaming Keypad high functioning, but it’s also comfortable to use over long periods of time. We’ve already touched on how little your hand actually has to move when gaming with this thing, which makes a big difference.
The base is made of a solid steel plate and customers have the option of choosing a flat or curved palm crest depending on your preference.
One thing I always like to try to sniff out is how committed a company is to build its products the right way — For example, are they trying to have a cash grab, or do they genuinely care about providing value to their users?
I think with Azeron, the answer couldn’t be more clear. It’s a small company that loves gaming and has an obsession with making a revolutionary product. They make it clear that they are constantly improving their product by listening to community feedback. A reliance on 3D printing in their manufacturing process allows for the innovation to happen.
All of that said, it’s the kind of product that we wouldn’t be surprised if it got even better in the coming years.
Azeron Gaming Keypad Review Wrap Up + Other Best Gaming Keypads
At the highest levels of gaming, players should be looking for every advantage you can get. Our assessment is that anybody who has the Azeron Gaming Keypad has a leg up on gamers who are using a traditional mouse and keyboard.
Yes, it’s different than what most players currently use. And yes, the learning curve is somewhat steep to learn a completely new way to play competitive games. You won’t pull the Azeron Gaming Keypad out of the box and immediately be a god with it. But those who stick with it and develop the expertise gain a distinctive advantage over those who don’t.
That wraps up our Azeron Gaming Keypad review. Check out some of the other best gaming keypads to compare what else is out there.
