I obtained this loopy cyborg keypad to enhance at PC video games. I nonetheless suck

I’m not nice at video games. No less than, not on PC. I’ve no aptitude for utilizing a mouse and keyboard.

That’s proper—I play all the things with a controller.

No less than, I play all of my common genres with a controller. And, up till about three years in the past, the association labored. A non-zero variety of PC players could also be shrieking silently (or loudly) about how unideal it’s to play sure video games with analog sticks, however I by no means had an issue.

Then my good friend group determined to play PvP video games. On PC. 

At some point, I’m enjoying Sea of Thieves and drunkenly lurching off a ship into water (my character, not me), after which the following, I’m making an attempt to line up headshots on a human opponent who most undoubtedly is aware of how to not get shot.

It didn’t take lengthy to understand I wanted loads of assist, and that help needed to come both from my mates or divine intervention, as a result of I definitely didn’t appear able to serving to myself. So I did what everybody with wishful pondering does. I purchased stuff to repair my drawback. Particularly, I purchased the weirdest, wildest, and arguably coolest gaming keypad accessible.

Enter the Azeron Cyborg gaming keypad

Alaina Yee / Foundry

My drawback with mouse and keyboard is the keyboard. For no matter motive, utilizing the WASD keys for navigation nonetheless has but to click on in my mind. Add within the surrounding keys for triggering skills and the communication between my hand and my mind goes out a window.

Then again in April 2023, I stumbled upon this r/buildapc thread on Reddit. Amongst all of the unbelievable PC accent suggestions was one for the Azeron Cyborg. It seemed completely insane (and straight out of a Terminator film), however what caught my consideration was its precise thumbstick.

In the course of the first few weeks of on-line slaughter (mine, not my opponents), I had wistfully thought how having a left thumbstick for navigation however a mouse for aiming would mix the very best of each my worlds. However the Razer Tartarus and comparable gaming keypads solely had d-pads, not full 360 analog sticks.

I took this new discovery as as signal, particularly after I seemed on the Azeron web site and noticed a gently used mannequin going for $140 USD. (A new one prices about $200 USD.) Impulse purchases are uncommon for me, however this appear fated. Desperation to not at all times be the weak hyperlink on my crew could have added incentive to purchase.

Twenty-five bucks in transport and a handful of days later, my bundle safely accomplished the journey from Latvia and landed on the PCWorld workplace’s doorstep. And that’s after I realized some laborious truths about myself.

A brand new drawback emerges

Alaina Yee / Foundry

The Azeron Cyborg is available in two flavors: commonplace, which positions a set of buttons above your fingertips, and Compact, which locations these buttons on shorter posts. It’s also possible to modify the thumbstick positioning on the usual mannequin—a characteristic I fully underestimated after I bought my used Compact mannequin in sparkly galactic purple.

This keypad is dizzyingly programmable and adjustable. You get 29 mappable keys general, which incorporates the 5-way rocker swap and thumbstick. Key mapping is very simple—you simply obtain Azeron’s software program and begin assigning keys—and also you get two separate profiles that you may program. Key presses really feel good too, with satisfying clicky suggestions.

For the video games I performed (primarily Overwatch 2), I didn’t even use all 13 buttons inside my rapid attain. A part of this needed to do with match. Even weeks later, my pinky can’t faucet its close by keys simply. That is regardless of me shopping for the smaller of the keypad’s two sizes, and in addition fussing with the positions of every key tower. You may change the gap and the spacing, however I by no means discovered the right candy spot for my complete hand.

However I can’t blame match fully for my new wrestle, which is overcoming my very mounted muscle reminiscence on controller.

I’m my very own worst enemy, as common

Alaina Yee / Foundry

Throughout my childhood, I performed platformers and action-adventure video games nearly to the exclusion of all the things else—and it appears to indicate. A significant problem of mine in PvP video games is motion. I stroll in straight traces, because the worst (finest) noobs do. However platformers, my favourite style, rewards that sort of regular monitoring. That’s what I spent numerous hours optimizing for, whereas additionally missing publicity to genres (and sport modes) that reward the other.

So first drawback: I don’t assume to strafe.

Second drawback: The movement for strafing on an analog stick feels mistaken to me.

Sadly, proudly owning an Azeron gaming keypad does nothing to resolve these first two points, because it has a thumbstick. In reality, I didn’t even determine the second till I pressured myself to attempt utilizing WASD in a low-stakes Overwatch match. It’s best to have seen my face after I realized how easy strafing felt when tapping two distinctive keys, somewhat than wiggling a stick forwards and backwards.

Third drawback: I’m not used to utilizing fingers past my thumb and forefinger. 

As a normal controller consumer, all I ever use are two fingers per hand. Every so often I’d usher in my center fingers if I’ve to press each the bumper and the set off buttons on the identical time, however it’s uncommon. (A fancier controller just like the Xbox Elite has extra buttons and thus can require extra fingers, however I don’t use that sort.)

Fourth drawback: The controls are distributed otherwise than on controller.

The Azeron Cyborg doesn’t change the what number of capabilities you carry out along with your left hand for a mouse and keyboard setup. It simply provides them in a distinct kind issue. And in comparison with controller, it’s concerning the reverse of what I’m used to. On a controller, I’m utilizing my proper hand for an analog stick (digicam angle/melee), the 4 face buttons (which normally map to weapon alternative, reload, bounce, and crouch in a shooter), and a set of shoulder and set off buttons (skills). On mouse and keyboard, my proper hand will get left click on (main capability), proper click on (secondary capability or zoom), and the scroll wheel (weapon alternative/melee). No less than, it does on a fundamental mouse, which is all I’ve presently.

Lengthy story quick, I’ve loads of retraining to do and new muscle reminiscence to construct if I wish to get wherever in PvP.

The way it shook out

Alaina Yee / Foundry

Whereas the Azeron has not been capable of cowl for expertise I by no means developed, I’m not upset. I knew it was in all probability going to be an extended shot. (I’ve been by means of this earlier than with images gear.) I believe it’s a fantastic keypad, and I like how a lot you may customise it. That features the way it seems, too. When you purchase new, you may decide shade (so many enjoyable shades!), palm relaxation type, thumbstick type, and which hand it’s designed for (proper or left).

And the Cyborg has finished greater than offering perception into my long-standing incapacity to adapt to mouse and keyboard. My gameplay with hitscan characters in Overwatch is best—I don’t miss as many photographs with Ana when enjoying help, for instance. Don’t get me mistaken, I nonetheless suck. However I can see glimpses of what life is like once you don’t fully suck. It’s a pleasant counter to getting older and stiffer, which have dulled my reflexes and made precision thumbstick actions more durable. I as soon as dreamed of getting even half pretty much as good as former colleagues on controller—they might go up in opposition to PC gamers, a lot to the shock of builders throughout demos. However that’s past me now.

My solely actual criticism concerning the Cyborg is that I purchased the mistaken mannequin. The Compact model’s thumbstick isn’t adjustable, and for my slender hand it’s positioned a bit of too low to really feel snug. The place the directional swap sits, that’s the place I would like the thumbstick to be. I get an ache in my hand after enjoying for about 90 minutes or extra. If Azeron (or a neighborhood member) had been to launch a 3D printer file for a housing that reversed the positions of the thumbstick and rocker swap, I believe I may sport for longer stretches.

Regardless, the Cyborg has made mouse and keyboard really feel much less like a sink or swim proposition. Perhaps at some point I’ll get to fundamental WASD competency. However thus far, that day has but to come back. In the intervening time, I’ve now obtained floaties to maintain me from drowning.

Replace (September 2025): I initially documented this expertise with the Azeron Cyborg Compact early within the journey, again in spring and summer time of 2023. Within the two years since, I can say that I nonetheless am pleased with the funding—and it actually has acted like floaties whereas studying to swim.

I outlined 4 issues I had whereas enjoying in video games like Overwatch: simply not strafing, disliking the feeling of strafing on an analog stick, use of extra fingers than on an Xbox or PlayStation controller, and adjusting to a distinct structure of buttons relative to a console controller. The primary two points nonetheless stay, however I’ve since adjusted to the brand new mapping and my gameplay has improved a bit of. (I’m lastly now not ranked as Potato 5. Yay!)

I additionally talked about that I regretted not buying the mannequin with an adjustable place for thumbstick. I nonetheless really feel that means, however after Azeron launched a magnetic tenting stand for the controller, it helped ease a lot of the pressure on my thumb.

Azeron

Total, the enhancements I’ve made in mechanical talent has gotten me extra curious and prepared to provide WASD navigation one other go. (I simply picked up this Lemokey X0 gaming keypad at a deep low cost, on the recommendation of my colleague and resident mechanical gaming keyboard guru Michael Crider.) I’ve additionally begun exploring the thought of making an attempt a correct mouse mat and one other gaming mouse to see if it improves my goal. As somebody who has extraordinarily deep console gaming roots, I at all times assumed my motor expertise had been solely in charge for my weak mechanical expertise in PC video games. I didn’t notice a few of it’s based mostly in your gear and settings.

I really feel much less overwhelmed now concerning the thought of creating the total swap to keyboard & mouse gaming. Whereas I don’t know if I’ll make the leap efficiently, the makes an attempt will probably be fairly entertaining, I’m positive. To different folks, at the very least.