What is Keyboard Ghosting?
Keyboard Ghosting is a hardware limitation found in many standard and budget keyboards. It occurs when a keyboard fails to register multiple simultaneous key presses. For example, if you press 'W', 'A', and 'Shift' at the same time to sprint diagonally in a game, a ghosting keyboard might drop the third input entirely.
Our free Keyboard Ghosting Test allows you to visually see exactly how many keys your keyboard can process at the exact same time before it locks up or drops inputs.
Understanding N-Key Rollover (NKRO)
Rollover is the technical term for how many simultaneous keys a keyboard can read. You will often see keyboards marketed with specific rollover ratings:
- 2KRO (2-Key Rollover): The standard for most cheap office membrane keyboards. Pressing a third key often results in it being ignored (ghosted).
- 6KRO (6-Key Rollover): A standard specification over USB connections. It means the keyboard can register any 6 standard keys simultaneously, plus modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl, Alt).
- NKRO (N-Key Rollover): The gold standard for gaming keyboards. 'N' stands for 'any number'. You can theoretically press every single key on the keyboard at the exact same time and every single input will be registered perfectly.