Introduction
Wsad keycaps are a great way to improve your gaming experience. They are designed to fit the W, A, S, and D keys on your keyboard, and they make it easier to play games by providing a more tactile feel.
Wearing a seatbelt is a habit that can save your life. It’s one of those things that we all know we should do, but sometimes it’s easy to forget. Especially when we’re in a hurry, or when we’re driving a familiar route.
But just like wearing a seatbelt, using the W-A-S-D keys on your keyboard is a habit that can make you a better player – and potentially save your game. What are wasd keys? Wasd is a set of four keys on a keyboard used as directions to control certain games. W, A, S, and D represent up, left, down, and right respectively.
Different Types of Wasd Keycaps
Sculpted wasd keycaps
There are different types of wsad keycaps on the market. One popular type is the sculpted keycap. These keycaps are designed to fit the contours of your fingers, making them more comfortable to use. They also come in a variety of colors and designs, so you can choose the one that best suits your style.
Double shot wasd keycaps
Another type of wsad keycaps is the double shot keycap. This type is made from two pieces of plastic: a translucent color and a solid white. When light shines through the translucent color, it creates a beautiful effect. These keycaps are also very durable and can last for years with heavy use.
Solid color wasd keycaps
This type of keycap is composed of only one color, such as white, black, blue, red, and so on, with engraved words on the keycaps. Furthermore, some people who play games change the W, A, S, and D on the keycaps to the corresponding directional keys to easily identify the direction.
DIY wasd keycaps
In order to meet the needs of users, this type of keycap is more diverse and beautiful, mostly customized according to personal preferences. Users can mix some elements or patterns into the keycaps according to their preferences. Therefore, this type of keycap is generally not engraved.
How to DIY Wasd Keycaps Yourself
If you’re a PC gamer, chances are you’re familiar with the wasd keys. They’re the keycaps on the left side of the keyboard that control movement in most games. What’s more, wasd keycaps are a staple of gaming keyboards, and they are also often used by programmers due to the convenient location of the keys.
While many gamers are happy with the default keycaps that come with their keyboard, some prefer to customize them for a better gaming experience. Therefore, if you are interested in personalizing your keyboard, or if you simply want a new look, here’s what you need to know.
Tools: Keycap mold, plastic resin, stirring stick, plastic cup, color essence
Processes
The first step is to find a suitable keycap mold according to the size and height of your keyboard. You can buy wsad keycaps molds online or you can make your own using household objects. And you’ll need some plastic resin. This can be purchased at most craft stores.
Secondly, pour the adequate plastic resin into the plastic cup and use the stirring stick to stir it. This process takes 4 to 6 minutes. Slowly you will see the plastic resin start to change, becoming clear and transparent and easier to stir until there are no more filaments and the liquid becomes transparent, which means the stirring work is done. Or you will find some bubbles which is not a problem, they will disappear after sitting for a while, or if you want to eliminate the bubbles as soon as possible, you can heat the plastic cup properly to speed up the elimination of bubbles.
Next, take out the color essence of the desired color, add a little color essence to the stirred plastic resin, or you can add some of your favorite elements, such as glitter or plastic cherry blossoms. After adding, stir it again.
Finally, pour the stirred liquid into the mold slowly, do not overflow, and remember that the cross on the lid of the mold also needs to be poured, and finally covered and left for three days. When it is completely hardened, you can demold the keycap. After then you need to polish its bottom on the sanding paper until smooth, and a wasd keycap is complete. You have your very own wsad keycaps.
How to Choose Right Wasd Keycaps for You
Sizes
When choosing wsad keycaps, it’s important to consider the size and shape of the caps. They should be large enough to fit comfortably in your hands and the shape should be ergonomic to reduce hand fatigue. You also want to choose a style that matches your personality and gaming preferences. If you’re a fan of retro games, for example, then you might want to choose wsad keycaps with a vintage design.
Materials
The common keycap materials are ABS, PBT, and POM. Different materials determine the characteristics of the keycap are different. PBT will be more wear and heat-resistant than ABS, with better oiling resistance. However, ABS is the most common keycap material, with low cost, good plasticity, and good coloring. ABS keycaps are thin and don’t affect the feedback from the mechanical shaft to your fingertips too much. So knocking up will feel crisper.
PBT can be considered the best material in plastic keycaps, with high hardness and strong anti-aging. At the same time, through the infiltration process, you can color the keycaps and keep them with no color loss. However, PBT keycaps are more expensive and have a frosted texture, the plastic feeling of touching is particularly strong.
POM keycaps are less in the market, generally, Cherry’s keyboard will use POM material, with high hardness. Although the surface will not wear oiling, it is greasy. There will be a feeling similar to jelly. Many of the “jelly keycaps” on the market are made of POM.
Engraving method
The color and lettering process of keycaps are very important. There are screen printing, laser, two-color molding, and heat sublimation. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
Laser Etching
Laser etching is the use of laser engraving technology on the keycap’s burned black grooves.
Advantages: Low cost, relatively clear, and firm handwriting. And more environmentally friendly, and will not produce harmful substances.
Disadvantages: The handwriting will become black or even worn, and have only single color.
Screen Printing
The principle of screen printing is to cover a blank keyboard with a special screen, where the lettering is hollowed out, and then the ink is scraped over it so that the lettering is printed on the hollowed-out part.
The feature of screen printing is that after the printing is done, the screen can be brushed with a layer of plastic, which will form a protective plastic film over the printed words after drying, preventing wear and tear on the words over time.
Advantages: The handwriting is protected by the coating, and feels fine and comfortable.
Disadvantages: The coating is very easy to wear, after the coating wears the handwriting easy to becomes black.
Sublimation
Sublimation is a very different type of printing from ordinary ink printing, which uses not the common liquid pigment-based inks, but solid resin-based inks. This ink will sublimate into a gaseous state at high temperatures, then penetrate the permeable printing surface in the form of gaseous molecules and then condense, thus becoming a whole with the printing surface in the physical layer, rather than just “sticking” to the printing surface like ordinary pigment-based inks, so its printing is extremely strong.
Advantages: Almost the most wear-resistant PBT keycap engraving method and many details can be shown which surpass the dichroic molding keycaps.
Disadvantages: Compared to dichroic molding, the disadvantage is less color, and will pollute the environment
Dichroic molding
Dichroic molding is the use of the mold to combine two different colors of plastic, using the difference in the color of the two plastics to display the font.
Advantages: The color of dichroic molding is bright, durable, and not easy to have the phenomenon of word loss.
Disadvantages: It is difficult to show finer characters, monotonous color variety, low stroke complexity, and the fixed cost of its manufacture is expensive.
We can decide according to their use, if you want to be durable, you can choose dichroic molding. If you want translucent keycaps, you can look for laser etching keycaps. If you like a variety of colors, the sublimation process can meet you.
Height of the keycaps
First of all, the mechanical keyboard keycaps’ height varies, the more common are: the original height keycaps and OEM height keycaps, SA profile keycaps and DSA profiles keycaps, and some unique heights.
The original refers to the same height as the keycaps used in Cherry keyboards, and OEM refers to the height used in non-Cherry-produced mechanical keyboards. SA height keycap is the highest, it is recommended to use with the wrist rest.
The height of the choice varies from person to person, people who like a better sense of paragraph can choose a SA profile, and if the finger surface is wider can choose DSA profiles. For people who do not have special hobby requirements, the original height and OEM height are good choices.
Pros
One advantage of wsad keycaps is that they are easier to find than traditional arrow keys. This can be helpful if you are playing a game and need to quickly move your character in a certain direction. Wsad keycaps can also be helpful for people who type a lot, as they provide a quick way to move the cursor around the screen. They are also color-coded to match the in-game controls, so you can keep track of what button you’re pressing without having to look away from the screen.
Cons
Due to the prominent color of the wasd keycaps, it is extra distinctive from other keys, so it will attract the user’s attention more. Therefore, if you need to use the other keys when playing other games, instead of the wasd keys, they become a distraction at this time.
FAQs
1. Why would someone want wsad keycaps?
When it comes to keyboards, everyone has their preferences. Some people prefer a sleek and minimalist design, while others prefer something with a more vintage look. But when it comes to functionality, most keyboard users can agree that the wasd keys are among the most important. That’s why many keyboard enthusiasts invest in wasd keycaps, which are designed to provide a more comfortable and efficient experience when using these keys.
They also come in a variety of colors, so you can choose something that matches your style. And because they’re often larger than standard keycaps, wasd keycaps can also help you to quickly identify these important keys when you’re working in low-light conditions. Whether you’re a professional gamer or simply someone who spends a lot of time typing, wasd keycaps can help you to get the most out of your keyboard.
2. Where can wsad keycaps be purchased?
There are a few different places that sell wasd keycaps. One option is to purchase them online from a retailer such as Amazon. You can also find wasd keycaps at some brick-and-mortar stores, although it may be more difficult to find them in physical stores. Another option is to purchase wasd keycaps from a company that specializes in manufacturing them. This option may be more expensive, but it will likely be easier to find the specific type of wasd keycaps that you want. Whichever option you choose, make sure to compare prices and reviews before making a purchase.
Conclusion
Wsad keycaps are a great way to improve your gaming experience. Not only do they look cool, but they also help you play faster and more accurately. The bright colors and distinct shapes of the keys make it easy to find the right key quickly, and the extra-tall height of the keys makes them easier to press. If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your gameplay, consider purchasing some wsad keycaps or DIY ones for yourself. You won’t regret it!
