Key Takeaways
- Snap Tap allows for quick and seamless key input transitions in FPS games, giving players a competitive edge.
- Valve has banned Snap Tap in Counter-Strike 2 due to cheating accusations, causing controversy among players.
- The debate over Snap Tap highlights the ongoing trend of hardware advancements giving gamers an advantage in PvP games.
Gamers are a resourceful bunch; we’re always on the lookout for clever ways to improve our in-game performance. One such way that has caused a stir on the web lately is Razer’s latest keyboard feature called Snap Tap, which some are outright labeling as cheating.
What Is Razer Snap Tap?
Razer Snap Tap is a mode that allows your keyboard to register the latest keystroke without releasing the previous one. For instance, if you’re holding the A key to move to the left and then press D to move right without releasing A on a standard keyboard, your character will stand still. One direction essentially cancels the other.
With Snap Tap enabled, if you hold A and then press D without releasing the A key, your character will move to the right, as if you already released the A key. The feature is primarily designed for FPS games, where the ability to move quickly provides a competitive edge. You can enable Snap Tap on Razer Huntsman v3 Pro keyboards. Wooting has followed Razer’s footsteps by implementing similar technology that they call “SOCD.”
The cheating accusations about this technology primarily come from Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant players because Snap Tap provides an advantage. Traditionally, “strafing” (the ability to move left and right while maintaining accuracy by briefly standing still) requires a lot of skill to execute perfectly on a normal keyboard. With Snap Tap enabled, the average player can easily execute a perfect counter strafe, with no skill required.
Valve has now taken a stance against Snap Tap by banning the feature, resulting in players who use it getting automatically kicked from Counter-Strike 2 matches. Most players are happy about this change, but have noted that the game still has a massive issue with “real” cheaters who use “spinbots” and similar cheats. Also, their anti-Spin Tap has resulted in plenty of skilled players getting kicked for executing perfect counter strafes.
The New Keyboard Technology Won’t Affect Most Players
While Snap Tap has caused an online riot among gamers, I believe that it’s been blown out of proportion. I fully acknowledge that Snap Tap provides a competitive advantage, but so does the infamous
jump-throw bind
, and that’s apparently allowed to exist. For context, jump-throw allows you to throw a grenade perfectly each time with a simple button press in
Counter-Strike 2
, allowing you to throw the grenade further away without having to release the mouse button yourself.Now, compare that to Snap Tap. All that Snap Tap does is make your inputs slightly faster and more responsive. You still have to press the keys, aim perfectly to hit your enemy, have good game knowledge, track what your team and the enemies are doing, and so much more. You already have to be a decent player to get something from Snap Tap. In the grand scheme of things, strafing is a tiny aspect of
Counter-Strike 2
that casual players might not even be aware of.I would understand if Snap Tap were banned in esports tournaments where professional players compete for cash prizes, but banning it in the game altogether is a step too far in my opinion. Valve should focus their attention on crafting better anti-cheat systems that catch “real” cheaters who use aimbots and wallhacks instead of wasting their energy on banning a keyboard technology that makes the game feel more responsive and smoother to play.
Hardware Making You Better at Games Is Nothing New
“Pay-to-win” hardware is nothing new. Shiny new hardware is packed with better components and feels more comfortable to use, and that alone can give you the self-esteem needed to perform better in PvP games. I grew up in an era of FPS games when few people had
good gaming mice
, partly because they were so expensive and partly because they didn’t exist.We now have reasonably affordable
wireless
mice equipped with
high polling rates and DPI
that can track your mouse movements with surgical precision, as well as
Hall Effect keyboards
with adjustable actuation points that register the millisecond you touch the key. Besides, you can get an effect similar to Snap Tap by simply executing a
“null bind” script
in
Counter-Strike 2
(which is now also banned).
I feel like we shouldn’t scold hardware manufacturers for pushing the limit by testing out new features, especially if those features can make the game more enjoyable by making your inputs feel smoother. I’d love to have Snap Tap in all of my games!
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