GoKawiilHave you ever felt like you need more keys and/or mouse buttons, despite rocking a full-size keyboard and a mouse with way too many buttons ?
Don't worry, you're not alone. I constantly find myself running out of shortcut keys, especially when I'm working across multiple programs. Sure, most gaming peripheral softwares these days have an option that lets you program different inputs for different apps, but this requires said software to be open, running, and working as intended when you switch between apps. And as someone who has a lot of experience with gaming peripheral software , I can confidently tell you that this is an extremely tall ask — better to just buy a bunch more buttons.
Enter: the standalone macro pad. An extra set of programmable keys/buttons/knobs /dials/other inputs that you can use alongside your keyboard and mouse. I'm talking about everything from the ultra-basic plug-in 10-key numberpad to a Stream Deck you can control with your feet . They're incredibly useful for streamlining your workflow... if you make use of them.
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That's the thing about macro pads — like 19-button mice and dedicated macro keys on keyboards, they require some forethought and setup if you're going to incorporate them into your life. These days, they typically come with a specific purpose in mind — 10-key numberpads, for example, are designed for people who do a lot of data entry, while streaming decks like Elgato's Stream Decks are designed for streamers who need to perform a series of tasks while they're in the middle of playing games and interacting with viewers. But you don't need to be an accountant or a streamer to incorporate a macro pad into your life; you just need to be a little creative.
But first, let's take a look at the options:
▶️ The 10-key numberpad
A 10-key numberpad is technically only a macro pad in the sense that many games and apps let you program shortcuts within them, and numberpad numbers count as separate inputs from alphanumeric numbers. You can pick up a standalone 10-key numberpad for pretty cheap — here's a wireless one for $10 — though, of course, that won't get you much in terms of customizability or typing experience. For a little more, you'll find numberpads that are similar to our favorite mechanical keyboards, with hot-swappable PCBs, mechanical switches, gasket mounting, and customizability, such as this one from $36 Epomaker EK21 numberpad or this $34 8BitDo 18-key numpad .
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We also recently took a look at the Turtle Beach KP7 , which is technically a numberpad. However, this also has extra keys and a programmable knob, which takes it into "gaming pad" territory — see Razer's Tartarus line . As for when you actually need a 10-key numberpad and not just 10 keys that are not a numberpad, there are a few specific scenarios: data entry (anyone who performs data entry knows this is significantly faster), certain applications (3D modeling programs, such as Blender, often have a lot of numberpad shortcuts), and alt codes for quickly entering special characters (although perhaps my editors would prefer I not be able to quickly enter Alt + 0151). Outside of these scenarios, however, you probably don't need a numberpad, specifically. And while you can remap numberpads, or even assign macros using programs such as AutoHotKey , you can also just get a non-numberpad macro pad.
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