Is a Gaming Keypad Worth It for Players Who Need More Custom Controls?

The honest answer to whether a keypad is worth buying depends on a number you can count in five minutes: how many binds you press that do not sit comfortably on your main keyboard. A keypad earns its place when the reachable keys run out and you start stretching, pausing or dropping an input in the middle of play. Below that point it is an expensive extra. This guide shows how to count that number, what a keypad adds once you pass it, and how the Razer Tartarus V2 Pro fits when you need more controls than your board can offer.

Quick Answer

A gaming keypad earns its place when your main keyboard runs out of reachable keys. The Razer Tartarus V2 Pro adds 31 programmable controls, Rapid Trigger and adjustable actuation, and Evetech lists it at R4,799 with VAT built in. Count your current binds first, then compare the number that sits awkwardly on the main board against the price. If that gap is small, a keypad is an extra rather than an upgrade.

🧮 Count the binds that sit awkwardly

Give yourself a 5-minute count. Open your game's keybind screen and list every bind you use in a normal session. Mark each one as easy or awkward. Easy means you reach it without moving your hand off its rest position. Awkward means you stretch, look down, or press it with the wrong finger. Count the awkward ones, because those are the binds a keypad would actually fix.

A single awkward bind is not a reason to buy a keypad. The case gets clear when the awkward list runs to a handful of binds in games you play every week, because that is where the stretching starts costing real inputs in a fight. When the list is one or two binds, rebinding on the main keyboard is usually the cheaper fix.

💡 What a keypad adds once you pass that point

Once you have enough awkward binds, the Tartarus V2 Pro's 31 programmable controls become useful. They let you move those binds under your left hand, where the fingers already rest. The keypad also adds analog depth on movement keys, so a light tap and a firm press can behave differently, and Rapid Trigger shortens the wait for repeated taps. Thirty-one controls leave room for 10 awkward binds and still keep 21 spare.

Those additions matter most for movement-heavy games. A player who strafes, sprints and casts all at once gets the most from the keypad, because the movement and abilities sit close together. A player who mostly types, builds or navigates menus gets little from the extra controls.

🧾 Weigh the price against your binds

The Tartarus V2 Pro has a R4,799 price with the VAT inside it. Next to the R5,200 NSFAS laptop allowance, that is a significant spend for most students and a considered one for working adults. Set it against the awkward binds you counted. If the keypad solves a daily problem, the cost spreads across many sessions. If it solves a problem you have once a month, the cost is hard to justify.

Think about how long you expect to keep the keypad. A keypad used for three years across several games costs far less per session than one used for a single game and then left in a drawer. Be realistic about the games you will still play next year before you commit.

Decide in one sitting

Write down the number of awkward binds, the games that need them and the price. If the awkward list is a handful of binds and those binds sit in games you play every week, the keypad is a sound buy. If it is one or two binds, spend the money on something else first, such as a better mouse or a comfortable wrist rest, and rebind the main keyboard before you spend on a keypad.

🏡 Fitting the extra controls into a South African desk

Adding a keypad changes the desk. In a Pretoria flat or a Johannesburg res room, space is the constraint that decides whether the keypad works at all. Leave a clear strip under your left hand, and keep the mouse space free. If the keypad pushes the mouse too far to the right, the reach you gained is lost to the stretch you now make with the mouse hand. Leave 5cm of clear space beside the mouse and wipe the keypad every 7 days.

Plan the cleaning routine before you buy. Fine dust from the Highveld works under keycaps, so brush it out weekly and cover the keypad at night. A keypad that gets cleaned regularly keeps its feel, and that feel is what you are paying for.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many awkward binds justify a keypad?

A handful of awkward binds in the games you play every week is a clear signal. One or two is usually a rebinding job on the main keyboard.

Does a keypad replace my main keyboard?

No. A keypad sits beside the main keyboard and takes the binds that are hard to reach from it. You still need a full keyboard for typing, chat and menus.

Is R4,799 worth it for a casual gamer?

Usually not, unless the awkward binds show up in games you play every week. Count them first, because that count decides whether the cost is spread across enough sessions to justify it.

What does the keypad add beyond extra keys?

Analog depth on movement keys and Rapid Trigger for repeated taps. Those two features matter most in movement-heavy games, and they are the reason to choose a keypad over simply adding more binds.

For a full desk built around the keypad, the gaming setups is the right starting point, and the gaming keyboard range covers the keypad and its alternatives.