Is a Gaming Keypad with 31 Programmable Controls Right for Your Games?

Thirty-one controls is a lot of keys to fill, and most games will not need them all. The honest test is to count what your game asks for, then decide whether the spare controls help or simply sit there. That count, rather than the headline number, is what tells you if a 31-control keypad is right for you.

Quick Answer

A keypad with 31 programmable controls suits MMOs and MOBAs with 20 or more binds. A shooter with 8 to 10 binds fills only a fraction of it. At R4,799 the Tartarus V2 Pro earns its place only if your game really uses that many controls.

🧾 Count your binds, then decide

Write down each action your main game needs a key for. Include abilities, movement helpers, item keys and any voice or utility bind you press in a session. If the total is 20 or more, a 31-control keypad leaves you a comfortable margin. If it sits between 10 and 19, a larger keypad is useful but not essential. Under 10, the extra controls are overkill for your games.

Recount after a patch or a new title, because the number changes more often than the layout. A game that adds two abilities a season can push a keypad from comfortable to tight in a year.

🏰 Where the spare slots help

A raid or a large MMO bar uses many keys in a row, and the spare controls make room for the abilities that arrive with new content. With 20 binds on a 31-control keypad, 11 keys stay free for patches, new consumables and macros you have not thought of yet. That spare room is the reason players in those games buy the larger set.

Keep the spare controls in the outer ring, where a patch can add an action without displacing the keys you press every few seconds. Use the inner ring for the actions your hand presses most, and reserve the outer ring for the ones you add later.

A raid or MMO bar that changes every 6 weeks can add two abilities per cycle. Recount the list within 5 minutes of each patch. With 20 binds on a 31-control keypad, the 11 empty keys absorb about five such cycles before the layout runs short, and at R4,799 those spare keys come with the keypad rather than as an extra.

🎯 Where 31 is more than you need

A shooter with 8 to 10 binds does not need a keypad built for an ability bar. Most of the controls would sit idle, and the money would go on keys that never fire. A smaller keypad with fewer controls covers those binds at a lower price, and the desk stays uncluttered.

The same goes for players who only want a thumbstick and a few extra keys for media or utility. A compact keypad does that job, and the full 31-control layout would only make the desk harder to reach across.

For the wider choice of keypads and boards, the gaming keyboards range lists the options at different control counts. If the desk is getting crowded around the keypad, our gaming accessories range has ways to tidy the space.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many binds make 31 controls worth it?

Around 20 or more. Below that, most of the controls sit unused, and a smaller keypad covers your games for less.

Are spare controls useful?

Yes, for patches and new abilities. Keep four or five spare so you can add a bind without rearranging the layout.

Is 31 controls too many for a shooter?

Usually. A shooter with 8 to 10 binds fills a small part of a 31-control keypad, so a compact model is the better fit.