What is keyboard ghosting?

Ghosting is when pressing several keys at once causes some presses to be dropped, because the keyboard cannot report that many simultaneous keys.

What is N-key rollover?

N-key rollover (NKRO) means every key you press registers at the same time, no matter how many. Many keyboards support 6-key rollover instead.

How do I test if my keyboard has anti-ghosting?

Hold down several keys at once, such as a gaming cluster, and watch how many register on a keyboard test. The more that light up together, the better the rollover.

How to Test Keyboard Ghosting and Rollover

Quick answer: To test for ghosting, hold several keys at once and watch how many register. Ghosting is when extra simultaneous presses fail; N-key rollover means every key registers. A browser test shows this instantly.

Try it now: open the keyboard test and hold key combinations.

What ghosting and rollover mean

Ghosting drops some keys when too many are pressed together. Anti-ghosting prevents that for common combinations, and N-key rollover (NKRO) registers all keys at once. Many keyboards support 6-key rollover, which is plenty for typing but can limit gaming.

How to test it

Hold a gaming cluster such as W, A, S, D plus space and shift, and watch how many light up on the test. Try other combinations too — the keys that fail to register are being ghosted.

What the results mean

Membrane keyboards often ghost on certain combinations, which is normal for the type. Gaming and mechanical boards with anti-ghosting or NKRO handle far more at once. If individual keys do not work at all, see some keyboard keys not working.

Confirm

Use the keyboard test to map exactly which simultaneous presses your keyboard supports.