Finding dead or stuck keys
Work your way across the keyboard and press every key in turn. Each one lights up on the on-screen layout as you press it and stays marked as tested, so any key that fails to light is easy to spot: that is a dead or failing key. It is the fastest way to check a second-hand keyboard, diagnose a spill, or confirm a repair before you trust the board for real work or gaming.
The test reads each key by its physical position code rather than the letter it types, so it works regardless of your language or layout. That also means it can reveal a stuck key, one that reports as held down when you are not touching it, which shows up as a key that stays lit on its own. Stuck keys are a common cause of runaway typing and drifting game characters.
Testing key rollover and ghosting
Rollover is how many keys your keyboard can register at the same time, which matters enormously for gaming. Hold several keys together, like the common movement cluster plus space and a couple of others, and watch the rollover counter. If it keeps climbing as you add keys, your keyboard is handling them; if extra presses stop registering, you have hit its limit, often called a ghosting or anti-ghosting cap.
Cheaper membrane keyboards frequently cap at just a few simultaneous keys in certain clusters, while mechanical and gaming boards often advertise full n-key rollover, meaning every key registers independently. This test lets you check your board's real behaviour rather than trusting the label, which is useful before a game where you press several keys at once.
Key codes and everyday checks
For each press the test shows both the character and the underlying key code, which is handy if you are mapping controls, building shortcuts or troubleshooting a key that types the wrong thing. Seeing the exact code a key sends removes the guesswork when a keyboard behaves unexpectedly or a remap is not working as intended.
A keyboard test tells you the keys work, and from there the rest of ClickStorm covers speed. The spacebar counter measures how fast you can hammer the space key, while the CPS test and reaction time test focus on the mouse and your reflexes. Together they cover both whether your input devices work and how fast you are with them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test if a key is broken?
Focus the on-screen keyboard and press the key. If it lights up, it works; if nothing happens, that key is dead or failing. A key that stays lit without being touched is stuck, which is just as much of a fault.
What is key rollover and why does it matter?
Rollover is how many keys register at once. Games often need several held together, so a low rollover cap means some presses get dropped. Hold multiple keys here and watch the counter to find your keyboard's limit.
Does the keyboard test work with any layout?
Yes. It reads each key by its physical position rather than the letter it types, so it works with any language or layout. The character shown reflects your current layout, while the code reflects the physical key.