Valorant Keycaps

In Valorant, a round is decided in a few tenths of a second and your left hand barely ever leaves the same square of keys. That is exactly what these Valorant keycaps dress up: sets of 14 PBT keys broken down agent by agent, from duelist to sentinel, for mechanical keyboards. Beyond the look, the product names state varied finishes — matte, textured, sculpted or non-slip — a point that genuinely matters when your fingers stay in the same place for hours.

What you should know before buying keycaps

Profiles: OEM, Cherry, SA and XDA

The profile defines the height and curve of each row. OEM is the factory standard on most gaming keyboards, with a different tilt depending on the row. Cherry is its lower, flatter cousin, often preferred for long sessions. SA is tall, with a pronounced spherical top that changes the angle of the wrist. XDA keeps the same height across every row, which simplifies everything on a partial set.

Texture and material: why PBT dominates in FPS

ABS gives bright colours but polishes quickly: the movement keys turn smooth and shiny, exactly where you want grip. PBT is denser and keeps its dry grain far longer, resists yellowing better and copes better with sweat. Every set in this collection states PBT, and several specify a particular finish in their name: matte, textured, sculpted or non-slip.

Printing: what lasts and what wears off

• Double-shot: two plastics moulded together, the legend runs right through the key. No wear is possible, but an illustration with gradients cannot be reproduced.
• Dye-sublimation: the dye migrates into the PBT under heat. The artwork becomes one with the material and does not wear off, with the classic limit of dark on light only.
• Laser engraving: the beam marks or removes material. It is crisp, durable, with a slight relief to the touch.
• Screen or pad printing: the only affordable method for a colour-rich design, but its longevity depends entirely on the coating applied over it.

RGB backlighting

An illustrated key is opaque: light does not pass through the artwork, it escapes around the edge of the key and reflects off the plate. For a legend that lights up, you would need a shine-through key with a translucent layer, incompatible with full-surface artwork.

Compatibility: MX stem and clones

These keycaps fit switches with an MX stem, the four-armed cross that has become the de facto standard. Cherry, Gateron, Kailh, Outemu, Akko, TTC, JWK and the vast majority of optical switches in gaming keyboards copy it identically. Excluded: membrane keyboards, laptop keyboards with scissor mechanisms, Topre and Alps switches, as well as low-profile keyboards with Choc switches.

AZERTY: what American sets forget

Off-the-shelf keycaps are designed for an ANSI keyboard in QWERTY. In France, three gaps stand out. The accented characters é, è, ç, à and ù have no equivalent in an American set, whereas here they occupy the number row and a key in the right-hand block. The M sits to the right of L on AZERTY and not at the bottom of the keyboard, which offsets any imported letter row. Finally, the L-shaped ISO Enter and the extra key next to the left Shift do not exist in an ANSI set. A 14 key set escapes these constraints since it only replaces chosen keys, in standard size.

How many keys to choose

• Fourteen keys cover the movement cluster, the four abilities, the walk key, crouch and the weapon slots. It is the format stated on every agent set in this collection.
• Twelve keys, more common in other universes, is enough if you only want to colour movement and abilities.
• A full set unifies the whole keyboard but means checking the space bar, the Enter key and the keys specific to ISO, a delicate exercise on AZERTY.

A useful reminder: a keycap changes no shortcut. Swapping the cap on a key alters neither the system layout nor your in-game binds. What you gain is an immediate visual and tactile landmark, which is no small thing when you need to find an ability without looking.

For a consistent setup, build on the agent's palette and stick to two shades, one dominant and one accent. Echo the dominant shade in the backlighting and on the pad, and keep the rest neutral.

Our selection

Duelists

Jett is listed as 14 ultra-light PBT keys, Raze as reinforced and Reyna as glow-in-the-dark. Phoenix, Neon and ISO, in a textured finish, complete the role.

Controllers

Omen comes as 14 matte PBT keys and Brimstone in a textured finish. Astra states laser engraving, Viper a washable set, and Harbor the classic 14 key PBT format.

Initiators

Breach is the only set listed as double-shot. Gekko goes for a non-slip finish, Fade is described as fade-resistant and KAY/O stays with the standard format.

Sentinels

Cypher states sculpted keys, Chamber laser engraving, Sage a soft-touch finish and Deadlock a non-slip treatment, ahead of Killjoy.

Outside the roster

The Nova set uses the 14 key PBT format, with a name that matches no agent on the roster.

Table of sets by agent

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my keyboard is compatible

Remove a key and examine the switch stem. If you see a four-armed cross, you are on MX, the standard shared by Cherry, Gateron, Kailh, Outemu, Akko, TTC and most optical gaming switches. A 14 key set will then fit with no adapter. A membrane, a scissor mechanism or a Topre switch will not do.

Do these sets work on an AZERTY keyboard

Yes. They are partial sets in standard size: you decide which positions to put them on, independently of the layout. The classic problems of American sets — missing accented é è ç à ù, M placed to the right of L on AZERTY, L-shaped ISO Enter — only affect full 104 key sets meant to reproduce an entire keyboard.

How do I remove the original keys

Use a wire puller, often supplied with mechanical keyboards and gentler than plastic models. Slip the two metal loops under two opposite edges of the cap, then pull straight up without tilting. Photograph the keyboard before taking it apart.

Do these keycaps deteriorate with use

PBT resists far better than ABS the polishing that makes keys shiny after a few months. As for the artwork, it all depends on the process: laser engraving or double-shot printing is part of the material and cannot come off, whereas a print laid on the surface depends on its coating. The movement keys are always the first affected.

Will the backlighting shine through the artwork

No, except on an explicitly translucent key. Agent artwork covers the whole surface and blocks the light, which comes out around the cap. The result is a coloured halo on the plate, often cleaner than a lit legend. Set the lighting to a shade close to the agent's palette.

Going further

Explore the whole catalogue in the keycaps collection or change universe with the League of Legends keycaps. To complete the configuration, our gaming mice let you tie the whole gaming station together.