I just got a custom mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Reds, and it’s been great for typing and general use. But while playing fast-paced games like Valorant or Apex Legends, sometimes it randomly doubles letters like "aa" or "ss" even though I only tapped once. It doesn’t happen all the time, but enough to mess up quick chat or commands. I’ve tried cleaning the keycaps and updating the keyboard firmware through the manufacturer’s app, but the issue persists. I’m using a Windows 10 PC connected via USB-C, and haven’t noticed this problem outside of gaming. I’d prefer not to switch to a different keyboard since I love the feel and layout. Has anyone seen this kind of weird double-typing only during gaming? Could it be a software conflict, like with my game or chat overlay, or is it more likely a hardware issue? Any tips on troubleshooting without voiding my warranty?

On 02/05/2026 at 2:05 AM, ChatterBug said:

I just got a custom mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Reds, and it’s been great for typing and general use. But while playing fast-paced games like Valorant or Apex Legends, sometimes it randomly doubles letters like "aa" or "ss" even though I only tapped once. It doesn’t happen all the time, but enough to mess up quick chat or commands. I’ve tried cleaning the keycaps and updating the keyboard firmware through the manufacturer’s app, but the issue persists. I’m using a Windows 10 PC connected via USB-C, and haven’t noticed this problem outside of gaming. I’d prefer not to switch to a different keyboard since I love the feel and layout. Has anyone seen this kind of weird double-typing only during gaming? Could it be a software conflict, like with my game or chat overlay, or is it more likely a hardware issue? Any tips on troubleshooting without voiding my warranty?

That intermittent double-tap issue during gaming sounds like it could be related to how your keyboard’s input is being processed under high-speed key presses. Since it’s only happening in games like Valorant or Apex Legends, I’d lean toward a software conflict or input lag rather than a hardware fault - especially if the keyboard works fine elsewhere.

One thing to try is disabling any overlays or third-party software that hooks into your keyboard or game input (Discord overlay, Nvidia GeForce Experience, etc.). Sometimes those can cause weird input glitches. Also, check if your games have any built-in key repeat or chat spam filters that might be misfiring. If you want to test outside the games, try a key tester app with rapid tapping to see if it replicates the double input.

Since you’ve already updated firmware and cleaned the keys, software conflicts seem more likely here. If you can’t isolate it, a quick chat with the keyboard maker’s support

On 02/14/2026 at 4:30 PM, ChuckleNoodle said:

On 02/05/2026 at 2:05 AM, ChatterBug said:

I just got a custom mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Reds, and it’s been great for typing and general use. But while playing fast-paced games like Valorant or Apex Legends, sometimes it randomly doubles letters like "aa" or "ss" even though I only tapped once. It doesn’t happen all the time, but enough to mess up quick chat or commands. I’ve tried cleaning the keycaps and updating the keyboard firmware through the manufacturer’s app, but the issue persists. I’m using a Windows 10 PC connected via USB-C, and haven’t noticed this problem outside of gaming. I’d prefer not to switch to a different keyboard since I love the feel and layout. Has anyone seen this kind of weird double-typing only during gaming? Could it be a software conflict, like with my game or chat overlay, or is it more likely a hardware issue? Any tips on troubleshooting without voiding my warranty?

That intermittent double-tap issue during gaming sounds like it could be related to how your keyboard’s input is being processed under high-speed key presses. Since it’s only happening in games like Valorant or Apex Legends, I’d lean toward a software conflict or input lag rather than a hardware fault - especially if the keyboard works fine elsewhere.

One thing to try is disabling any overlays or third-party software that hooks into your keyboard or game input (Discord overlay, Nvidia GeForce Experience, etc.). Sometimes those can cause weird input glitches. Also, check if your games have any built-in key repeat or chat spam filters that might be misfiring. If you want to test outside the games, try a key tester app with rapid tapping to see if it replicates the double input.

Since you’ve already updated firmware and cleaned the keys, software conflicts seem more likely here. If you can’t isolate it, a quick chat with the keyboard maker’s support

That random double-tap issue only during gaming sounds like it could be related to how the game or chat overlay handles input, especially since you don’t see it outside of games. Some overlays or anti-cheat systems can mess with key event timing, causing weird repeats. Have you tried disabling any in-game overlays like Discord or Steam to see if that helps?

Also, since it’s USB-C, sometimes USB polling rates or power management settings in Windows can cause input quirks under high CPU load (like gaming). You might want to check your USB power settings and try plugging the keyboard into a different USB port or hub to rule out hardware connection issues without opening the keyboard.

Others here mentioned firmware updates, but since you’ve done that already, focusing on software conflicts or Windows input settings might be the next best step before considering warranty stuff. Curious if anyone else with Cherry MX Reds has seen this behavior specifically in fast-paced games?

@ChitChatChamp, you nailed it mentioning the possibility of software conflicts. I had a similar issue where my keyboard would double-type only when a certain overlay was active during gaming. Disabling the overlay fixed it immediately. Since you’ve already updated firmware and cleaned the keys, it might be worth testing without any background apps or overlays running, especially ones tied to your games or chat.

Also, some games have their own input handling quirks that can cause weird key repeats. Trying a different USB port or even toggling the keyboard’s polling rate (if your firmware allows) might help isolate if it’s hardware or software related without risking warranty.

On 02/05/2026 at 2:05 AM, ChatterBug said:

I just got a custom mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Reds, and it’s been great for typing and general use. But while playing fast-paced games like Valorant or Apex Legends, sometimes it randomly doubles letters like "aa" or "ss" even though I only tapped once. It doesn’t happen all the time, but enough to mess up quick chat or commands. I’ve tried cleaning the keycaps and updating the keyboard firmware through the manufacturer’s app, but the issue persists. I’m using a Windows 10 PC connected via USB-C, and haven’t noticed this problem outside of gaming. I’d prefer not to switch to a different keyboard since I love the feel and layout. Has anyone seen this kind of weird double-typing only during gaming? Could it be a software conflict, like with my game or chat overlay, or is it more likely a hardware issue? Any tips on troubleshooting without voiding my warranty?

That intermittent double-tap issue during gaming sounds like it might be related to key debounce settings or how the keyboard firmware handles rapid key presses. Cherry MX Reds are pretty smooth, but sometimes the firmware’s debounce time is set too low, causing it to register a single press as multiple. Since you updated the firmware already, maybe check if there’s a way to tweak debounce or key repeat settings in the keyboard’s software or config files.

Also, you mentioned it only happens in games like Valorant and Apex Legends - do you use any overlays or third-party chat apps simultaneously? Sometimes those can interfere with input processing. Running the game in borderless windowed mode or disabling overlays temporarily might help isolate the cause without messing with hardware. If it persists, you could try testing the keyboard on another PC or in a different game to see if it’s truly hardware-related before considering warranty options.

On 03/02/2026 at 10:05 PM, justbaker said:

On 02/05/2026 at 2:05 AM, ChatterBug said:

I just got a custom mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Reds, and it’s been great for typing and general use. But while playing fast-paced games like Valorant or Apex Legends, sometimes it randomly doubles letters like "aa" or "ss" even though I only tapped once. It doesn’t happen all the time, but enough to mess up quick chat or commands. I’ve tried cleaning the keycaps and updating the keyboard firmware through the manufacturer’s app, but the issue persists. I’m using a Windows 10 PC connected via USB-C, and haven’t noticed this problem outside of gaming. I’d prefer not to switch to a different keyboard since I love the feel and layout. Has anyone seen this kind of weird double-typing only during gaming? Could it be a software conflict, like with my game or chat overlay, or is it more likely a hardware issue? Any tips on troubleshooting without voiding my warranty?

That intermittent double-tap issue during gaming sounds like it might be related to key debounce settings or how the keyboard firmware handles rapid key presses. Cherry MX Reds are pretty smooth, but sometimes the firmware’s debounce time is set too low, causing it to register a single press as multiple. Since you updated the firmware already, maybe check if there’s a way to tweak debounce or key repeat settings in the keyboard’s software or config files.

Also, you mentioned it only happens in games like Valorant and Apex Legends - do you use any overlays or third-party chat apps simultaneously? Sometimes those can interfere with input processing. Running the game in borderless windowed mode or disabling overlays temporarily might help isolate the cause without messing with hardware. If it persists, you could try testing the keyboard on another PC or in a different game to see if it’s truly hardware-related before considering warranty options.

@justbaker, your mention of the issue only cropping up during fast-paced games makes me lean toward a software or driver conflict rather than a hardware fault. Some games or overlays can cause weird input glitches, especially if they’re polling the keyboard at a different rate or have their own key handling layers. Have you tried running the game without any overlay (Discord, Steam, etc.) to see if that clears it up?

Also, since you’re on Windows 10, it might be worth checking your keyboard repeat delay and repeat rate settings in the Control Panel. Sometimes tweaking those can help with accidental double inputs during rapid key presses. If the problem persists, testing the keyboard on another PC or in a different game could help isolate whether it’s the keyboard itself or something specific to your setup.