What Are Macros in Gaming and Do You Need Them?
There are few topics in the gaming world as hotly debated as the legitimacy of configuring macros for games. The huge variety of uses for macros brings that same variety of answers and opinions related to the topic.
In today’s article, we will discuss what are macros in gaming, are they ok to be used, how do you set them up, etc.
What Are Macros in Gaming?
The concept of macros can be lengthy and complex but for a simple and quick answer, as detailed by this video made by Linus, a macro is a shortcut that allows you to bypass the actions needed for a multiple-step process with a single keystroke.
These shortcuts are useful because they can greatly speed up the execution of boring and repetitive tasks.
The macro can usually be saved by software like Razer Synapse or in case your peripherals (mouse or keyboard) support that function, the macro can be stored in the on-board memory of your device.
For a clearer explanation let us assume you are playing a game in which you need to hold shift then right click and left click to collect a certain item. Let us assume you have completed the quest for the item multiple times and you want to collect let us say 500 of those rewards.
That would mean you would have to press the combination of keys 500 times one after the other. If that does not sound like a boring and repetitive task then I don’t know what will.
To simplify this process, you then create a macro that executes those keypresses and loops them with a delay. Congratulations, you have collected your reward x500 times without breaking a sweat! That is what macros are!
When Is It Safe to Use Macros in Gaming?
As mentioned before macros can be a point of contention between gamers and even can create troubles for you as your account could get banned from your favorite game.
Why would that happen? Well, the truth is that there are useful macros for gaming that can help you automate certain annoying tasks. At the same time, while there are useful gaming macros, there are also macros that can give you an unfair advantage over other players, therefore, creating trouble for the gamers that compete with you.
A good rule of thumb would be to only use macros in single-player games where the macros can help you automate certain tedious processes. Those would truly be the best macros for gaming as there are no downsides to using them for yourself or others.
If it so happens that your favorite game is multiplayer, but you really want to automate a process, make sure it is an innocent task, like for example buying loadouts in CS:GO or Valorant.
If you are thinking of using macros in an RPG PVP game to chain spells for example for easy combos you will most likely get banned so we would advise to refrain from such use.
How Do You Create Macros?
If you are interested in macros you have probably heard that your friends have software macros set up (like the Logitech gaming hub), or macros installed on their mice and they are enjoying the benefits of hard tasks performed quickly.
To create a set of macro commands for yourself you need to make sure that your keyboard or mouse supports those features natively through their software, or alternatively, you can use software such as AutoHotKey to create scripts that execute macro commands.
Overall we would once again advise caution when creating macros for multiplayer games as sometimes extremely quick inputs can trigger an anti-cheat response and get you banned – otherwise automate your single-player farming experience to your heart’s content!
Happy farming gamers!