August 20, 2024 Razer has provided the following comment to PCGN on the banning of Snap Tap in CS2: “We have noted inquiries regarding the Razer Snap Tap feature on our Huntsman V3 Pro line of gaming keyboards. Razer Snap Tap is disabled by default. Users who opt to activate this feature can disable it any time through Razer Synapse or by using a simple hotkey combination, FN + Left Shift. Razer is committed to innovation that enhances gaming performance while also allowing gamers to comply with the rules of each game.”
Valve is laying down the law with the advancement in keyboard inputs, slamming input-automation features, and even going so far as to name Snap Tap as an example. In a major blog post, Valve stops short of threatening a ban for CS2 players, instead warning that matches may be interrupted if the feature is left on.
Some of the best gaming keyboards now come with this new input technology, and while Snap Tap is Razer‘s version of this, it isn’t the only one that has been blacklisted by Valve. Wooting’s Rappy Snappy is also on the chopping block, and this move sets a concerning precedent for other competitive shooters to follow.
Snap Tap, as a feature, is largely divisive within the Counter-Strike community. Some see it as cheating while others view it as leveraging a new technological advancement that anyone could technically have access to if they own the right keyboard.
Valve, however, is making its stance very clear, and in a game update today is formally requesting that; “If you have a keyboard that includes an input automation feature (e.g. “Snap Tap Mode”), be sure to disable the feature before you join a match in order to avoid any interruption to your matches”.
It’s not yet known if Valve has any way of detecting whether a feature like Snap Tap is being used, and can issue a ban as a result. The thinly veiled threat of match interruption, however, seems to suggest it might be able to detect the usage of such features.
Elsewhere in the update, scripting used to “circumvent core skills” is being outright banned. This includes null-binds and jump-throw binds. Initial community feedback via X (formerly Twitter) is split. Many CS2 players are pointing out that this issue is of little concern compared to the more blatant cheating on official servers, while others back the move, claiming it brings the game back to being a level playing field and removing hardware advantages.
Now that we have Razer’s response, we will wait to see if community feedback has any impact on Valve’s decision, however, this is incredibly unlikely.