👋 About Corey
Hi! I’m Corey, based in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. I work as a Lead DevOps Engineer and in my free time I’m an avid gamer.
I work from home and I’m a lefty, which makes finding a keyboard that works well for gaming quite a chore. I also use Mac (for work) and Linux (for personal use) daily, so I have to juggle variable keybinds between both systems.
I’m also a gamer dad — more or less a meme! I love ARPGs like Path of Exile and Last Epoch, but I also get entrenched in strategy games for weeks at a time.
🥰 Corey's Keyboards
In the last four years, I have spent a wild amount of money on keyboards. I tried SteelSeries, DasKeyboard, Corsair, and Logitech before finding the Dygma Raise 2. As a lefty, finding something that works better for games was tough — I use arrow keys instead of WASD, so I spend a lot of time remapping keys so my left hand can be free for the mouse.
Spending 8+ hours per day at my desk between work and gaming was becoming hard on my wrists. A friend told me about the Raise 2, and after researching it, I decided to pre-order it. I now increase my tenting every 2–3 weeks until I find the perfect spot for my hands.
“It has helped remove stress that can lead to carpal tunnel!”
Today, my Raise 2 is split and tented, with a mouse in the middle. For me, it’s the ultimate balance between ergonomics and performance.
🚀 Corey's Ergonomic Journey
The Raise 2 has taken stress off my wrists and helped with the start of carpal tunnel. It even led me to purchase a left-handed vertical mouse (Logitech Lift).
“It has also allowed me to change keys, so going from Mac to Linux, my key binds are nearly identical.”
For gaming, it’s a dream: I have essentially a gamepad configured with buttons in a close setting. Just hit a key and BAM — I’m set for the type of game I play. For work, I use a lot of macros and calls. The Raise 2 lets me configure it perfectly with GitHub and Visual Studio Code, vastly reducing my reliance on the mouse.
🖥️ Corey's Setup
I use a M2 MacBook Pro for work and a custom gaming desktop with CachyOS for personal use. I mostly sit in a chair at the perfect height for my setup.
I keep a dedicated VSCode and GitHub layer, packed with macros and shortcuts for work. For gaming, the right side of the keyboard handles my actions and movement — no more hunting for keys.
Soon, I’ll be swapping the standard keycaps for dashed ones, as my workflow has evolved to that point.
My workflow is all about layers and accessibility — ensuring my setup adapts seamlessly between Mac, Linux, work, and play.
Now, I just switch between layers: MMO, Strategy, or ARPG, and 95% of my keys are already configured. It’s made gaming as a lefty way more accessible with little to no extra work required.
🤖 Corey's Layers
Layers are hands down my favorite feature. They make the keyboard work for me, instead of me working around it.
Let me explain the six layers that I use in my daily life:
Layer 1 is largely standard and used for Mac.
L4 is my Linux/Windows layer, which mirrors Mac binds.
L5 is my VSCode and GitHub layer with macros and builds.
L7 and L8 are ARPG layers — one for WASD games, one for non-WASD.
L9 is my WoW/MMO layer.
L10 will be for strategy games as I expand 😉
🌐 Connect with Corey
You can connect with Corey on LinkedIn. Reach out if you want to chat about DevOps, gaming setups, or making ergonomics work as a lefty.
Thanks, Corey!
Your story shows how ergonomics, gaming, and productivity can all be improved with the right tools. The Raise 2 gave you the freedom to build layers that adapt to every part of your life.
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