Comparative guide to keypad switch types

At Newskill we have a super wide catalog of gaming keyboards, and each one has its specific characteristics, as well as a type of switch. It is important that you have clear the main use you will give to your keyboard, in order to choose the switch that best suits your needs. To help you with your choice, we have made this guide in which you will be able to consult what our switches Kailh, Kailh Speed, Outemu and Gateron, can offer you

Characteristics to be taken into account

Before we get into the subject, we want you to fully understand the main characteristics that differentiate each type of switch, and how they modify its behavior and influence your accuracy or speed, whether we are talking about playing or typing, as these are the main uses that are usually given to a keyboard

• Travel distanceThis measurement is the total distance that the key can travel if pressed fully. Depending on the type of switch, it will not be necessary to press to its maximum for the key to perform the action.
• Actuating force (Resistance): The actuation force or resistance offered by a key, is the pressure we will have to exert to press it all the way down.
• Actuation point/Activation distanceThe actuation point is the minimum distance that the key on our keyboard must travel for the keystroke to be registered and the action to be performed
• SoundEach switch emits a noise when it is pressed, which can be quiet, gentle or clicky, from lower to higher sonority. This depends more on taste than usefulness.
• Type of sensationEach switch is accompanied by a type of sensation when the key is pressed tactile, clicky or linear. The tactile switches have a small notch that alters for a moment the pressure that must be exerted to continue pressing the key until the end, and it is at that moment when it reaches its actuation point. The clicky ones have a combined system of parts that is known as double-click or click-clack. This is because, when pressed, a click sounds when it reaches the actuation point and another when it reaches the end of the total pressing stroke. Linear switches are the simplest, because they do not have any type of mechanism that warns when we have reached the actuation distance.

Our mechanical and optomechanical gaming keyboards

Currently, all our keyboards are mechanical except for the Gungnyr range, which is made up of several models of keyboards optomechanics. In the following, we will go deeper into the characteristics of each type, because this directly influences the performance of your switches and which ones you will be able to use

We will start with mechanical keyboards, which are much more versatile than membrane keyboards and have a much longer service life, so they compensate for their price, which is somewhat higher than membrane keyboards, with their durability

When we say that mechanical keyboards are very versatile, it is because they can really adapt to any use you want to give them, so it is important that you choose the right switch

Outemu Switches

At Newskill we have been offering mechanical keyboards with Outemu switches for some time now, in their three classic versions: Red, Blue and Brown. We explain the features of each type, which we are sure you already know.

• Outemu Red (Quiet): This switch has a durability of more than 55 million keystrokes and a actuation force of 47 gf, while its activation distance is only 2mm. This makes it a mechanism suitable for players with a certain level, the keystrokes are fast and the typing is smooth, with a linear feel and very quiet

• Outemu Brown (Gentle): As in the case of the Red version, its life span of more than 55 million keystrokes, its actuating force is about 46 gf and activation distance of 2mm. However, it has a softer (gentle) sound, a tactile feel, and it is the perfect hybrid between gaming and office automation

• Outemu Blue (Clicky): Main features very similar to the previous modelsOver 55 million keystrokes, actuating force of 40 gf and activation distance of only 2mm but with a tactile feel and significantly more sound than its other versions. Perfect for gaming or writing at high speed

Outemu switches are present on our keyboards Serike, , Serike TKL,Pyros and its editionsspecial, Lavender y Aqua,Chronos, our TKL with numeric pad and two interchangeable layouts, as well as in the Ivory versions of all these models

Kailh and Kailh Speed Switches

Kailh switches are another big name in the gaming world, along with Outemu mechanisms. At Newskill we have been working with them for years, and we have recently launched a keyboard, Pyros Speed, with Kailh Speed switches, a faster version of the Kailh. We will now explain the differences between this range of switches.

Kailh are available in the same versions as Outemu: Red, Brown and Blue, and offer similar characteristics. The ones that differ the most are the ones available in the Speed version: Bronze, Copper and Silver, which are a safe bet if you are looking to play at the highest level

Kailh Switches

• Kailh Red (Quiet): This switch has a durability of more than 55 million keystrokes and a actuating force of about 45 gf. Like its "brother" Outemu, it is intended primarily for gamers, it has a very high sensitivity and speed, also due to its 2mm activation distance. It has a linear type of sensation and is silent.

• Kailh Brown (Gentle): Same service life of about 55 million keystrokes and activation distance of 2mm, but with a actuation force of 42 gf. As in the case of Outemu Brown, it has a light sound and a soft touch, suitable for both for games as well as for any other use related to the office automation.

• Kailh Blue (Clicky): This mechanism shares all the features of the Red switch, the sound is louder and the sensation when pressing is tactile, similar to the touch of a mouse. It is perfect for play and write

Kailh switches are present in our modelSuiko, as well as in its Ivory versions, our range of white keyboards

Kailh Speed Switches

Kailh Speed switches offer the following features special for gamers, compared to the original Kailhs, since their reactions are ultra fast. In general, they offer a somewhat longer service life of about 70 million keystrokes and, we have preferred to make a graph so that the specifications of the three variants are clear

The combination of travel and operating force in the Kailh Speed switches, makes the difference with the rest of the switches, being reduced by half compared to the original Kailh and Outemu switches

These switches are available exclusively on our Pyros Speed Pro model, both inblack color as in white

Gateron optomechanics

The latest addition to our product range of switches is the Gateron mechanisms, available in our range of optomechanical keyboards Gungnyr Pro, with full layoutO TKL. These switches differ mainly in two characteristics, with respect to the previous ones are optomechanical and interchangeable

The combination of Gungnyr with these optomechanical switches, results in a perfect keyboard to customize it to the millimeter. Thanks to the combination of characteristics of the mechanical and optical mechanisms, you will get a keyboard with a minimum operating distance, since the action will be triggered by a laser of light, the keypad has a very comfortable keystroke feel, without having to make contact with the base of the keyboard. This makes them ultra-fast and with a much longer service life, the keypad and switch are barely in contact with each other

In addition, as they are interchangeable, a feature also known as hot swap, you can choose between our six 20-unit packs of Gateron switches, gungnyr keyboard to adapt to every game genre, game or task so that you always perform at the highest level

In the table below you can compare the switches, as well as what they are suitable for, but note that the Gungnyr range comes standard with Gateron Red switches, perfect for both gaming and typing. Combined with these Gateron packs, you can have a thousand keyboards in one, always ready for anything you set your mind to