My impression of the marketing around mechanical keyboard switches
This is a caricature of how I feel mechanical keyboard switches are being marketed these days. I do not mean to judge anybody and I am having a good time learning about all the options out there, while typing on my boring Cherry Black switches. Have fun!
XGF Mixed Signal buttery and coarse switch
XGF have done it again with another banger of a design! Mixed Signal holds nothing back in terms of tactility. The bump comes right at the start of the force-travel curve and extends all the way to the end at the unusual 3mm mark. Expect the affair to be short and bumpy throughout.
The top housing is made out of exclusive UOM blend, which industry insiders affirm is tougher than polycarbonate. The bottom housing stands at the opposite end of the spectrum with its patented “Easy Peasy” composition. Collisions on each key press thus produce a distinct sound signature that oscillates between buttery smoothness and crunching coarseness.
Tipsy Hidden Claptrap slippery slope switch
Tipsy switches are highly rated in enthusiast circles owning to their celebrated “thlatch” sound profile. Hidden Claptrap has earned all its plaudits through its brilliant performance since its release this past summer.
The best-in-class lubrication method of Tipsy ensures that the leaf, stem, and spring are bathed in the finest industrial oils. The linear feedback is smooth and slippery as an eel.
The stem pole is long, creating a noticeable bottom out event at 3.9mm. The switch housings are carved out of secret TLP material, which is optimised to contribute to the peerless “schlushness” of the thing.
K9 Yappy Puppy high pitched switch
K9 remind us why they remain the indisputable authority in the niche of “slinky” aesthetics. Yappy Puppy follows in the footsteps of modern classics like Flamboyant Chihuahua (loud “kratsch” effect) and Docile Werewolf (silent “dling”).
The robust scissor cut internals have the unmistakable effect of sharpening the stem as the switch is broken in. The shortened travel distance of 3.4mm combined with the early actuation point at 1.2mm make for a snappy typing experience.
Compared to K9’s other offerings from this year’s lineup, Yappy Puppy has more “beleh” than Boisterous Jackal and less “thung” than Irate Bear.
Bonus: innovative NIH keycap profile
In collaboration with Santa’s elves, our engineers have spent the last half decade reverse engineering the moulds of the esteemed Lettuce profile in order to gain intimate knowledge of its subtle flaws.
The result of their tireless endeavours is a masterpiece of originality: NIH. Compared to Lettuce, the top row is 1mm shorter on the bottom side with a slightly less acute angle at the edges, facilitating faster roll motions. The spacebar is marginally more concave, boosting comfort for typists and gamers alike. Legends are exactly 0.0001489% more compact than Lettuce, making them crisp and highly legible. There is no part of the process we did not consider thoroughly, while painstakingly going through these technical details.
We are proud to bring such a unique design to market and are confident you will combine it with one of the aforementioned trailblazing switches to reach endgame levels of “klong” in your new weekly build.