If you are new to switches and only know famous switch brands like Cherry or Gateron, it is a big mistake. With the development of current technology, more and more manufacturers are participating in the market of producing switches for mechanical keyboards. Here are some prominent switch brands in 2021 that you should know.
Outemu
Outemu is a Switch brand from China that has become familiar to Vietnamese gamers in recent years on low-cost and mid-range mechanical keyboards. After a long period of development and quality upgrades, Outemu switches are now becoming more popular on low-cost and mid-range mechanical keyboards.
The workmanship quality of Outemu switches is relatively good, the typing feel is relatively solid and not loose like some other Chinese Switch brands.
Kailh
Kaihua is a Chinese switch manufacturer. Unlike many other switch manufacturers that are less active and rarely release new switch products, Kailh constantly innovates and releases a series of switches with new names, new colors and features with a few innovations, but basically the same as a certain type on the market, mostly inspired by Cherry switches.
Along with Gateron, Kailh is also a switch brand that emerged from the beginning of Cherry MX switch clones. Kailh's most prominent switch line is the Kailh box switch. It is a fairly perfect copy of the Cherry MX switch but is reinforced with an outer box layer, ensuring that the keys do not shake or feel unsteady when pressed, even with high-profile keys. In addition, the outer shell is also very effective in resisting dust, moisture and scratches, bringing special durability to the Kailh box switch line.
Akko
Also a manufacturer from China, Akko started out as a company specializing in the production of keycap products for mechanical keyboards. Later, the company expanded its market and specialized in making mechanical keyboard models using homegrown Akko switches and was highly appreciated by many keyboard players.
In addition to the improved Akko switch V2 line with good finishing quality, Akko's main high-end switch line is the CS switch. This is a custom switch line developed by Akko to satisfy users' passion for experiencing the typing feeling. The biggest difference between the CS switch and the AKKO switch v2 is the spring. The spring has a thicker amplitude, promising to bring a unique and different experience to users.
Topre
Topre used to be strange, but now it's famous. This is a keyboard switch manufacturer from Japan. Their switches don't use springs to create elasticity, but use a rubber pad to do that. From the feeling of key travel, the feeling of bottoming out, or the weight of the switch all depend on this rubber pad. The spring in the switch acts as a magnetic induction signal generator. So it's not right to say that Topre is a mechanical switch, the most correct is probably to call it a mechanical-rubber hybrid magnetic switch.
The tactile feel on Topre is extremely clear compared to Cherry and other switches. It also gives an extremely “smooth” pressing feel, and is extremely quiet.
Omnipoint
This is a special type of switch that has a signal generation mechanism based on the principle of magnetic flux variation. It can be called a magnetic switch. This switch model does not use copper sheets like traditional mechanical switches, they have a special signal generation mechanism that uses a magnet under the stem and a magnetic flux sensor on the PCB (circuit). Depending on the distance of the magnet from the sensor, the sensor can receive different levels of magnetic flux. And users can customize the sensitivity of these sensors through software to set the key recognition point of the keyboard. This design has been exclusively patented.
Compared to Cherry's traditional Red switch, OmniPoint gives a noticeably smoother pressing feel, with almost no "rustling" feeling throughout the entire key travel. Each press is extremely smooth and has very little friction, and the smoothness between keys using OmniPoint switches is also very even. If you like the smooth feeling of linear switches, the author is sure you will like this type of switch.
Flaretech
We can consider Flaretech as a pioneer manufacturer when their products have been applied to the Celeritas 2 keyboard of the "Esport boss" - Zowie and the flagship keyboard of Gigabyte, the Aorus K9. All of them inherit the essence of optical switch technology, bringing a huge advantage over conventional optical switches. This type of switch receives signals by refraction mechanism. When pressing the key, a lens on the stem will be placed in the right position of the light beam, directing the light to the signal receiver and creating a signal.
Because it does not use copper foil, this type of switch has eliminated copper foil friction for an extremely smooth feel. Flaretech's optical switches also have the ability to change the key recognition point, however, currently no manufacturer has been able to take advantage of this ability because this feature requires the development of both special software and hardware to be able to support.
Opto-Mechanical
Razer's Opto-Mechanical, this is a line of optical switches developed by Razer. It has a 10 gram lighter actuation force than Cherry's standard blue switch, feels extremely bouncy and does not emit the characteristic "gritty" sound of a blue switch, very crisp and clean. The Omnipoint switch gives an extremely smooth typing feeling that I dare say is superior to all current linear mechanical switches, not only eliminating friction between the stem and the copper plate but also having very little friction between the stem and the housing, friction is still there, not that it is not there, but you will almost not be able to feel it. In addition, Razer also developed a linear red Opto-Mechanical version for eSport competition purposes.
Not only does it combine the advantages of optical switches and give a pressing feeling that is not inferior to traditional mechanical switches. This switch line is also equipped with a stabilizer bar on each switch, helping the stem and keycap to be stable and reduce vibration, thereby giving a more solid pressing feeling. In general, this is also a top-of-the-line switch at the present time.
