We have a huge number of gaming keyboards on the market, but not all of them are the same. There are different formats, different designs and also, there are different types of drives or switches. We can find different types of mechanical switches according to the needs, but there are also different manufacturers that directly affect the price of the gaming keyboard and we are going to talk about them a bit.
Although there are many manufacturers of mechanical switches, we will not cover all of them, just a few. We have classified them between external and internal switches. External refers to switch manufacturers that sell to different brands and internal refers to brands that make their own switches.
Most common mechanical switches on the market
We can find a large number of mechanical switch manufacturers on the market and, in addition, they offer different ranges. We are not going to go into models and ranges, we are more interested in giving you a few brushstrokes of these manufacturers. Some are quite well known, since they are the most used and others are somewhat less known, but important.
- Cherry: this German manufacturer is the most important and oldest when it comes to mechanical switches for gaming keyboards. Currently, it is the largest manufacturer of this type of keyboard mechanism and they are one of the best appraisers. This manufacturer offers linear, tactile and clicky type switches, In addition to offering full and reduced format solutions
- Outemu: we now pass to chinese manufacturer of mechanical switches more important and known. They are very similar to the Cherry ones, but the unit cost is much lower, so it is used in entry-level keyboards
- Kailh: we did not leave China, to talk about another of the glarge switch manufacturers for gaming keyboards. The popularity of these switches has gone up a lot in recent years due to the great leap in quality that they offer
- gateron: would become the third party manufacturer most reputable in terms of mechanical switches for gaming keyboards and also chinese origin. The good thing about these switches is that they are the most close in quality to those offered by Cherry. They offer a great balance between quality, durability and price
- TTC: surely this chinese manufacturer does not sound like much to you, since it is little-used at the moment. They do have a good range of products, but outside of the Asian giant it is difficult to see them. At the quality level, they are worse than the previous ones, but the one they offer is a good product
- ZealPC: let’s go now to Canada to meet a manufacturer of mechanical switches quite a strangerbut very well valued between the keyboard assemblers. They offer quite good quality products, in addition to offering other elements to develop custom keyboards
Keyboard manufacturers producing their own switches
Some keyboard manufacturers have decided to develop their own switches. These are characterized by having slightly different mechanisms and features, such as actuation curves, customized. This really is a strategy to totally control the final product and offer the best quality to the user according to the standards of each brand.
- Logitech: currently is the largest manufacturer of peripherals At present with a great evaluation by users. This makes develop and manufacture your own mechanical switchess of high quality with personalized benefits. These are called Romer G and are highly valued among eSports professionals.
- Razer: it’s a maker of peripherals US which is characterized by offering solutions high quality. The company is characterized by offering two large Switch groups: mechanical and optical analogue. Within the mechanics, there are no big changes with solutions from other manufacturers, but the analog optics are quite interesting. These optical switches house a laser that when we press the key, activates a detection cell and the press is registered
- SteelSeries: another great peripheral manufacturer who has chosen to develop their own switches. The brand has the QX2 switches with linear, tactile and clicky routes. They have certain technical differences with respect to the Cherry, especially in the actuation curves
- Corsair: Although not well known, the American peripheral manufacturer It also has its own mechanical switches, well, sort of. Some time ago Corsair collaborates with Kailh to offer own mechanical switches. They really are slightly customized Kailh switches for their entry-level keyboards.
