It wouldn’t have to involve the stem if it is going to be an ALPS SKCM/L type actuation. As with those switches the slider is smooth on both sides & just serves to push the leaves for actuation &/or click/tactility. So basically you’d need one side to have a permanent actuation leaf, then on the other side you need to have a removable click/tactile leaf just like SKCM ALPS are setup already, but in a MX housing. The literal only difference between click & tactile leaves on SKCM ALPS is the top wings are bent in towards the slider on click leaves & left flat against the housing for the tactile leaves. What happens there is with the top wings bent in towards the slider the top of the leaf can bend away from the housing when the slider is coming down on it then snap back onto the housing after the slider gets over the bump in the leaf to cause a click sound. With the tactile leafs having the wings out flat against the housing, that keeps the top of the leaf from moving & snapping back when the slider passes it creating just a tactile feel. So really you could just provide a tactile leaf with the switches which can have the wings bent in to become clicky, or the leaf completely removed to go linear.
Really interesting @Rob27shred! I will have to dig into ALPS switches more. I know of them but not really how they work.
Check out Deskthority’s wiki on them, it explains how they work really well! Even Though they’re known as complicated ALPS it’s kinda funny how simple their mechanism is. They get the complicated moniker because of how many pieces go into the actuation switchplates on them, but that is something you never have to take apart or mess with when dealing with them LOL!
Alps SKCL/SKCM series - Deskthority wiki
maybe. but he’s teased the clickiez for close to 3 years now, lol. This was the 3 in 1 switch originally.
at least there is a date this time
Oh yeah I wasn’t sure if this was the same one yeah it seems like something has been coming soon since like forever
Isn’t Q4 now? 
Yeah it’s like half way over
I never really understood the appeal of a 3 in 1 switch unless it was to charge 3x the price per switch over standard Zeal switches. It’s not like people in this hobby shy away from buying switches that are even slightly different than what they already own.
My concern would be that tools that try to do a bunch of things do none of them well, so I’d be leery of any combo switch. That said, a clicky switch from Zeal could be interesting.
if I remember correctly, the goal was to have a click like a leaf spring click in alps. If he’s accomplished this, it would certainly be interesting.
That could be a really cool switch if he pulls it off. I’ll definitely have to stay tuned into this one.
Haven’t looked in discord but one thing to note from that pic is the unique housing top. Looks like the alps inspired click may be happening.
Was gonna say, that’s the first time I’ve seen anything on top of a Gateron housing other than “GATERON”
I’m curious how that housing can avoid contact with GMK R3 caps. Looks like it could be an issue. Perhaps it doesn’t matter since they are clicky.
It might bottom out at <4mm - GMK R3 works fine on north-facing Panda switches too.
Apparently these do use a ALPS like click leaf, in the Discord it was said these were based off ProWorld switches with some much needed improvements to the design. So you will be able to linearize them if you want, but that would leave you with a basic MX style linear so not really worth it. Looking at the click leaf in the ProWorlds i highly doubt you’d be able tactilize them so to speak like you can with ALPS by bending the little arms on the sides of the click leaf in. Now I understand why he dropped the 3 in 1 ideal. It can only be 2 in 1 unless he felt like having tactile leaves made (if even possible with this design) & sending them with the switches. I’ll be grabbing a few for my collection, but don’t see myself using these.
Pretty cool. I don’t think I am interested in a click-y, but I would love if he could get this with like a round bump similar to ALPs browns or something.
Yeah fingers crossed this leads to a tactile made this way, although the fact he dropped 3 in 1 & these can be linerized doesn’t give me a ton of hope there.