Just find out these new switches from the SwitchModders Discord. It is a linear switch, a collaboration between Ducky and TTC and you can see the force curve on the website.
However, that’s not the main interesting part. It features a lego-like construction, which you can choose different case and bottoming out material. You can make the top housing have 4 different colors. Can create the stem in two-part, with a custom logo on the stem.
So now is possible to have a smooth PC switch with a nylon bottoming out sound, which will be extremely interesting.
What do you guys think?
If anything you like me to translate just leave a comment, I will translate that for you.
Really interesting… not sure it is for me. I would rather spend more for flashy caps than colorful switches… Pretty cool if you are going for a theme build!
I don’t really care about color as well. But quite a lot people in this community do care. What I care is the possiblity of smooth PC switches with nylon bottoming out sound.
This is pretty neat - reminds me a bit of how Microsoft will let you customize a controller for a bit extra.
I think my favorite part about it is letting the consumer chose materials, shapes, and whatnot rather than pretending all that stuff is some kind of secret sauce - kinda refreshing.
It’s like frankenswitching without having to buy the extra bits - no complaints there. Of course it’s all within limits but this strikes me as a “neat-o” thing that I think a fair amount of customers will appreciate.
Edit; some select snippets from their 8,950 pixels-tall marketing image:
These might be more interesting than I first thought - or at least potentially. If this format ends up with more support, as in more options to customize with, there could be some really cool possibilities.
The little symbol in-between the stem halves is something I could take or leave - but what piqued my interest here is the fact that the tube section is modular. I’m imagining tube sections with varying depths as well as lower stem halves with varying pole lengths to let the user dial-in not just the travel, but the type of bottom-out sound.
Honestly I’d think this was neat even if there were only one option, just for the sole fact that all the outer parts are polycarb, but the tube is polyamide and the frictional part of the stem is polyoxy.
Being able to choose the material for the tube would be extra cool - but I think they’re off to an eyebrow-raising good start here. They’re novel - but that’s not exactly a negative in this hobby. If nothing else, I say hats-off to TTC and Ducky for bringing some more innovation to the MX-compatible space.
I don’t think they can be cheap in anyway. Extra part means extra cost, and more parts means more assembly needed as well. Not surprised if they cost more than a $1 per switch
Received mine today, initial impressions are that they’re pretty smooth but with lots of spring ping. I don’t know when I’ll be building with it yet, but they look pretty nice in person.
Just happened to notice your photos are on mechanicalkeyboards’ sales page for this switch while I was thinking about snagging some. Have you had a chance to try them out yet?
They’re pretty neat. Not heavy but the spring is very preloaded; the curve is so flat the drop feels almost sudden. In context of the nylon-on-nylon long-pole bottom-out, I think that kind of spring fits.
Oh yeah, the top-out is polycarb-on-polycarb. Funky!
Factory lube on these is decent, and there’s even some on the spring, which I’m sure is helping. For a 3-pin, RGB lightpipe aesthetic novelty switch, these perform admirably.
They also look to be GMK-friendly, even when in their apparently intended LED-North orientation. (With the little heart right-side-up!) Speaking of LEDs and lightpipes; the top housing has one integrated right into the mold.
Also the clips are a little weird; I think an MX-style opener will work on them, but my tools aren’t here yet and I popped this one open with a trusty fingernail. Once I do have the tools I’ll be installing them in a board and giving them a proper try.
If you really wanted to, it’s possible to fill that little heart-shaped void with some other material and in another color. Be warned, it would be a very delicate and time consuming process.
Might make a fun Tae Keyboards or Hamaji Neo video, though…
This switch and its tooling seem like they may have been fairly expensive to develop, and certainly expensive to assemble and QC with the higher part count - and given that they perform well in addition to looking cool, I’d be surprised if we don’t see future variations on these.
Just tried these switches on my Gmmk pro and OMG they are freaking good in terms of sound, very deep bottom out and somewhat a clack top out comparing to hundreds of linear I have. The only complain is 3-pin, but it’s ok as they are very tight on plate.
Im getting 8x of these to put em on my daily driver.
It definitely took some fiddling. IIRC lots of gentle wiggling and a thin pry tool were involved.
The halves are friction-fit, but with at least 4 little posts so they’re on there pretty good.
I have metal “spudger” tools for this kind if thing but I think I actually just used my thumbnail to pry the halves apart once they started to separate.
The little polycarb heart was the toughest to get out if only because it was hard to get a tool between it and the other piece - I used a sharp dental pick, which did scratch the heart a bit. A bit of strong tape might work, too.
I think I’ll pass. It’s way too tedious for a customization job here. If they sell a all-POM stem separately I’d buy them to replace the whole stem to get a more consistent sound on up and down strokes. Let alone the smoothness.
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Once I do have the tools I’ll be installing them in a board and giving them a proper try.
for yourself - and of course, take a moment to give some to a keeb near you.