Keyboards with optical switches, why are they better than mechanics?

Posted by markwahl barg on November 27th, 2019

We are seeing that lately, the switches that are becoming fashionable in the keyboard market are the printable membrane keypad. And they are becoming fashionable because they offer all the advantages and feel of traditional mechanical switches, but with much more durability. If you are a serious gamer, you should consider changing your keyboard.

First of all, let's define what is an optical switch. Unlike traditional mechanical switches, where the signal that is recorded is the contact between two metal surfaces, which are the ones that transmit the order, nothing happens in the optical switches. 

What there is is an optical sensor that is aware of whether the light comes or not, thus identifying the position of the key, since it can only be in the on or off position.

As there is no physical contact between metal surfaces, that means that the performance and response to the change in signal status are much faster than what we will find in a traditional mechanical keyboard. 

Faster response means that the keyboard is capable of processing much more information per second, which will always be in the best interest of any player who knows what is being done.

Optical switches also have many more advantages:

Apart from the quick operation of these switches, the stock membrane switches have many more advantages:

Since there is no contact between surfaces, its durability is tremendously superior to what we would find in a good mechanical switch. 

For example, some of the best membrane switches manufacturers offer keypad with 100 million keystrokes, which is twice what traditional mechanical switches usually have. Since we have invested enough money in a keyboard, what less than having the peace of mind that it will last us a lot.

If the above has not convinced you, it will convince you that the membrane switches are not soldered to the keyboard. This means that they can be replaced very easily in case of failure of one of them or that we want to create a keyboard with mixed switches of different characteristics.

They are partially liquid-resistant switches, as long as the keyboard PCB is also more or less insulated against them.

In short, if you are a gamer who has just spent $ 200 on his last keyboard, you may have invested at a time where the market will undergo a serious transformation in the high-end market. Visit our site and know about membrane switches vs mechanical.