Thoughts on switches Part 4: Gateron Red Ink V2

             I’ve developed a more focused sense for what I like when it comes to my keyboard switches. Though I initially started by using clicky switches I’ve sense come to deeply appreciate and enjoy linear switches. I also find myself liking both lighter weight switches and heavier switches over the years. When it comes to linear switches, however, Gateron’s Red Ink switches are of the lighter variety coming in at 45g actuation and 60g to bottom out. Contrast that to the 67g bottom out of my choice of C³Equalz Tangerine switches or 55g actuation and 70g bottom out for Novelkeys Creams. The 45g actuation force is a relatively common weighting for lower weight switches, with Cherry’s own Red, Silent Red, and Speed Silver all coming in at that same actuation force.

 

            In that, it’s a light, smooth, and typical linear switch. Their distinct design however makes them easily stand out from the crowd of other light linear switches as the housing is a transparent but deep red paired with a red stem. As such they are instantly recognizable, looking almost blood red and having a smooth feel and light sound. Like other linear switches, because there is no tactile event bottoming out is something that can be easily avoided through softer key presses through training. As such they can be particularly quiet, like other linear switches, because of that reduced bottoming out. I find the weighting at the lower level of what I find comfortable for daily usage because I find lighter switches so light that I manage to accidentally set them off simply through my resting of my fingers. Therefore, switches like Gateron Clear switches with 35g actuation are simply too finnicky even for my small fingers.

 

            Coming from heavier switches, or even more jarringly coming from tactile or clicky switches, carries an adjustment period when I come back to these switches that doesn’t happen with heavier linear switches. During that time, I find an increase in typos and accidental keypresses because of the lightness and smoothness of these switches. Generally, with a day or two, my errors disappear, and I am back to my typical typing speed and habits. They are more forgiving than some other 45g switches as they at least maintain the typical distances, 2.0mm for actuation and 4.0mm to bottom out. Shorter throw switches, such as the various speed switches have their throws typically in the range of 1.1mm to 1.5mm. Having used shorter throw switches like those I find they are rather unforgiving when it comes to errors because they are simultaneously light and have a higher actuation point.

 

            For Red Inks I’ve found I do like them a lot as a light switch. They are not without faults, however. I found my largest complaint with them is that of quality of the switches themselves. I had a higher ratio with annoyances versus most other switches. Primarily, I noticed a higher incidence of switches with distractingly annoying spring ping to them. I also have noticed they have more wobble than most other switches in their price category of $0.75 a switch, a full $0.10 more than either Novelkeys Creams or C³Equalz Tangerines. They do have a high-quality smoothness that is worlds better than the likes of other stock switches, but I do find myself wondering if they are worth the premium over other mainstream linear switches also produced by Gateron, such as some of the variants of their Red and Yellow switches, specifically the ones with milky housings. This is even more in my mind with other recent releases of smoothness focused linear switches such as the Novelkeys Silk and Dry switches which come in at $0.55 a switch, and in the case of the Silk series, are even factory lubricated.

 

            In that regard, Red Inks suffer similarly to other earlier well-lauded switches in that at one point they were considered pricy, but excellent, linear switch, especially for those willing to invest the time for lubricating them. And that still certainly holds true, other smoother switches, or least equally smooth are available and with more competition than ever. When the competition were Zeal switches at $1.00-1.20 a switch, $0.75 was a bargain. But, when the competition are the growing numbers of JWK and Durock switches, both pre-lubricated and unlubricated depending on your needs, these are looking less appealing. However, part of why I did get them in 2021 despite the dearth of other options was to see, hear, and feel what were once some of the most sought-after switches for myself. And certainly, part of their appeal was their distinct appearance with that crimson housing. It’s a large part of why I opted for the Red Inks despite the Black Inks being weighted closer to my previous preference for linear switches. That combination of lighter switch and unique housing was ultimately what made me choose them over other linear switches I was looking at.

 

            And, for that, I am satisfied with them. After weeding out the worst pinging switches and removing one which the stem catches on the housing, I have a keyboard experience that is light, smooth, quiet, yet retains a lovely sound when paired with my Susuwatari keycaps leaving them with a lovely resonance in my case. I wouldn’t say they’re for everyone, or even most people, but if you are interested in collecting some more unique switches with distinctive housings, or even for matching an aesthetic, they are still a fun switch to play around with and see just how far you can push them. And with the tweaked tooling found in the V2, to reduce issues with the contact leaves, these are the best Gateron Ink switches you can get now. Plus, if you do use them with backlighting because they have solid housing, they show a rather mean red glow no matter what color is illuminating them and that is a really cool aesthetic in my view.