Thoughts on Switches Part 7: Hako Royal Clear

The Hako Royal Clear switches have intrigued me for a long time. Since hearing them described as heavy, tactile switches with an even stronger tactility in comparison to the Cherry Clear switches I thought I would like to try them. Thanks to the mystery switch sale from Novelkeys I now have 270 of them to use. These are now my third heavily tactile switch after Novelkey’s Blueberries and TKC’s Kiwis. What I have found is that, out of those two, I enjoy the Kiwis most. They have smoother actuation and are somewhat sharper in feel compared to the Blueberries.

Thus, I feel it fitting to compare the Hako Royal Clears (henceforth referred to as HRC for brevity’s sake) to both of those already outstanding tactile options. For actuation they are far closer in feeling to Kiwis than to the Blueberries. Blueberries have a noticeably longer throw at 3mm versus the 2mm of Kiwis and the roughly 1.5mm for the HRC. The HRC also bottom out fastest at 3.5mm versus 4mm for the others. Whilst the Blueberries are smooth and gradual, Kiwis and HRC are both sharper options. Between them all, I find the HRC to be sharpest feeling, edging out the Kiwis slightly.

I’ve come to be rather picky when it comes to tactile switches. Low tactility is less enjoyable for me, feeling too close to how linear switches smoothly activate and not enough differentiation. That said, switches can also be too tactile, too tiring to use. I feel the HRC switches straddle that line, for me being ever slightly onto the side of too tactile and too heavy. I found that they are one of the few switches that I find fatiguing to use when playing games in particular. They’re on the side of too heavy for me and while I don’t have accidental key presses, I also have presses that don’t register because I don’t impart enough force to fully actuate them. Combined with the shorter throw and heavy bottom out force I just don’t find myself enjoying them like I do with the Kiwis. Those are ever so slightly more rounded and softer than the HRC leading to a more relaxed typing experience.

Construction-wise, they’re very solid though. Fairly smooth, good switch stability and low wobble in both east-west and north-south directions due to the box type stems. Backlighting is excellent due to the clear top housing and the hole in the bottom housing for light to pass through. The stock lubrication is somewhat heavy and uneven. The result is switches that are largely smooth with little scratching, but which individual switches are somewhat distinctly different feeling. A few even have far more prominent ping and scratchiness if they have poor or no lubrication. It’s most noticeable on the return stroke when the stem hits the housing leading to a dull plastic thunk and ping with the spring.

For the sound of the switches, I find them fairly unremarkable. They aren’t awful, but they also aren’t great. They aren’t as heavy of a plastic sound as some switches but also don’t have that snappy thock that I really love. They’re inoffensive and safe, perhaps just a bit boring really. I’ve been using them paired with my MT3 keycaps which normally offer a deeper resonation, but I find they don’t offer much. What exactly of their construction causes this, I’m not quite sure. However, I believe the heavy lubrication as well as the heavy spring and large box stem all play roles in making them less musical than other options. They are deeper than Blueberries but also duller.

The heavier spring leaf is much to do with how the switch feels and behaves. It helps with the heavy tactility and heavier actuation force. I believe it also lends to the deeper tones, at least in part. Regardless of how the sound is produced, what is produced sounds dull and muted, at least when paired with my Portico and MT3 caps. There’s a lack of resonance that doesn’t share the musical nature of either the Kiwis or Blueberries when paired with this keyboard.

Normally at $0.55 a switch they are in the same tier as the $0.65 per switch of the Blueberries and Kiwis. At that price, given the nature of those switches, I would suggest either of them as the superior option over the HRC switches. With Blueberries you get a heavily rounded tactility, excellent sound, and a very unique tactile experience that feels unique in a world full of sharper tactile options. With the Kiwis they feel more refined, more vibrant, and less fatiguing to use. However, at the $0.15 a switch I got them as a random choice they are far more interesting for me. I don’t see them being my switch of choice but I can see myself swapping them in every so often for a different experience. I’ve been wanting to use them for some time now and having them now fulfills that for me. I also recognize that for other people I think these are a great choice for heavy typists who enjoy heavy tactility. I feel they also have shown me I would not enjoy the even heavier Hako Royal True switches which will help me direct my desire to try other tactile switches elsewhere, such as the various Pandas and the Ink Kangaroo switches.

Overall, the Hako Royal Clears are excellent, sharp, and heavy tactile switches. Aside from some minor manufacturing uniformity issues they are well built and provide a mostly uniform typing experience. I feel that they are a fairly niche experience though due to their nature of being heavy and sharp. But, for whomever those people are, even at regular price they will offer you a brilliant experience.