When it comes to mechanical keyboards, the switches used can make all the difference, and gaming laptops are finally getting close to the range of options we've had on the desktop. Not only do mechanical switches have different feels, but they can also sound very different, and even just the build quality can vary. Keyboards are very much a personal preference call, and plenty of people choose to make that call with Cherry's brand of switches.
It turns out that the Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile series are adding another option to help appease many of their fans, and bring silent, tactile switches to high-end gaming laptops and sleek desktop keyboards, too. The new MX ULP Tactile switch (via TechPowerUp), come with that telltale actuation bump, while offering no audible click.
This could be huge for office workers or streamers who are looking to have a less noisy space to work in, while still pounding away on their favourite Cherry keys.
These new keys are said to be more similar to Cherry's MX Brown series of switches. This means they should be much quieter than the standard clicky low profile switches, which were closer to the MX Blue. These new keys are said to feel the same, with the tactile actuation fans are looking for, but with less of the noise. Sounds like a win-win to me, and whoever's sat next to me.
The current ULP switches have seen life in Alienware's top-end gaming laptops, and Corsair's new a1600 Voyager, its first ever notebook, will launch with Cherry's mechanical switches, too.
Of course these are still gamer keys so they still support RGB lighting. Due to the low profile nature of these switches the RGB is located directly under the key and shines through translucent materials. They even come in programmable options.
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This isn't the only upgrade we've seen Cherry make to its switches in 2022. Earlier this year Cherry sneakily announced that all its low-profile RGB mechanical switches had their gold cross point contactor improved. This has boasted to double the amount of actuations the product can guarantee over its lifetime, making for a more reliable and longer lasting keyboard.
Given these new quieter keys are still low-profile RGB mechanical switches, we can only assume they'll also have the improved contactor. Given many of our favourite gaming mechanical keyboards use Cherry switches, I'm curious to see which ones will be adopting these new quieter low profile keys in the future.
