What Are Outemu Switches are light-weight Cherry MX clones with the twist of also including true N-Key rollover. Meaning, they register less than USB hubs to Mac’s so you can map more keystrokes on your keyboard instead of to the next one over.
Types Of Keyboard Switches
Outemu is a Japanese company that specializes in electronics, including keyboards and computer mice. They offer three different types of key switch: tactile, clicky, and linear. The type you choose can depend on your personal preference for typing feel as well as the sound level you prefer from your keys when pressed.
Tactile
Tactile switches have a bump at the end of their travel distance before they bottom out. This gives you an indication that you’ve pressed the key to its full extent. These switches are great for typing and gaming because they let you know when the keypress has been registered by your computer.
Clicky
clicky switches that have a bump at the end of their travel distance before they bottom out, but there is also a distinct clicking sound that occurs when pressing them. These switches can be harder to press since you need to depress them all the way to the base and they also make a loud clicking sound when pressed.
These switches are great for typing because they have a tactile bump that lets you know when to stop pressing, but they also have an audible click so you’re aware your keypress has been registered by your computer.
Linear
Linear switches are smooth throughout their travel distance until they bottom out. These switches are great for typists since you don’t need to press them all the way down to register your keypresses, but aren’t great for gamers because there is no tactile bump or loud click to let you know your keypresses have been registered.
Where To Buy Outemu Switches?
Outemu switches are available on Amazon for sale. Other than Amazon, they may be available in China, Taiwan, Japan, and other Asian countries only. Some say that Mouser sells them but even if this is true it cannot be confirmed because Mouser has been disappointing (poor customer service).
Others say the Outemu switches are available on Chinese sites like eBay and Taobao; however, most sellers seem to be from Asia and none of them will ship internationally. They all want you to come to their country or at least pay for shipping through FedEx which gets expensive quickly (especially if you live in North America).
Further searches show that there’s no way to buy these switches online. It seems all you can do is find the right person in the right country and buy them straight from him.
One of the most common sources for outemu switches, as well as a variety of different switches types, is Cooler Master keyboard. Be sure to check prices and shipping costs before you make a purchase.
Ask about extra discounts offered on bulk orders or special purchases if applicable. And be forewarned that despite claims of quick overseas shipment, your order may take a long time to arrive from China because these items are shipped from overseas.
What Are Outemu Switches?
Outemu Switches are based on Cherry MX design but without costs involved in patent lawsuits like this one where Razer is accusing them of violating it by not showing a clear indication between right and left (i.e., too similar).
They’re great for typing or gamers because they don’t need much force to actuate, which means typing feels very natural and the fingers move smoother leading to fewer mistakes.
Also worth mentioning is that these all use Kailh’s (another Chinese switch company) patent on stem design. Their design is much like Cherry MX’s in that it can be compatible with keyboards that accept MX keycaps, but they’re different in the sense that they come in different shapes to fit into specific layouts.
What Switches Are Compatible With Outemu?
Outemu switches are a type of switch that is very popular with many gamers, but there can be some confusion as to which keyboards use them.
Outemu switches work with almost all custom keyboards, aside from some metal keyboard cases because of their short stems. Outemu is fully compatible with Alfatar keycaps – but there are four different lengths of switch stem on the Alfatar keycap – both 4.5 mm and 6 mm versions will fit just fine depending on which you have.
How To Replace Outemu Switches?
- Extract the mechanical switch from the keyboard housing with a plastic tool, exposing the metal springs and contacts at one side of the switch.
- Unclip isopropyl nitrite diffusion pads and insulator layer from both sides of each blade contact in turn, starting on one side of the switch and proceeding to remove these components in sequence around to opposite edge of it before continuing to work on your way back around again.
- Push leads or lugs through PCB mounting holes into places beneath rigid PCB ones, then use a crimping type connector made for leaded wires to fasten them by hand using pliers to get a good grip on things when tightening plastic screw banjo clamps over connection terminals to secure the leads to the PCB. These shouldn’t be so tight that they can’t easily be twisted or rotated by hand.
- You should then test the continuity of each switch blade contact between PCB, until you find which ones are shorting (the reason for removing them). Solder each one at the opposite end to its respective another contact on the PCB, if any.
- After you have finished the solder work for one side of the switch, then clip these leads to just beneath metal PCB lugs if not already done so in the test stage before continuing onto the other side’s work until all are complete and can be tested in turn bypassing a suitable current-limited voltage between each pair of blades. If the value is lower than expected, there may be a problem with that blade contact or insulation somewhere in the circuit which could be caused by corrosion, dirty spring contacts or bad insulators, etc..
- Then re-engage springs and test them too for continuity and proper capacitance values between each switch tab and the slider, also bypassing any low values with a short length of insulated stranded wire so that the blade springs have normal force against the slider contact again.
- Then reassemble keyboard housing and repeat for each switch until all test out correctly in sequence from the circuit board to blades and back again, before putting keycaps back on top, pushing them down well, and reattaching keyboard to the computer if testing it outside of the housing.
- If you find yourself getting frustrated or annoyed with all this tedious work, breathing deeply can help you calm your mind and concentrate on what needs doing for each switch in turn until finished, whereupon you should go out and enjoy a well-earned break from your keyboard refurbishing work, as a reward for all your hard efforts.
What Switches Fit In Outemu Sockets?
Out of all the manufacturers of mechanical switches, only Cherry and Alps make paddles that fit in Outemu sockets. The Cherry keys are available in a variety of colors and the Alps models come only in white but you can get them with all-black housings.
How Do Outemu Switches Work?
Outemu switches are unbranded clones of Zealio switches. They were designed to mimic Cherry’s design, but with lower quality control standards for the insulating material used in the switch. Outemu switches use Omron hardware-grade toggle bulbs, which are considered “middle tier” in quality because they’re not as good as either Cherry or Kailh devices.
They were introduced by Tai Hao company in 2013 and quickly became popular among low-cost mechanical keyboard manufacturers; this is likely because they offer an alternative without patents pending to companies who do not want to pay royalties or licensing fees. These come at a reduced price point, but also reduced life expectancy (usually 6-10 million keypresses) and increased error rates.
How Loud Are Outemu Blue Switches?
Outemu Blue Switches were designed to be a budget-friendly alternative to Cherry MX Blue switches, which are common in high-end mechanical keyboards. While the tactile bump that occurs around the activation point is not as pronounced as it would be for its Cherry counterparts, it responds at a similar force curve.
Outemu Blue switches are a type of low profile switch that is quieter than other types however the noise level will vary depending on how hard you press the keys. These switches come with a 1mm travel distance and an operating voltage of 3V.
The lightness or heaviness of the load will change its sensitivity to your touch, but it would be safe to say that they sit in between an average rubber dome keyboard and mechanical keyboard because their bounce rate is also 1 to 2 mm from their stable position. It’s been said that Outemu Blue Switches provide a satisfying click and clack as soon as they’re pressed down onto the keycaps.
How Good Are Outemu Switches?
Outemu switches are a type of popular mechanical keyboard switch that costs about 30% less than Cherry MX.
Typically, people who favor Cherry MX switches find that the sound and feel is much smoother and satisfying because they have a greater tactile feel and audible “click.” Outemu keys require more force to push the switch down to register.
In other words, there’s no auditory confirmation or rubber pad on the bottom of each key so you have to push harder. Naturally, this leads to shorter lifetimes for these switches–80 million pushes vs 100 million clicks for a cherry MX. These two types of keyboards also vary considerably in how loud they are due to the various mechanisms at play–but overall, outemu seems to be quieter.
What Are Outemu Blue Switches?
What Are Outemu Switches blue switches are a relatively new type of keyboard switch. The goal was to create a relatively cost-effective, tactile Brown switch that could be manufactured outside the expensive legacy equipment honed after decades of specific design for IBM keyboards.
Much like a Cherry or Gateron Blue, these switches feature a short travel distance and tactile feedback because they have an “Activation Point” significantly higher up from the top surface of the key which reduces required finger force to activate.
In fact, since their activation point is 1/4″ from the top instead of 4/4″, outemu blue switches require 25% less finger force than regular blues! Outemu blue switches are a relatively new type of keyboard switch.
The goal was to create a relatively cost-effective, tactile Brown switch that could be manufactured outside the expensive legacy equipment honed after decades of specific design for IBM keyboards.
What Do Outemu Blue Switches Feel Like?
It’s important to note that not every keyboard to use blue switches are created equal. There are different manufacturers, and they do have slight differences in weight, responsiveness, noise level/volume, etc.
Outemu Blue Switches feel like a traditional switch with tactile feedback. It’s an ideal balance of “”click”” and “”shft”.” The click does not need to be hard, but it must be significant enough for the user to know that they are not using a membrane switch.
Membrane switches are often used in ultra-thin laptops because their light touch makes it easier for the computer to stay open on one’s lap, however, these membrane keyboards do offer limited durability and don’t create much resistance when typing. Outemu Blue Switches imply an easy-to-push keypress with just enough tactile “click” sound effect that feels satisfying without being disruptive or annoying.
What Is The Lifespan Of Outemu Switches?
Outemu switches live longer than traditional keyboard switches due to their ability to endure greater amounts of pressure. Outemu claims that each switch will last up to 50 million keystrokes and can withstand 2400N (roughly 264 pounds) in force.
Outemu is an updated version of the Omron series which we’ve seen in Apple Keyboards for years. The design goal was to put out a switch with tactile feedback, but less noise and dust accumulation than Omron-previous versions.
The delay or ‘stiction’ when pressing down on the keys is reduced, along with the distance required for full travel which makes typing much easier and more accurate. They still emit a click sound when activated, but it’s a softer, less abrasive click.
Many users of Cherry-MX keyboards have complained about “stiction” or a sticky feel that’s caused by dust and dirt accumulating under the stem over time. Outemu switches also feature an open design which allows for easy cleaning to prevent this from happening.
Which Outemu Switches Are Quiet?
The switches most known for their silence are the Outemu Red switch and the Outemu Black switch. Most key presses consist of two possible outcomes, caused when the metal comes in contact with an electrical circuit – they either make a connection or they don’t. A lot of “silent” key switches are simply shorting out that second outcome, just so that it’s silent when it gets pressed down.
Outemu instead only allows the two possible outcomes to occur in quick succession, so both happen at once with no downtime in between them before another press can register on top of it.
This means someone is making constant contact with circuitry while pressing these keys, but because they have to do this quicker than even a firing neuron can handle, the sound has no time to be produced and creates a soundless experience.
How To Open Outemu Switches?
Outemu switches are designed to be opened easily. Just unscrew the top of the switch and take out the slider. For future reference, make sure not to glue them back together or get any liquid in there– this could cause trouble with it later on!
Outemu switches are pretty durable, but they’re also very delicate inside because that’s where all the electronics are housed. If you want to open one up. Just find a paperclip or something else metal that you can use as a pick and place it in along one side of the switch housing in order to create a temporary lever and pry off both layers at once. Once you’ve done that, just gently work your way around poking pins into everything until it eventually comes undone.
Where Are Outemu Blue Switches Made?
Outemu Blue switches are made exclusively in Beijing. The factory implements a strictly-monitored, high-precision automated manufacturing process from start to finish.
Labor is focused on tasks that can’t be done by machine, such as the formation of details through die casting and painting operations. All production is based on a “clean” environment to ensure a constant level of quality control and stability for each product type, including Outemu blue switches.
Outemu Blue switches are designed to provide gamers with tactile feedback without sacrificing speed or acceleration across many genres of gaming – from first-person shooters (FPS) to real-time strategy titles (RTS).
Manufactured with exacting standards at one of the largest PC peripherals factories in the world, Outemu blue switches are built to withstand the torturous conditions of the highest levels of esports.
Outemu Switches Good For How Many Click?
It really depends on what keyboard and the switch type. For example, What Are Outemu Switches blue switches may be appropriate if your couch isn’t too soft and it won’t be getting much use. Red switches would not be a good idea for this scenario because they’re potentially destructive to the switch actuators.
Outemu switches are quite snappy, although they don’t speak as quickly as other mechanical keyboards. I’m using them to play Diablo 3 at the moment and switching to different skills doesn’t seem laggy at all.
Outemu also markets this for gaming use, but you can do pretty much anything with it that you would on a standard keyboard. You can even customize what your keys say or remind you of – if needed/wanted! For normal usage, 4 out of 5 stars – highly recommend!!
Why Are Some Outemu Brown Switches Louder Than Others?
Outemu mechanical switches consistently produce click-type sounds when pressed, and the loudness of these is dependent on two factors:
1) what type of switch you’re using; 2) how hard they’re pressed. For example, brown and red Outemu switches (the most common types in gaming keyboards) create louder clicks than blue Outemu switches (the most common type in ergonomic keyboards).
That’s because browns and reds require more force to activate them when typing or gaming than blues do. Red switches also have a higher feel rating than blue. To summarize, the softest switch would be a blue with a low feel rating, while the loudest would be a brown with a high feel rating.
How Are Outemu Box Switches Different?
Outemu box switches are famous for their tactile bump. This is great because you can feel where the switch will actuate so it doesn’t click when you’ve reached the indentation in the keyplate.
Outemu also uses carbon resistive rubbing techniques to improve reliability, so they tend to last much longer than other brands of switches without requiring too much work or cleanup after use.
Which is great for gamers that don’t want to spend time removing dust and debris from around their keys. One downside of this type of keyboard/switch combination is that there’s no audible feedback, but if your game happens to be in a deafening environment with good sound dampening properties anyway, then you should be fine!
What Are Outemu Brown Switches
Outemu brown switches are mechanical key switches designed for durability and stability.
Outemu brown switches are widely used in computer keyboards because they consist of a durable base, plunger, contact module, two stem pins to connect the switch with contacts, and a housing cap.
The sealant at the bottom of the enclosure ensures that these mechanical elements cannot leak out. When designing this type of switch UNICOM adopted strict requirements for elasticity – parameters such as pressure required for actuation had to be adjusted until it met the level accepted by world standards so that long-term use would not compromise its durability or reliability.
Patents were filed on both marketing design and technical details involving this new type of switch so it can be commercialized as a certified original product. In addition, all the switch components are made from high quality materials and meet UL94 V0 standards for fire resistance.
UNICOM implemented several design touches to Outemu brown switches which users will readily notice. It has a slightly higher actuation point than other products on the market. Moreover, Outemu brown switches are rated at a 50 million actuation point, which is longer than other products in its class.
How Different Are Outemu Switches From Cherry?
The short answer is, they’re the same in terms of their function and mechanical features–they feel largely identical when you press them down.
Outemu switches are a clone of the Cherry MX switches. Just like the real Cherry Mx, they provide a tactile bump when you press them and they also require less pressure than other mechanical keyboard switches such as Gaterons or Zealios (which we’ll cover later in this post). Outemu switches have a much higher failure rate than authentic Cherry MX switches because they’re made with a metal stem rather than a real Cherry switch.
The Cherry MX Black Switches have longer springs which means that they require more force before the bump. Outemu switches, however, have shorter springs so it feels as though you don’t need to press as hard. Outemu switches provide a “smoother” typing experience and require less force than Gateron and Zealios switches.
How Durable Are Outemu Red Switches
Outemu switches are durable switches. They have a life span of 50 million presses. However, they do not lock down keys as well as reds and browns do, which can ultimately make them less durable as well as slower to react to touch.
In the end, the choice between outemu switches and blue or brown switches depends on your typing style and preferences for audible feedback from keystrokes. Some people enjoy the feel of quieter keystrokes from otemu keys while others need firmer bottoms and louder bottoms than other ones won’t provide – either way one can find what they want if they just know what it is that they’re looking for in a keyboard!
Conclusion
People are always switching out their keyboards because they’re not happy with the type of switch that came in it originally. For example, some people want tactile bumps but might not like Cherry MX Blues because they make too much noise.
The same thing goes for people who like clears or browns but want a bump to their switches. What Are Outemu Switches are a great addition to any keyboard, and they should be considered for anyone looking for high-quality mechanical keyboards.
They have been used in the gaming industry since 2009, so you can rest assured that these switches know what they’re doing when it comes to performance and reliability. These switches would make a wonderful gift or investment for yourself!