These unique switches are incredible

This is a new generation of switches that Razer calls opto-mechanical. Mechanical because they are, at their base, mechanical switches – specifically a clicky type reminiscent of the switch Cherry Blue or Alps. This means that they are noisy and not very welcoming. The difference between these mechanical switches and Razer's previous mechanical switches is in the "opto" part of the name. They use optical technology – in this case, infrared light beams – to detect the actuation.

The actuation occurs when the key switch detects that it has been depressed. It's different from the trip – it's the distance that a key takes to reach the strike plate below. The activation is usually a little more than half of the distance traveled. Thus, a mechanical key switch "tilts" at a distance of just over 4 mm and, on average, operates about 2 mm in a press. The touch key switches signal this point of action to your fingers with a subtle hump when you press the key. Clicky-like keys like Cherry Blues, Razer Green and Alps-add a click too. You hear the click to know that pressing the button has been reported and you are continuing. That's why clicky keys are so popular despite their noise.

These "opto-mechanical" switches have been developed, according to Razer, to have a Actuation distance much shorter. Just 1.5mm. Razer boasts its shortest distance of operation in a key switch. Compared to current Razer switches, and the selection of Cherry switches found in mechanical keyboards available from most major manufacturers, that's true. This is the shortest point of activation of a keyboard that you can buy at Best Buy, and certainly the shortest point of activation of a keyboard created by a company whose you heard about it

But this is not on the shortest. This claim to fame belongs to a series of "speed" switches manufactured by the Chinese company Kailh. Kailh started making Cherry clones, before expanding them into his own series of switches, and his copper, silver and bronze switches all have an actuating distance of only 1.1 mm.

As I have Kailh The bronze switches inside I decided to play with both, seeing if I noticed a significant difference between Razer's fancy switch and Kailh's.

And I did! Not when it comes to the speed of the two switches. It turns out that if you are a heavy typist like me, the difference of .4mm is not going to be super visible. If I have the two keyboards in front of me and I press the keys at the same time, eyes closed to try to fully focus on the feeling felt by my fingers, then yes, I can notice this extra bit of speed the Kailh switch provides

But when my fingers fly through the keys while I am, say, write a review of the keyboards, the difference of .4mm is just not so obvious . What is obvious is the pleasant sound of the Huntsman Elite key. This thing seems nice to type in a way that I am not used to from a Cherry switch or any of its many derivatives. On the contrary, it looks a lot like my old keyboard of the Alps. The keys of the Alps are known for this "ping" that follows the click of a button. This ping is like an aural flashback for a typist. Suddenly, you're in front of a keyboard that's really been built to last – like a typewriter, an IBM keyboard from the 80s, or that first very good old-school Mac keyboard. The opto-mechanical switches of the Huntsman Elite seem to me substantial in a way that I do not have the habit of using in a gaming keyboard, even at $ 200
[19659012] But there is something that prevents me from recommending this keyboard as a dream machine to type. Despite all the joy I feel for the changes of the Elite Huntsman, I feel an equal shame on the part of the appearance of the thing. It's not going to look good in an Instagram photo next to your coffee and MacBook Pro. It is built for the dark cellar of a player. There is RGB lighting not only in each switch, but also around the edge of the keyboard and the leather wrist rest included. It sounds nice enough if the RGB light and a black keyboard is your preference – and I actually like the luminous volume dial too.

But this look is not my bag. I particularly hate the key caps. They become incredibly smooth and fat. Which means that your keyboard is guaranteed to look unpleasantly used in a few weeks of purchase. Gross!