|
Cherry MX Blues |
|
Force |
60cN |
|
Pre Travel |
2.2mm |
|
Total Travel |
4.0mm |
|
Switch Type |
Clicky + Tactile |
Most likely if you are asking this question, you already know what a switch is. Or perhaps you have owned mechanical keyboards, but maybe you do not understood the mechanics behind what a switch does. Before we get into blue switches, here's a rundown of what they do.
What is a mechanical keyboard switch?
A mechanical keyboard uses switches under a keycap rather than a rubber membrane like normal keyboards. These switches know when a person is pressing on a key because of the mechanisms that make up the switch. The travel distance of the switch fluctuates based on stem shape, along with the stem discerning the actuation. So basically, in a quick way of describing it: switches contain a hard plastic stem, a coil spring under the plastic stem and two cross point contacts. As the key is pressed, the stem pushes on the coil spring. This will cause the two metal contacts to hit and closes the switch circuitry. Then voila, your computer recognizes it was a key press and you have words.
Cherry MX Blue Switches
Cherry MX Blue switches are at the top of the most commonly bought switches. One of the main reasons that they are is because of first time mechanical keyboard buyers. Many lower priced keyboards use a blue switch or a variety that mimics it. As a first time buyer, spending over 100 dollars on a keyboard is probably over the budget.
A Clicky + Tactile Switch:
What is a clicky switch?
This type of switch is known as a 'clicky' switch. Clicky switches are tactile switches with a notable bump, but are unique in this matter since they have an audible sound. They also tend to require a little bit more of an actuation force and have a higher reset position.
What is a tactile switch?
If a switch is tactile, before the key bottoms out at the end of it's travel, it has a bump in response to your finger pushing down at the point or near the point of which the key press registers (also called the actuation point). Tactile switches are great switches for those who want something that is more on the silent side.
Cherry MX Blues are known as clicky switches, but they are also considered tactile because they have a tactile bump present in keypress.
What are Cherry MX Blue advantages?
The Cherry MX Blues popularity comes from the sound that these clicky switches have and the tactile feedback and these are considered advantages. Tactile feed back allows the user (mostly gamers) to recognize when they have hit that pre travel moment or actuation point. This means that they don't have to bottom out the key for the keypress to register. After this recognition, the user can then move to the next key for the next sequence of movements. The clicky sound also allows for a verification of said movements.
I've come across gamer friends that actually preferred blues more than Cherry MX Reds or Browns, for instance. To them, they liked hearing their key, as if it was confirming to them that they were ready for the next movement. And quite frankly, some just enjoy the way that they sound.
If you enjoy the sound of the Cherry MX Blue switches, then they would also be a good keyboard for writing on. If you write for a living, having a slower reaction time may create less mistakes. Since your actuation force is more resistant and the reset positions are higher, you will perform slower. Performing slower in this instance will be an advantage because it means less mistakes.
What are Cherry MX Blue disadvantages?
These blue switches do have disadvantages. A lot of gamers also do not like hearing their keys, especially if you game consistently with other people on an open mic. This goes with writers and coders, too. For those who type really fast, that could be a painfully annoying sound after a while. That's a lot of clicking.
These keys are slower, as well, and have a higher force of 60cN. Pulling off timely reactions may be more difficult depending on how you handle your keyboard (as if you type light or hard). It has the highest force out of the known trio of red, blue and brown switches made by Cherry MX. (Now there are other switches that Cherry MX make that are higher in force and tactile/tactile + clicky, but they aren't as notable for gaming and don't usually come already prepared on a keyboard. You usually have to find a place that you can buy a board from and also choose the switch.)
High performance games where you have to move and aim quickly, for instance CS:GO or DOOM, may be an interesting game play. For some, anyways, that's not always going to be the case for every gamer. This is just one of the most common known reasons for blue switch dislike among the gaming community.
The Rundown
Every Cherry MX switch is going to be a good buy, regardless of what it is designed to do. The Cherry MX Blue is by no means a bad switch, it's just loud which causes the user to typically turn their head and look elsewhere. But! That sound also makes people want the switch. There is a lot of satisfaction of hearing those keypresses if you truly enjoy the sound of a mechanical keyboard. I would not, however, advise you to use it at your workplace unless you just really hate your coworkers.
And remember, switch preference is always up to the mechanical keyboard user. When it comes down to it, you as the keyboard owner, should be making your mind up about what to use and NOT what other people think you should use.
In order to understand what sort of switch you want, I'd suggest finding a place (or a friend) that has a keyboard available for you to type on. Since the Cherry MX Blue switch is known for it's clicky + tactile feel and sound, before you invest in a keyboard, make sure you like it. Otherwise you're stuck.
Cherry MX Blue Switch mechanical keyboards:
Looking for a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Blues? There are tons of options, which can be good but also bad. Too many options makes it a little harder to decide what you want. As with all mechanical keyboards, they can be pretty pricey. Most likely if you are looking a legit brand, you are going to have options as far as what switch you want.
Some legit brands are:
- Ducky
- Varmilo
- Corsair
- Logitech
- HyperX
- Redragon
- SteelSeries
- KBParadise
Redragon provides many in different sizes and preferences, while HyperX provides a good TKL, HyperX Alloy FPS Pro, with red back lighting.
If you liked this article, then you should read my other article on this site called “What is a semi-mechanical keyboard?” You might be surprised to find out what a gamer really prefers.
Credit for image goes to Wikipedia
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