The Guide to Outemu Switches

Getting a good keyboard can be a budget busting endeavour, luckily there are a lot of budget friendly products out there. Outemu is often a more affordable option compared to the more popular switch brands.

Going with Outemu switches is great for your wallet, and can be a good introduction to newer mechanical keyboard users. But the sheer variety of their switches can be daunting to some people.

So we went ahead and created this ultimate guide to buying Outemu switches. Let’s take a look at which Outemu switches are worth purchasing.

Types of Outemu Switches

Like any other brand of mechanical switches, Outemu switches come in three types:

1. Clicky
2. Linear
3. Tactile

We have the Cherry MX clones with color-themed names, as well as a variety of different switches, straight out of Outemu’s own book. Here’s an overview of the various categories of Outemu Switches:

1. Regular Switches
2. Low-Profile Switches
3. Dust-proof Switches
4. ICE Switches
5. Silent Switches
6. GAOTE Switches
7. Cream Switches
8. Milk Switches

For a complete guide that encompasses mechanical switches from various companies, check out our Mechanical Switch Chart.

Outemu Regular Switches

Outemus regular switches are directly comparable to Cherry MX switches of the same name. There are, however, a few unique switches in this lineup that are worth discussing.

Outemu Blue

46g actuation force | 2.2 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Blue is one of the most basic Clicky switches made by Outemu. With an actuation force of 46g and a standard travel distance of 4mm, there isn’t anything to write home about.

However, for their price, they perform quite well. The click is loud and the tactility is prominent. They’re rated for 40 million clicks, which is perfect if you’re just entering the world of mechanical keyboards, and might want to upgrade to a better switch down the road.

I’ve been personally using the Outemu blue switches as my daily driver, from gaming to typing, for the past 2 years. If you’re looking for cheap Cherry MX clones, you can’t do better than Outemu. 

These switches have much stronger tactile feedback compared to Cherry MX or Gateron switches, which reduced the number of mistypes I made. However, do keep in mind that these switches tend to lose their clicky sound fairly quickly, although the tactile feedback will last much longer than that.

Outemu Brown

53g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Brown is a very well-constructed switch. It’s not very loud, making it perfect for offices and workplaces. 

You might find the Gateron Brown switches to be smoother than these, but when compared to Cherry MX browns, these easily take the win. While not as durable, Outemu Brown’s slightly higher weight and deeper tactile sound give it extra marks in our books.

Off-center key presses can be a bit scratchy, and because these aren’t very smooth, not everybody will like the Outemu Browns.

Outemu Red

47g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

Directly competing with the classic Cherry MX Red switches, the Outemu Reds come in with very similar specs to its competition.

Apart from being slightly less reliable and consistent, the Outemu Red switches perform almost identically to the Cherry MX Reds. However, because Outemu’s switches come in much cheaper than Cherry’s, they’re a no-brainer.

If gaming is your main focus and you’re not sure which linear switch you should go with, then the Outemu Reds are perfect for you. They won’t break the bank and will give you very reliable gaming performance.

Outemu Black

60g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

Despite being a Linear switch, the actuation and bottom-out force of Outemu Blacks is on the higher end of the spectrum. 

Heavy typists might prefer the strong negative force, but for gamers who want quick key presses, the Outemu Black switches aren’t recommended.

Outemu Green (Teal)

70g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Green or Teal switches are the heaviest among all of the Cherry MX Green clones. With an actuation force of 70g and strong, clicky feedback, typing on these switches takes real effort.

When it comes to gaming performance, the weight of these switches really holds them back. The clicky sound of these switches can get a bit annoying, thanks to the higher-pitched click.

However, if you find the Outemu Blues too light for typing, or just prefer switches with very strong feedback, then these might just be right for you.

Outemu Purple

50g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Purple switches are marketed as an improved version of the Outemu Brown switches. However, this is only partly the case.

Despite having an actuation force that’s only slightly lower than the Browns, these switches feel Linear instead of Tactile. That’s because the tactile feedback isn’t very prominent, giving these a mushier feeling. Plus, the fact that these come in slightly more expensive than Outemu Brown switches doesn’t help its case either.

If you want consistency, however, then these can be a good Tactile switch. Additionally, their gaming performance isn’t half bad, thanks to the fact that they give a linear feel instead of a tactile one.

Outemu Silver

45g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

Being an upgraded version of the Outemu Black, the Silver switches have a reduced actuation force of 45g compared to the Black’s 60g.

This brings the Silver switches much closer to the Red switches, in terms of actuation force. However, these feel slightly heavier than the Reds thanks to a stronger spring.

The Silver switches perform better than the Reds, especially in gaming, but they can tend to be a bit scratchy, especially at off-center key presses.

Outemu Orange

50g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

Outemu’s Orange switches are pretty standard. 

The major issue with these is that a batch of these can have very inconsistent performance. Some switches might be reasonably smooth, while others can be quite scratchy.

Another minor flaw is that, much like the Outemu Purple switches, they’re classified as Tactile switches but feel like Linear switches, especially at higher typing speeds. This can be an advantage for gamers, but you’ll have to keep your expectations in check.

Outemu Gold

58g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Gold switches are rated at 58g of actuation force, but they feel much lighter, making them very similar to the Outemu Blue switches.

If you feel the Blue switches are a tad bit too light, then you can go for the Gold.

Outemu Golden Pink

45g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Golden Pink is a rare switch. Apart from the slightly stronger bottom-out force, these perform very similarly to the Outemu SIlver switches.

It doesn’t skip in the looks department though. You can use the Golden Pink switches with transparent keycaps to really make them stand out.

Outemu Sky

62g/68g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Sky is the star of this lineup. Outemu recently released the latest version of the Sky switches, which is called Tao or simply V2.2. This switch was made with the help of a Reddit user and it was a hit. 

Thanks to a shorter and improved stem, the Sky switches feel much smoother and have a shorter travel distance, making them more responsive. Plus, these have a very strong tactile response which most typists will appreciate.

However, these switches are lacking in the sound department. The sound from the stock switches sounds very hollow and tinny, and lubing them greatly improves the sound profile. They’re also a bit wobbly, which is something you should consider before you purchase these.

You can purchase these switches in either 62g or 68g of actuation force.

Outemu Low-profile

If you’re a fan of low-profile switches, Outemu has clones for them as well.

We have 4 different switches, with two of them being linear. The travel distance and the bottom-out distance for these switches are much shorter than regular ones.

Using low-profile switches can increase your typing speed, thanks to the reduced travel distance. Functionally, they perform pretty similarly to their regular counterparts. 

While these low-profile can work with standard keycaps, they’ll bottom out much earlier, but won’t actually hit the deck. For a better experience, go with low-profile keycaps, which will give you a much better feel.

Dustproof Switches

As you might have noticed, the Dust-proof switches have a different stem than the regular switches. The bracket around the slider is aimed to prevent dust particles and other contaminants from entering the switch. This leads to a longer switch life and a reduced number of input errors.

If you use your keyboard in a woodshop, or somewhere with a lot of dust and particles in the air, you might want to go with these over the standard switches.

While functionally similar to their regular counterparts, Outemu did make some improvements to certain aspects of these switches. These feel much smoother to use, and have lesser keycap wobble, thanks to the surrounding bracket.

Ice Switches

The Ice switches are a great enthusiast-level lineup by Outemu, and there’s a lot to like about these switches. 

The Light and Dark Purple are hands down the best in this lineup. They have sharp bumps and  pronounced tactility, which feels great. But because of the sharper tactile response, these produce more sound than a tactile switch should.

If you like stronger feedback, then the Dark Purple is the one you should go for. The lower weighting of the Light purple can give it a “lagging behind” feeling on keypresses, despite the strong tactile response.

The clicky switches also perform really well. They have a sharp and pleasant-sounding click, with a similar tactile response to Purples.

Silent Switches

Outemu Silent Lemon

35g actuation force | 1.2 mm actuation travel | 3.3 mm total travel

The Outemu Lemon switches are a great tactile option for the office. They shine in the sound department, with a very snubbed but deep “thonk” sound on keypresses.

Other than that, they’re just a standard tactile switch. The tactile response isn’t very strong, like the ICE switches, and they have a bit of scratchiness to them. The scratchiness can be fixed by lubing them, but take care not to over lube the switches, which might reduce their tactility.

They have a short travel distance with the actuation bump hitting much earlier than regular switches. This is great if you are a fast typist, or even a gamer.

Outemu Silent Peach

40g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 3.3 mm total travel

The Silent Peach is a Linear switch, with an actuation force that’s similar to Silent Lemon. However, 40g of actuation force for a linear switch is a bit on the lower side, which gives the switch a mushy feeling. 

This switch can be a good pick for gamers who live with roommates, and want a well-performing silent switch that isn’t very expensive.

Outemu Silent Sky

62g/68g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

Outemu went ahead and created a silent version for one of their best-selling switches, the Outemu Sky.

The tactile bump is subtle, and there is practically no noise upon keypresses. Bottoming out on these switches also feels great; it’s not squishy, nor is it very harsh, but it is amazing.

Outemu Silent White

45g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Silent White switches are one of the most silent switches in the market. Even unlubed, they barely make any sound, and the situation improves even more once you lube them.

The key presses feel smooth, but it might get a bit mushy when you bottom out. 

Outemu Silent Forest

62g/68g actuation force | 2.0 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

These switches are confirmed to be identical to the V2.2 Silent Sky switches. 

They’re sold by different names in different parts of the world; Western customers get the Sky switches, while Eastern ones get the Forest.

Just like the standard Sky and the Silent Sky, you can get either a 62g or the 68g version of this switch.

Outemu Silent Ocean

45g actuation force | 1.6 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

The Outemu Silent Ocean is a very underrated switch. It performs similarly to the Silent White, with a stronger actuation force and a slightly shorter travel distance. 

An increase in actuation force is always welcome for a Linear switch, which allows the keys to quickly jump back when released. If you find the Silent White to be a bit too light, then these are the ones you should go with.

Outemu Silent Gray

55g actuation force | 1.6 mm actuation travel | 4.0 mm total travel

Silent Gray is another switch with a shorter travel distance. They’re very smooth throughout their travel, and the tactile bump is reasonably prominent, but a lot. 

For their price, they’re a good silent alternative to the ICE Purple switches.

GAOTE Switches

You might have noticed that the GAOTE prefix is derived directly from the parent company’s name, Dongguan Gaote Electronics.

These switches are a slightly tweaked version of the regular switches with improved overall smoothness and quality. 

Cream Switches

Although they’re not very popular, Outemu’s Cream switches are great performers. They come factory-lubed and have a dustproof bracket around the stem. 

There are three switches, one of each type. The Clicky Cream Blue and the Tactile Cream Yellow have a good tactile response, and the Linear Cream Pink doesn’t feel too mushy either. 

Overall, if you’re on a budget, these are a very good option.

Milk Switches

Outemu Milk Switches are similar to Cream switches, with one color for each type of switch.

Extra Switches

These include some of the rarer switches made by Outemu.

The Phoenix switch stands out from the lot for its unique design. The housing is two-tone and completely transparent. It also includes a newer under-skirt click mechanism that produces a really nice clicky sound.

Another great switch you can consider is the Outemu Panda or Red Panda. It has a shorter pre-travel and bottom-out distance, similar to the Phoenix. The tactile bump is quite prominent on these, which is always a good thing.

Which Outemu Switch is Best for Gaming?

Which switch is best for gaming ultimately comes down to your preference.

If you want a tactile switch for gaming, which you can use for typing as well, then you should go with the Outemu Sky or Silent Sky switches. They come in 2 weights, and depending on how heavily you type, you have some freedom when picking. Plus, the shorter stem can do wonders to improve the responsiveness of your key-presses.

For a linear switch, you can go with either the Milk Peach or the Cream Pink, both of which are equally good Linear switches that come pre-lubed. If you prefer a higher actuation force, go with GAOTE Black switches, which can provide you with a smoother travel at a cheap price.

Users that prefer a clicky switch can opt for the Outemu Phoenix if they can find one. You get the reduced travel distance and a very satisfying click which is perfect for gaming or typing.

Outemu – A Company Overview

Outemu was established in 2004, alongside many other companies like Gateron, to give direct competition to Cherry MX. Prior to this, Cherry held the patent to mechanical switches. But when it expired in late 2003, a slew of clone companies, including Outemu, started making switches similar to Cherry MX, but at a fraction of the price.

Outemu, formally known as Dongguan Gaote Electronics Co., LTD outside the USA, is popular among the mechanical keyboard fanbase for its switches’ price-to-performance ratio. Coming in at even cheaper than Gateron, Outemu’s wide variety of switches hits a perfect balance between quality and cost.

The real star of the show in Outemu’s lineup is the non-clone switches, like the Outemu Sky and Ice Switches. While these clones perform really well and have well-defined tactility in their switches, they aren’t as smooth as Gateron’s switches, or as durable as Cherry MX originals.