Are blue switches good for gaming? It’s a question about blue switches that many people in the gaming community have pondered. From their audible click to their tactile feedback, blue switches have become a popular choice among gamers. Whether you’re a competitive e-sports enthusiast or a casual gamer, you may be wondering if blue switch used in your keyboard is a good fit for your gaming needs. In this article, you’ll learn all about blue switches, their advantages, and how a blue switch can help you up your gaming experience.
Switches are devices under keycaps that enable users to type with fastidiousness and easiness specially when typing at a faster speed. A broad variety of switches are classified as tactile switches, linear switches and clicky switches. These switches are referred with respect to colours. Blue switch being referred as ‘clicky switches’, brown switches being referred as ‘tactile switches’, and red switches being referred as linear switches’.
Blue switch is referred as clicky switches due to the fact as a ‘click’ is recorded when a blue switch is used in mechanical keyboards. Before discussing blue switches, you must go through the following overview types of switches, including blue switches, that are used in mechanical keyboards.
These switches, used in mechanical keyboards, are broadly classified as :
1) Clicky Switches: A Blue switch, also called clicky switch have a rough tactile bump and register a ‘click’ when pressed. Blue switches maybe preferred but are not an ideal when it comes to gaming at a pro-level. Further are reasons discussed as for why blue switches are not considered the best option for gaming at a competitive level.
2) Tactile Switches: Brown Switches referred as Tactile switches get their names from their characteristic tactile bump when pressed. These Brown Switches (Tactile switches) are designed to be audible when pressed but not loud enough to be a distraction. A slight bump is felt when a key with brown switch is registered due to which brown switches are preferable for programming over gaming.
3)Linear Switches:Red Switches are referred as Linear Switches. Red switches, known as Linear Switches, as the name suggests are designed in a way such that less force is applied when a key with red switches is registered. The key with red switches is not felt and heard when registered. This efficiency of linear switches makes them popular among gamers.
Advantage Of Using Blue Switches For Gaming:
Blue switches may prove to be advantageous for gaming. Many users prefer the “clicky” characteristic of the blue switch. Depending upon the users preference, blue switches’ audible and tactile bump may improve accuracy and speed while typing. Depending upon the manufacturer, a blue switch has the following characteristic advantages:
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- Cherry MX: Cherry MX is one of the best-selling manufacturer of mechanical switches. With over 65 years of manufacturing, Cherry MX produces German engineered products. Blue switches manufactured by Cherry MX are well known for their smooth and tactile feel and precise actuation. A Blue Switch manufactured by Cherry MX have the following characteristics:
| Property | Characteristic |
| Switching | Tactile and Audible |
| Operating force | 60 cN |
| Pre travel | 2.2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm |
| Body Material | Plastic Polymer |
- Kailh: Kailh is a Chinese brand which is also known for its products. Blue switches, one of its manufacturing are known for its smooth actuation and is often used as a cheap alternative for Cherry MX.
| Property | Characteristic |
|
Operating force |
Actuation Force: 45±15gf; 50±10gf(RGB switch)
Tactile Force : 50±10gf ; 60±10gf(RGB switch*) |
| Pre travel | 1.9±0.4mm |
| Total travel | 4.0±0.4mm |
*RGB switch refers to the multicolored background lightening offered by keyboards.
3)Gateron: Gateron is also a Chinese brand that produces mechanical switches as one of its products, including blue switches. A blue switch manufactured by Gateron is known for its smooth feel and is often preferred as a cheap alternative to Cherry MX and Kailh manufactured switches.
| Property | Characteristic |
| Sound Level | Loud |
| Operating force | 60±15gf |
| Pre travel | 2.3±0.6mm |
| Total travel | 4.0±0.4mm |
| Spring Material | Non-Gold Plated |
4) Logitech: Logitech, a manufacturer of computer peripherals, which includes keyboards having blue switches, called Logitech GX Blue switch is quite similar to Cherry MX Blue switch and is known for its smooth and tactile feel.
| Property | Characteristic |
| Sound Level | Audible click with tactile feedback |
| Operating force | Average force: 50 gf; tactile force: 60 gf |
| Pre travel | 1.5 mm |
| Total travel | 2.7 mm |
| Spring Material | Non-Gold Plated |
5) Razer: Razer is manufacturing company that manufactures gaming hardware including keyboards with mechanical switches. These mechanical switches do not include blue switches but their variety do include green switches, orange switches and yellow switches, for which they are known for.
To conclude, the best blue switch depends upon your preference. It will be worth awhile to give a shot to different brands and models of blue switches to find yourself the perfect one according to your needs.
Disadvantages Of Blue Switches For Gaming:
Key to competitive gaming lies in the type of switch you prefer for gaming. A Blue switch is usually thought to work efficiently for gaming but is that true that these blue switches give you a satisfying result while gaming?
According to Gateron, a well-known Chinese brand that manufactures mechanical switches and other computer peripherals, suggests a Blue Switch is more suitable to be used as typist rather than for gaming purposes.
Blue switches are much noisier. They also have a rougher tactile bump as compared to linear switches which makes blue switches not a much preferred option.
When it comes to choosing the type of switch for gaming ,blue switch may be a considerable option, but a blue switch may not be considered the ideal switch used when it comes to gaming at a competitive level.
Blue switches come along with its disadvantages when it comes to selecting these blue switches for competitive gaming.
Blue switches being popular, come along a strong resistive force felt due to the rough tactile bump which doesn’t turn out to be favorable when using blue switches for gaming at pro-level, as you may miss out a key while consecutive typing at a relatively fast speed.
With a faster speed, the rough tactile bump of a blue switch proves to be noisy. The noise of these blue switches may prove to be a distraction; therefore this also is a reason for a blue switch not being a ideal option.
A Blue switch may have good reviews in-general, but these blue switches not necessarily prove to be the best option for pro-level gaming.
Here is a comparison between Blue Switches and other Switches:
| MANUFACTURERS | SWITCH TYPE | CHERRY MX | KAILH | GATERON | LOGI TECH | RAZER | |
|
OPERATING FORCE |
BLUE | 60 cN | Actuation Force:50 ±10gf; 60±10gf(RGB switch)
|
60±15gf | Average force: 50 gf; tactile force: 60 gf | GREEN | Actuation force: 50 gf |
| RED | 45 cN | Actuation Force: 50±10gf; 50±10gf(RGB switch)
|
45±15gf | Average force: 45 gf | YELLOW | Actuation force: 45 gf | |
| BROWN | 55 cN | Actuation Force: 50±10gf; 60±15gf(RGB switch)
|
55±15gf | Average force: 45 gf; tactile force: 50 gf | ORANGE | Actuation force: 45 gf | |
Comparing the actuation force of Blue switches with other type of switches gives us the conclusion that a Blue switch has a greater force of actuation than other switches due to which a Blue Switch may not prove to be as efficient for gaming as other types of mechanical switches.
Considering Personal Preferences and Miscellaneous Factors About Blue Switches:
If you are a passive gamer, keyboards with blue switches may suite you well, especially if you require a key board with heavy keys. A Blue switch may not be preferable if you are an active gamer and need a key board with light keys that are comfortable to use applying less force.
Gaming on a competitive and professional level may require a keyboard that is comfortable to use with less operation force and a keyboard with switches that does not cause a nuisance due to its ‘clicky’ nose. For such demands, a blue switch may not be the ideal choice and you will have to consider tactile switches or linear switches, most preferably linear switches due their smooth mechanism when it comes to factors, audibility and working.
Different gamers having different play styles may have various preferences of switches when gaming. Even if playing at a pro-level many prefer the clicky switch i.e. the blue switch nonetheless due to its characteristic ‘clicky’ sound while others may not have a much positive opinion about blue switches as compared to other switches used in mechanical keyboards with have a comparatively less actuation force and are not audible as much as blue switches are.
To summarize, blue switches may be preferred by many but they are not an ideal choice if you are gaming at a pro-level. For a casual gamer, a blue switch may go hand in hand with your requirements, but the same is doubtful to be said for a professional gamer but this does not prove blue switches to be any less. Many pro-gamers as well may prefer a blue switch over a wide variety of other switches depending on your level of comfort.
If you are a new gamer and want to go along with the best kind, you will want to try out different types of switches of different models manufactured by different companies. Starting off with blue switches may not be a less of a suggestion as blue switches are found to go along with casual or new gamers. You can always try out other models and switches according to your preference and needs.
