Razer shows off self-made mechanical switches for gaming keyboards

The patent on Cherry's MX mechanical switches reportedly expired which means we'll see a bunch of third-party clones in the near future. One firm keen on designing its own mechanical switches is Razer, the company revealed a Green and Orange version of its mechanical switch.

The Orange version has an actuation force of 45g and features silent keys with optimized tactile feel, while the Green version has an actuation force of 50g and features a tactile feedback plus audible click. Razer claims both versions feature less travel distance to actuate and to reach the reset point than Cherry's MX switches, while also promising a higher life span. While Cherry MX switches are rated for up to 50 million keystrokes, Razer claims its switches can do up to 60 million.

The new switches will be offered on Razer's BlackWidow, BlackWidow Ultimate and BlackWidow Tournament Edition keyboards. On its website, Razer acknowledges that the switches will be made by a third-party manufacturer under supervision of Razer's quality assurance engineers. More info about the switches can be read at Razer.