Gateron Oil King Silent Tactile Switches

This is a silent tactile switch for typists who want a noticeable, rolling bump with less impact noise than an undamped switch. Its dampening design softens contact at both ends of travel, making it worth considering for shared spaces. It is less suited to anyone who wants a crisp, loud keystroke or a linear feel.

Feel and sound

The stem provides medium rolling tactility rather than a sharp, abrupt bump. Soft rings around the stem rails compress near the top and bottom of each press, reducing the force of those impacts against the housing. This should make keystrokes quieter, though “silent” does not mean sound-free. The softer landings may also feel less crisp than a switch without this damping.

Build and setup

The POM stem and nylon top housing sit in an Ink-material bottom housing. These materials define the switch’s construction, but the available information does not establish how they affect sound or smoothness in a particular keyboard. It comes factory lubed, meaning lubricant is applied before installation; how consistent that application is is unknown.

The five-pin PCB mount is intended for compatible circuit boards. Check your board’s sockets before choosing it. LED compatibility and whether it suits a particular hot-swap board are unknown.

Trade-offs

Choose it if you value tactile feedback and softened keystroke impacts. Skip it if you prefer a sharp tactile event, a linear press, or a fully specified sound profile. Spring ping, stem wobble, and the need for further modification are unknown.