ORBIX
Magnetic vs Mechanical: Choosing Your Switches
Every keypress starts at the switch. Here's how the two main families differ — and which one suits how you play.
Mechanical: linear, tactile, clicky
A mechanical switch closes a contact at a fixed point in its travel. Linear switches move smoothly from top to bottom; tactile switches add a bump you can feel at actuation; clicky switches add the bump and an audible click. Linears are the usual pick for fast games, tactiles for a mix of gaming and typing.
Magnetic (hall-effect): adjustable actuation and rapid trigger
A magnetic switch has no contact to close — a sensor reads the key's position from a magnet in the stem. That means the actuation point can be set in software: shallow for speed, deeper to avoid accidental presses. It also enables rapid trigger, where a key resets the moment it starts to rise instead of waiting to pass a fixed reset point — handy for fast strafing and counter-strafing.
Hot-swap
On a hot-swap board you can pull switches and fit new ones without soldering, so you can change the feel without buying a new keyboard. Check each product page for which switches a board accepts — magnetic boards need compatible magnetic switches.