Gateron x Siliworks Type R Tactile: Review by Vere
Joonhyun Choe
Opening Words:
Hi there, today's switch goes over a pretty big release from Gateron and Siliworks, the Type R Tactile. A lot of people have some good feelings about the Type R in terms of feel and sound, myself included. There were some unfortunate issues with the first batch that released, but it was fixed in the later batches.
The Type R is an excellent tactile with a unique feeling, it's definitely worth checking out if you like tactile switches.
Switch Introduction:
The Gateron Type R is a long-pole tactile with a PA66 housing and POM long pole stem.
They come with a 22mm KOS double-stage extended spring with an operating force of 55g and bottoming out at 60g. There is a variance of 2g among them.
They have a travel distance of 3.0mm.
They come factory lubed.
They are designed in collaboration with Siliworks with a special new mold.
(Perhaps inspired by the Type R series from Honda)
Short Summary
|
Volume |
Relatively high volume for a long-pole switch, but not as loud as other sharper long-pole tactiles. |
|
Pitch |
Medium-High pitch for the most part, the tactility adds a slight amount of depth as the bottom-out itself is on the higher end but the tactile event sounds deep on the keypress and return. As a result I'd like to call it slightly rounded as a long-pole tactile. |
|
Sound Profile |
The sound profile is on the poppy side on the bottom-out with a hint of minor scratch. The overall sound is crisp when typing fast thanks to the short travel distance and nature of the D-tactile bump. The main strength is the pleasant sound of the notable tactile event which adds more flavor, commonly found in Holy Panda-likes or other hyper tactiles. |
|
Stock |
In terms of stock form they perform excellently. Properly lubricated tactiles are hard to find, especially ones that aren't over-lubed or pingy. |
|
Design |
An interesting rapid bottom-out design, paired with a racecar-like theme. |
|
Other |
A tactile with no linear travel, neither pre nor post. |
Stock Experience:
The Gateron Type R have a mixed coating of GPL 205 and 105 on the stem legs, leaf, and bottom-housing rails. After inspecting, there's not much of a coating over the leaf, but it does seem evenly spread over the stem legs. The stem pole itself also seems to have a slight touch of lube but it doesn't seem to affect anything.
(With the light sheen all over the stem, it's quite spread out)
(Generous coating over the bottom railings)
(Little bit of lubricant over the spring)
There is plenty on the bottom-housing rails as it ends up smeared onto the stem railings as well. There's not much lubrication over the springs it seems, but the springs aren't particularly noisy in my batch and I don't think I've seen people mention noisy springs.
The housings are tight and require no films.
Would I modify them?
Absolutely not, the stock springs work very well with the switch and allows for a snappy return. The base lubrication is also surprisingly sufficient despite the fact that there's barely any lubricant on the leaf and spring. These are amazing outside of the box and don't require any extra touch-ups.
Type R:
Although I don't know if the name is the same as the one used for Honda cars, it often stands for Racing. If you combine that with the travel distance, you can see what kind of theme they were going for: fast bottom-outs.
I've tried quite a lot of long-pole tactiles and none of them give me the same feeling as the Type R in terms of bottom-out. Not in the sense of sound or strength, but simply in how sudden it feels when hitting the bottom. This is due to the absence of any post-travel after the tactile event. The Bitter Tea v2s had a small amount of post-travel which makes them feel different from the Type R even though they are both 3.0mm travel.
(Paired against fellow 3.0mm tactile the Duhuk Bitter Tea v2)
In my personal opinion, the Type R's main strength and charm lie in the not-so-steep D- shaped bump which lets us experience the bottom-out through bypassing the tactile event almost instantly. The D-shaped bump is a like a roller coaster, letting us very quickly reach the drop after applying enough force to overcome the peak of the D. Since the D bump itself isn't too sharp, it is a lot easier to press than you would expect.
The end result is that we experience a very rapid type-feel where the tactility and bottom-out complete almost instantly and at the same time. Other tactiles like the BSUN Hutt for example have a slightly steeper bump and have some linear post-travel which makes it feel like the tactile event and travel are taking more time or distance.
Overall Design:
The Gateron Type R are definitely one of the best tactile releases we've had in while, not only is it unique but it also comes with an excellent stock experience, something that cannot be taken for granted when it comes to tactiles.
Although I was also impressed by the stock experience of the BSUN Hutt and Duhuk Bitter Tea v2, those weren't perfect and benefited from additional lube at the end of the day.
These switches are amazing just the way they were made, a fairly good testament to their quality and design.
Though the material composition is entirely normal, it's not the biggest deal when it comes to tactiles as the most important thing lies in the structure of the switch itself.
Whether it's the housing mold, bump, or even the leaf, these factors are often more important when it comes to producing a high quality tactile.
If we take a step back and reminisce on older Gateron releases, almost all of them were plagued with awful leaf crunch or spring ping, and some might have needed filming as well. If we look at the tactile franken-switch space, generally the most popular housings were always the ones used for their consistency and good quality, such as the Gazzew U series from Outemu.
Another example would be the usage of Cherry MX Blue bottom-housings to replace other Cherry tactile bottoms simply because they had better switch leafs.
The Gateron Type R is amazing simply because of the mold and quality of materials used for the switch itself rather than just going for a special composition this time around.
No nonsense, just nylon housing with POM, a nice bump, and consistent stock form.
Smoothness and typing experience:
For a tactile, the smoothness is very good overall. There's a minor audible scratch but that is likely from the housing itself and not due to any issues with lubrication.
The tactility is a D-bump, but it is moderate and not especially steep at all.
As mentioned earlier, this lower D-bump allows for us to have this rapid bottom-out without requiring too much force overall.
The typing experience is very consistent (at least personally), though with tactiles it always depends on your own typing cadence. Light tactiles have the benefit of being very easy to type by just touch typing, but since the Type R still has a bit of a bump you will still need to press slightly further.
As with all tactiles with a D-shaped tactile event, you will also have to consider the feeling of the return up the bump. The Type R's bump return is decently strong thanks to the double-stage spring but since the D-shaped bump is still active from the bottom-out, there's a minor delayed sensation.
There is an extremely minor amount of vertical wobble and the keypress is very consistent in the initial push.
Lastly, since it is a long-pole tactile, the bottom-out will be firmer than your average linear no matter what, but I can consider it to be less sharp than other strong hyper-tactiles.
Sound Profile:
The Gateron Type R's sound profile is slightly mellower than other strong long-pole tactiles. The shorter travel and flatter D-bump prevents the Type R from being too sharp on the bottom-out and it adds some deeper notes into the sound. They have a full and slightly rounded tone thanks to the way this switch is designed.
Gateron is usually known for releasing deeper switches, but they've had some heavy hitters in the past that utilize nylon and POM such as the Gateron Raw, a long-pole switch that is still one of the louder and sharper long-poles that I've used. The Type R's composition leads to a slightly brighter sound profile by default with the PA66 + POM combo.
On top of that, there's a hint of audible scratch paired with the tactile event which leads to a flavorful sound profile. Ironically, there's a lot of depth to the sound during travel despite the short distance.
The Gateron Type R are long-pole tactiles with a slightly rounded and full sound profile that isn't too intense despite having 3.0mm travel. Their consistent and crisp bottom-out is addicting and the bump itself adds a hint of deeper character to the sound, combined with a little bit of scratch, we have a noisy tactile release that doesn't have carry of any of the negative sounds you can often find in tactiles.
Crisp refers to having a solid bottom-out that is clear and is easy to hear, doesn't necessarily mean loud and bright.
Scratch refers to the scraping sound that is audible during the switch travel when the stem is moving inside the housing. This sound is somewhat similar to using chalk on a blackboard, or perhaps scraping some paper with your nails.
Full refers to a sound profile that doesn't sound shallow to our ears, or isn't dull and empty. (To be more specific, it has all kinds of frequencies in the sound, lows, mids, and highs.)
Rounded refers to having a balanced sound profile that isn't too quiet or loud, nor deep or sharp. (That being said, these are slightly on the louder side, but still a mix of both high and low pitch.)
Comparative Notes:
I will break down the comparative strength of this switch when compared to other manufacturers and their average switch releases. Keep in mind that this is not a guaranteed guide, this serves to assist those who don't have a general idea of what to expect from this switch or other manufacturers.
Compared to BSUN tactiles on average:
1. The Gateron Type R is likely to be more full or have similar fullness.
2. The Gateron Type R is likely to be slightly higher pitched than most BSUN tactiles.
3. The Gateron Type R is likely to be slightly louder or similar volume.
4. The Gateron Type R is likely to have a slightly softer tactile feeling.
5. The Gateron Type R is likely to have the better stock experience.
6. The Gateron Type R is likely to have a slightly smoother feeling.
Compared to Haimu tactiles on average:
1. The Gateron Type R is likely to have similar fullness to most Haimu tactiles.
2. The Gateron Type R is likely to be slightly lower pitched or similar to Haimu tactiles.
3. The Gateron Type R is likely to be slightly quieter or similar volume to Haimu tactiles.
4. The Gateron Type R is likely to have a softer tactile feeling.
5. The Gateron Type R is likely to have the better stock experience.
6. The Gateron Type R is likely to have a smoother feeling.
Compared to Gateron tactiles on average:
1. The Gateron Type R is likely to be more full than most of the older Gateron tactiles. (Less plasticky)
2. The Gateron Type R is likely to be on par with most Gateron tactiles in terms of pitch.
3. The Gateron Type R is likely to be similar volume or louder than most Gateron tactiles.
4. The Gateron Type R has a weaker tactility than a couple Gaterons, but is stronger than the majority.
5. The Gateron Type R is likely to have the best stock experience of all Gateron tactiles.
6. The Gateron Type R is likely to have the smoothest feeling of all Gateron tactiles.
Flaws and things I didn't like:
Here comes the big flaw of the release for the Gateron Type R: chattering inputs.
Chattering means that the switch itself will input several times or even infinitely when pressed and the leaf is activated. This is most commonly found in tactiles, but generally you don't see it very often nowadays.
However, for a release in the current switch era to have chattering, it's quite a crucial flaw.
Thankfully I had only 1 switch that chattered in my batch of 90, but there have been reports of quite a lot of issues in other people's batches.
It does render the switch defective since you likely cannot make use of the switch at all for normal purposes.
They did fix this issue in all of the newer batches since the release of this review, so it is no longer an issue.
PERSONAL BUILD RECOMMENDATIONS: (PREFERENCE/OPINION BASED)
I originally played around with some plastic plates for the Type R, but ended up appreciating plateless setups the most.
The Type R are loud, but they aren't too intense, the clean sound profile of plateless builds and their uninhibited sound profiles are a good match for the colorful sound of the Type R.
If you can't solder or don't like plateless, then I would recommend Polypropylene or Nylon plates as they have a good tonality to them without being too quiet.
Otherwise, feel free to use whatever plate you want, I think these switches are amazing enough to fit onto any build depending on your preference.
Closing Summary:
The Gateron Type R are a standout tactile release in the current market where we get tactiles every few months (and they might be pretty bland too).
With the goal of creating a tactile that is comprised of only 100% tactile bump, Gateron and Siliworks have created a marvelous switch. Despite the 3.0mm travel, these switches are surprisingly very soothing while having a strong sound.
The main takeaway is definitely the interesting type-feel from the short travel and wide D-bump, the feeling isn't too intense when bottoming-out but you still get the best of what hyper-tactiles have to offer. On top of that, you can throw these switches into any build right away with no need to work on their stock form, something you can't take for granted when it comes to tactiles.
The major deal-breaker would be if you received a batch of Type R where a majority of the switches were chattering, but thankfully they've fixed this issue.
If you're interested in rapid-fire bottom-outs, sporty cars, or maybe you just like the color red, the Gateron x Siliworks Type R tactiles are unbeatable in the niche that they offer. An addicting type-feel that isn't overly fatiguing with a stock experience that's ready to race at all times.
FINAL SCORING: 8.6/10 (9.6/10) [Rapid & Ready to go]
Design: 10/10
[Interesting concept of creating a tactile with essentially no linear travel. Most hyper-tactiles have very minor post-travel but that is absent here with the Type R. Combined with the sportscar theme of speed, the near instant bottom-out pairs well and is very fitting with the switch. A truly wonderful design.]
Sound Profile: 10/10
[A killer sound profile for a tactile, full, bright, but not too intense. With a hint of scratch and poppy bottom-out, this switch's sound is far from one-dimensional. The low shaped tactile event keeps the sound profile soothing rather than sharp. It just sounds good.]
Stock Experience: 10/10
[No leaf noise, no spring noise, smooth, barely any wobble, no housing inconsistency. They are just solid out of the box, nothing to be said.]
Uniqueness: 8/10
[Never experienced a tactile with zero linear travel, the instantaneous bottom-out feeling is truly unique and makes the switch feel different from other tactiles. It's definitely worth experiencing at least once.]
Flaws: 5/10 (0/10)
[Chattering is a big flaw, but since it's been fixed you can technically consider this a non-issue now.]