For the first time in several years, German switch and peripherals manufacturer CHERRY has exhibited at Computex 2024, and has unveiled several new exciting MX switch innovations.
There are a total of four new switches which either revive old classics or innovate existing switches to add even more to a range which has seen some more interesting additions in recent years such as the MX Black Clear Top Nixdorf revival or the MX Ergo Clear as CHERRY attempts to re-assert itself as the leading manufacturer of mechanical keyswitches.
First up is the MX Silent Clear (MX2A-J1NB), which is CHERRY's first dampened tactile switch, launched in collaboration with Taiwanese manufacturer Ducky. The MX Silent Clear offers a 55cN force with a 1.9mm actuation point and 3.7mm total travel, and comes factory-lubricated. It also brings the benefits of other MX2A switches before it, such as self-cleaning contacts, barrel springs and more, which were initially announced at Gamescom last year.
Next up is a revival of an increasingly rare switch in the MX Orange (MX2A-LC3W). The MX Orange was first introduced in partnership with Japanese manufacturer Hirose several decades ago, who made their own respective MX switch variants. CHERRY says the Orange has been in demand for enthusiasts, much like the MX Clear Top that was introduced in October 2022. It's a linear switch with a 45cN actuation force, a 2mm actuation point and 4mm total travel that also adds the same enhancements as MX2A with lubrication, barrel springs and more besides.
In terms of new innovations, Computex has also seen CHERRY introduce a second generation Low Profile set of switches, dubbed as Low Profile 2.0, which will presumably carry the part code MX2B-XXXX, as MX1B referred to the original Low Profile MX switches. This has seen upgraded versions of the original Low Profile Red and Low Profile Speed Silver switches, as well as the introduction of a new MX Low Profile Ivory Switch for use in office keyboards and, most excitingly, the first low profile MX tactile switch with the MX Low Profile Clear. Information on technicals for these remain thin on the ground at the moment.
The most exciting of these new announcements however is MX Multipoint, which is CHERRY's first analogue induction switch. These will be available in three variants - linear (Silver), linear heavy (Black) and progressive (Cyan), and will see the light of day in early 2025. The switches at the moment can only be found in Ducky and Varmilo products that are at Computex, but are going to be present in in-house products later down the line by the looks of things.
The MX Multipoint switches are offered in three colours - MX Multipoint Cyan, MX Multipoint Silver and MX Multipoint Black, which each offer different initial and end forces. For reference:
MX Multipoint Cyan (MXID-P1NA) - Progressive - 28.8cN initial force/73.7cN end force
MX Multipoint Silver (MXID-51NA) - Linear - 32.2cN initial force/52.7cN end force
MX Multipoint Black (MXID-11NA) - Linear & heavy - 36.1cN initial force/70.5cN end force
The actuation point is customisable in software with a total travel of 4mm, and the switches are rated for offering over 200 million actuations per key, which is the highest of any MX switch. Interestingly, they are also hot-swappable.
It's especially pleasant to see CHERRY innovating the MX lineup to keep with modern trends and changes elsewhere, and these new options may well be the ticket to put them back on top. Let's see how it unfolds.
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