Behold the Gateron Quinn switches, the upgraded champs of tactile typing!
I’m a keyboard nerd who’s built dozens of boards and swapped switches more times than my keycaps (and that’s saying something).
I’ve put these switches through their paces for you.
This Gateron Quinn review breaks down their specs, performance, and whether they’re worth your hard-earned cash.
Stick around to see if these tactile treasures deserve a spot in your next build!
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Switch Snapshot
Gateron was founded in 2000 and is a manufacturer of mechanical keyboard switches and related components. The company has become a prominent player in the mechanical keyboard market and is known for producing high-quality switches.
The Quinn is Gateron’s gift to tactile enthusiasts, refined from the original with upgraded pins and light guide pole structure.
Born from a collaboration with NuPhy, the BBK switches unlock the potential of tactile switches for all purpose keyboard users and workers.
Specs
- Type: Tactile
- Top Housing: Nylon
- Bottom Housing: Nylon
- Stem: POM
- Spring Weight: 59g
- Total Travel: 3.4mm
- Lubrication: Pre-lubricated
- Pins: 5-pin
Specs were sourced directly from the manufacturer’s website.
Wanna get into details about mechanical switches? Learn more about them here.
Tempted already? Snag a pack and join the tactile party!
Hands On Breakdown
I tried these switches as they came from the factory using the following setup:
Keyboard: Neo Studio Neo65
- Case: Aluminum
- Plate: FR4
- Mount: Gasket
Check out our keyboard case article, plate article, and gasket mount article for more info.
Keycaps: Wuque Studio BOW
- Material: PBT
- Printing: Double Shot
- Profile: Cherry
Learn all about keycaps here.
Note: Neo Studio Neo65 doesn’t have RGB. RGB was tested on a Keychron Q1.
Check the force curve for the nerdy details:
I tested these switches in both gaming and typing scenarios.
Typing Feel
Performance Score: 4
Preferences:
The switches I’ve used the longest are the Gateron Oil Kings. So, you can consider them the baseline for what my preferences are.
I like to rest my fingers on the keys when I’m typing. This often leads to keys being inadvertently pressed.
I also type like I’m hammering nails. I bottom out pretty hard when I press the keys.
General:
Linears used to be my thing, but tactiles have been hitting the spot for me lately.
These switches felt smooth and I didn’t notice any scratchiness.
They have an initial force before hitting the start of the tactile bump. Keep pressing the key and you’ll go smoothly through the rounded bump.
Take a look at the force curve above and you can see this clearly.
I’ve also included close-up picture of the stem in the sections below.
Gaming:
I role played a pirate in Sea of Thieves with these switches for many many hours and they kept up with no issues.
My crew spent a lot of time battling other players, megalodons, and skeleton ships. For those that aren’t familiar with the game, battling involves shooting enemy ships (or megs) with cannons as well as boarding them to drop their anchors. This involves a lot of WASD action to aim the cannons and dodge enemy pirates. The switches felt crisp, with no lag in my movements.
One of the ships that rolled up on us was (strangely) a solo Sloop with Athena Emissary. This guy was tough, but we managed to sink him while he was trying to board our ship. It was a total W ’cause he had four other emissary flags on his ship. Maybe he was like Predator and collecting trophies.
These switches were also part of one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had in this game. My crew was able to ally with two other ships to unlock Glitterbeard’s Beard, one of the rarest commendations in the game.
Typing:
I’m actually writing this review using these switches right now.
These switches have the perfect weight for me. I can rest my fingers comfortably without any accidental presses. No typos here, unlike lighter switches that betray me. Although, I would have liked the switches to have a heavier initial force ’cause I did notice some slight downward pressure as my fingers were resting on the keys.
Check out the score I got on TypeRacer:
Sound Profile
Sound Score: 4
Sound Signature:
These switches sounded very thocky, my preferred sound profile.
Pinging:
I heard some very subtle pings when I brought individual switches up to my ear to listen.
Didn’t hear any pinging during normal typing, but was able to hear the faintest of pings when I put my ear right up to the keyboard. The most noticeable pinging came from the keys on the right side of my keyboard.
Microphone Usage:
In the past, I regularly had complaints on Discord about my mic picking up keyboard sounds when I was using the Gateron Oil Kings, but I didn’t get any complaints at all when using these switches.
I even told my teammates to specifically listen for my typing as I mashed on the keyboard for them. They said they couldn’t hear anything.
Build Quality
Build Score: 4.5
Socket Fit:
These switches looked and felt premium.
They snapped into my keyboard’s sockets like they meant business with no wobble.
The switches were also able to be removed using the normal amount of force, didn’t have to pull extra hard or anything.
Pins:
I didn’t notice anything unusual about the pins. They seemed sturdy to me.
The switches were 5-pin design and they seemed to seat very securely in the socket and plate.
Errors:
I had no issues with ghost-typing and didn’t have to reseat any of them to have all my keys correctly register on KeyboardTester.com.
Lubrication:
I opened them up to check out the insides and they were nicely lubed from the factory.
Aesthetics and Compatibility
Compatibility Score: 3.5
Colorway:
The switches have the following color scheme:
- Cream: POM stem
- Dark Red: Nylon top housing
- Dark Blue: Nylon bottom housing
I thought these switches were super ugly when I first ordered them, but they kinda grew on me when I saw them in person.
Keycaps:
The keycaps fit tightly over the MX-style stems on the switches.
I removed all the keycaps smoothly without any of the switches popping out of their sockets.
RGB:
There are RGB slots on each switch that worked well and let a lot of RGB through. The colored top housing let no light through. I couldn’t even see any light bleed from around the side of the switches.
Quick Comparison
Here’s how the Gateron Baby Kangaroo 2.0 switches stack up against some similar options:
| Switch | Type | Tactile Force | Travel Distance | Materials |
| Gateron Quinn | Tactile | 59g | 3.4mm | Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Gateron Baby Kangaroo 2.0 | Tactile | 59g | 3.4mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Drop Holy Panda X | Tactile | 60g (Spring Weight) | 3.5mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Cherry MX Brown | Tactile | 55cN | 4.0mm | Plastic Polymer Housing/Stem |
| Gateron G Pro 3.0 Brown | Tactile | 55g | 4.0mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Kailh Box V2 Brown | Tactile | 75g | 3.6mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Gazzew Boba Black U4T | Tactile | 62-68g (Spring Weight) | 4.0mm | Proprietary Plastic Housing, POM stem |
| Akko V3 Lavender Purple Pro | Tactile | 55g | 3.8mm | Not Specified |
| EPOMAKER Budgerigar | Tactile | 55g (Initial Force) | 3.8mm | Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Glorious Panda | Tactile | 60g (Bottom Out) | 3.3mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
Price and Value
Value Score: 3
At the time of this writing, the Quinns cost ~$0.60 per switch. This is mid-range price territory.
Regardless of the price, these switches were amazing. They feel great. They sound great.
At MSRP? I think they’re absolutely worth it.
I do periodically see them on sale. You’ll definitely wanna swoop them up if they drop down to a price point you’re happy with.
Who Are These Switches For?
If you like thock, you’ll like these switches.
They’re great for typists that have heavier fingers and want a more rounded tactile bump.
The switches are also perfect for the set-and-forget modders that just wanna pop them into their builds without hand lubing. These things are absolutely ready to go straight out of the box.
These things are not for those that wanna light up their keyboard like a Christmas tree. They don’t let that much light through and you’re only gonna see the RGB right above the LED slot.
Wrapping Up
Performance Score: 4
Sound Score: 4
Build Quality Score: 4.5
Compatibility Score: 3.5
Value Score: 3
Total Score: 3.8 out of 5
The Gateron Quinn switches, as they came from the factory, were almost perfect (to me).
I would have preferred them to have a heavier initial force and a sharper tactile bump.
With how much I enjoyed them, I’m not even sure if I’d have to do a hand lubed review on these switches.
Maybe I’ll at least lube the springs to see if I can get rid of the pinging. I guess that’ll be TBD.
I’ll be back with an update on this article if I happen to.
So, you ready to give them a spin? Grab a pack and upgrade your typing today!
How We Tested and Our Methodology
Keyboard Forge is a 100% independent publisher.
We purchased these switches with our own funds and were not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
We conducted numerous hours of hands-on testing with these switches in both gaming and typing environments. Majority of the gaming testing was done playing Sea of Thieves. Majority of the typing testing was done writing articles for Keyboard Forge.
We hope this review helps you get a better understanding of these switches. Feel free to reach out to suggest switches to review in the future.
Thanks for the support!
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