Gateron KS-22 Optical vs NuPhy Panda Max Switch
Gateron KS-22 Optical has live pricing available right now while NuPhy Panda Max Switch is temporarily out of stock across tracked vendors. They also sit in different feel families — Gateron KS-22 Optical is linear, NuPhy Panda Max Switch is tactile. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Detailed comparison
Spec-by-spec breakdown — differences highlighted in cyan.
| Spec | Gateron KS-22 Optical | NuPhy Panda Max Switch |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Gateron KS-22 Optical | NuPhy Panda Max Switch |
| Brand | Gateron | Nuphy |
| Price range | $13.99 | — |
| Community score | — | — |
| Switch type | Linear | Tactile |
| Stem | MX (Cherry-compatible) | MX (Cherry-compatible) |
| Pins | 5 | 5 |
| Actuation force | 45 gf | 45 gf |
| Bottom-out force | 55 gf | 55 gf |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2.2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 3.3 mm |
| Factory lubed | No | Yes |
| LED slot | Yes | — |
| Housing top | Polycarbonate | POM |
| Housing bottom | Nylon | POM |
| Stem material | POM | POM |
| Manufacturer | — | — |
Name
- Gateron KS-22 Optical
- Gateron KS-22 Optical
- NuPhy Panda Max Switch
- NuPhy Panda Max Switch
Brand
- Gateron KS-22 Optical
- Gateron
Price range
- Gateron KS-22 Optical
- $13.99
Community score
Switch type
- Gateron KS-22 Optical
- Linear
- NuPhy Panda Max Switch
- Tactile
Stem
- Gateron KS-22 Optical
- MX (Cherry-compatible)
- NuPhy Panda Max Switch
- MX (Cherry-compatible)
Pins
Actuation force
Bottom-out force
Pre-travel
- NuPhy Panda Max Switch
- 2.2 mm
Total travel
- NuPhy Panda Max Switch
- 3.3 mm
Factory lubed
LED slot
Housing top
- Gateron KS-22 Optical
- Polycarbonate
Housing bottom
Stem material
Manufacturer
Which should you buy?
Gateron KS-22 Optical has live pricing available right now while NuPhy Panda Max Switch is temporarily out of stock across tracked vendors. They also sit in different feel families — Gateron KS-22 Optical is linear, NuPhy Panda Max Switch is tactile. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Pick Gateron KS-22 Optical if
From $13.99
- You don't mind hand-lubing for a fully dialed-in feel
- You prefer a linear feel
Pick NuPhy Panda Max Switch if
- You value factory lube — no modding needed out of the box
- You prefer a tactile feel
Also compared
Popular pairings that involve KS-22 Optical or Max Switch.