A German brand that holds a highly prestigious position among mechanical keyboard enthusiasts and is also the inventor of the MX switch design.CherryRecently, Cherry has been reported to be facing a serious financial crisis. Since the expiration of its MX mechanical axis patent in 2014, it has been facing strong competition from numerous MX-compatible axis brands in the Chinese market. Cherry seems to be struggling to cope and is reportedly planning to shift its production focus to China and is also considering selling its non-core business units in order to survive.
The company suffered a loss of over 2000 million euros in the first three quarters and shifted production to China.
According to Cherry's announcementMinutes of Extraordinary General Meeting顯示，該公司在2025年1月至9月期間，淨虧損累積高達2040萬歐元 (約新台幣7億元)。
Faced with these huge losses, Cherry had to make a difficult decision: to reposition its German headquarters as the administrative core for R&D, logistics, etc., while the production process, which was originally touted as "Made in Germany," would be largely transferred to low-cost regions, mainly China.
Furthermore, rumors suggest that Cherry plans to drastically reduce its size by selling its Peripherals and Digital Health & Solutions divisions, retaining only its core businesses.
After the patent expired, competing products sprang up like mushrooms after rain, and Cherry reacted too slowly.
Analysis indicates that Cherry's predicament stemmed primarily from the expiration of its MX mechanical switch patent in 2014, leading to a dramatic shift in the key switch market. Because the MX switch structure was not technologically advanced, Chinese brands, including Kailh, rapidly launched numerous switches compatible with the MX design.
These third-party brands are not only highly competitive in price, but also surpass Cherry in product breadth and flexibility. For example, they offer more diverse tactile options, opening designs optimized for RGB lighting effects, and even emphasize higher reliability and durability than the original MX switches, making them the choice of many gaming keyboard brands.
Although Cherry subsequently attempted to launch new products to turn the tide, its research and development was relatively slow. Coupled with past quality controversies regarding differences in the feel of different batches of switches, this former market leader appeared to be struggling when facing flexible and ever-changing competitors.
