Razer earlier announced the launch of a new light-activated mechanical switch, named the Razer Purple Switch, adding a new option to its own Razer Green Switch, Orange Switch, and Yellow Switch lineup, and will first be used in the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite mechanical keyboards launched simultaneously this time.
Compared to the previously launched proprietary key switch design that uses metal contacts and an up-and-down movement mechanism to trigger key commands, the operating principle of the light-triggered mechanical switch is to block the light signal during the up-and-down movement of the key to determine whether a key command has been triggered. The advantage is that it does not use traditional mechanical switches that use metal contacts to trigger, which may cause poor contact or mechanical structure fatigue due to long-term use. It can relatively bring an effective trigger lifespan of up to 1 million times, and the trigger delay is also relatively low.
The Razer Purple Switch boasts a 45g weight and 1.5mm travel, which is quite similar to the Green Switch overall, but the actual feel is somewhat different. It also uses Razer's new generation of keycap fixed support design, giving the keycaps greater stability during operation.
The Huntsman and Huntsman Elite keyboards, launched with Razer Purple switches, feature exposed keycaps and an aluminum alloy top cover. The Elite version also supports Chroma multi-color lighting effects, as well as lighting display functions and multimedia control keys on the side, and a leather-like wrist rest on the bottom.
In terms of suggested retail price, Huntsman will be listed at $149, while Huntsman Elite will be listed at $199.
