Tactile vs Clicky vs Linear

The common saying is that Clicky switches is prefered by typists, Linear is prefered by gamers, Tactile is middle-ground, and Tactile is offered as default.

Over the past ten years, i find that, linear is the most natural, due to engineering constraints, and linear is the best. While there is no simple way to implement clicky and tactile correctly, or ends up much expensive and complex.

Clicky is a great concept, but in practice, no switch has clicky mechanism that actually corresponds with key actuation. (maybe except some fancy magnetic switches.) For many clicky switches, you can press the key slowly such that it clicks but does not register, or register but no click.

Best feedback mechanism is to actually have a beep sound when the key is registered. Or, a vibrate or bump-back mechanism that provide such feedback activated by the key activation.

The so-called tactile switch class, such as Cherry MX Brown, are the worst. it provides somewhat a bump feeling, but like clicky, there is no simple engineering scheme to implement it correctly. (in practice, you just add some sloppy bump to the key stem.)

In practice, if typist prefer clicky or tactile, i'd say it's mostly psychological. I question that you need the click or tactile sensation at all. I doubt that there can be any scientific validation that clicky improves typing.

in practice, these days, i only recommend linear switches.

• Tactile is not good, in particular, cherry mx brown is worst, because its scratchy.
• Clicky is too noisy. But ok if you use it on a macro keypad.
• Linear is the most natural and best.