Cherry MX ULP Tactile: Ultra-flat mechanical switches are getting cool

About a year ago, Cherry introduced the groundbreaking flat mechanical keyboard switches with the MX Ultra Low Profile. Interested parties had no choice, however: the only option available was a clicky touch vote. That’s changing now: The MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile should be cool.

Mechanical pushbuttons in a compact format

For a long time, extremely flat notebook keyboards were primarily one thing: not mechanical, but based on rubber dome technology. In March 2021, Cheri promised a remedy. While the MX and MX Low Profile use a similar structure, the MX Ultra Low Profile (ULP) uses an entirely different concept. Cherry does without the housing and the characteristic rider with the cross mount, instead buttons are reminiscent of scissor models. Key caps are placed in two parts, both elements are connected and tensioned with a spring. The metal contacts are on the bottom and join as the construction is depressed. As a result, the overall height of the buttons is shrunk to 3.5 millimeters – a value that in typical examples would be the stroke.

June 2021 was the first Alienware notebook in which Computerbase was able to test flat Cherry switches. Decision: “mechanical and flat, which go together – only “quiet” is still missing […]“. And that’s where the manufacturer is improving, even though the MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile isn’t a clearly marketed button with low volume.

touch tactile instead of click

Unlike the current Clicky Switch of the model series, however, there is no intentional audible click with each release, although Cherry still promises a tactile adjustment with resistance at a pressure point of 65 grams along with a nearly unchanged actuation graph. If the analogy to the famous color coding of the classic MX switches is used, the buttons are gray instead of blue. However, the key difference to the famous MX series is clearly the travel: at just 1.8 instead of 4 millimeters, it’s not even half that long. After a signal is reached 0.8 millimeters, the maximum stroke is 1.8 millimeters.

Another change can be found in durability compared to clickable ULP buttons: a year ago, with about 15 million clicks, this was significantly lower than normal mechanical buttons, but now the tactile version is common with 50 million clicks. is at a high level. Cherry primarily views the office environment as an area of ​​application that should benefit from small amounts as much as home office users or players in team chat. The alternative version is aimed just at them, with an RGB LED just below the switch.

Used by Alienware, MSI and Corsair

Full Specifications Demo of the MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile data sheet Look at However, the manufacturer doesn’t say when potential customers can expect the first notebooks with new, quieter buttons. Instead, Cherry refers to some notebooks that have the Click Brother installed. These include Alienware’s M15-R4 and M17-R4 series, as well as MSI’s Titan GT77 and Corsair’s Voyager a1600. Apart from this, XMG’sUpcoming Notebook Flagship“Cherry MX should offer ultra low profile.