We get asked the same question quite a bit by people putting together a new keyboard: "What is a good linear switch that sounds deep, but doesn't require me to spend hours lubing it myself?" Our answer is almost always the Gateron Oil King. Even though there are dozens of new switches coming out every month, this one remains a very safe bet. Here is a quick breakdown of why we still put them in so many of our own builds.
What do Gateron Oil Kings feel like?
The main thing you notice with an Oil King is the smooth travel. Being a linear switch, there is no tactile bump in the middle of the press, it just goes straight down. Standard red switches can sometimes feel a bit scratchy or hollow, but these manage to avoid that entirely. A big part of that comes down to the plastics Gateron used: a Nylon PA66 top housing and their proprietary INK material for the base.
Quick specs:
- Type: Linear
- Actuation force: 55g
- Bottom-out force: 65g
- Design: 5-pin
In practice, that 55g actuation force means they are slightly heavier than your typical red switch. We actually prefer this. The slight increase in resistance is just enough to stop you from making accidental typos if you rest your fingers on the keys, but it isn't heavy enough to tire your hands out after a long day of typing.
Do Gateron Oil Kings sound "thocky"?
The keyboard community uses the word "thock" for almost everything these days, but the Oil Kings genuinely fit the description. Because they use that dense Nylon top housing, the plastic naturally absorbs higher-pitched noises. So instead of a sharp, plasticky clack when you press the key all the way down, you get a much deeper, muted thud. If you want a board that sounds solid and subdued right away, this is exactly what you are looking for.
Do you need to lube Gateron Oil Kings?
People often ask if they still need to manually lubricate these. Honestly, no. A few years ago, "factory lubed" switches were a bit of a gamble. Some were completely dry, while others had way too much oil on them. Gateron managed to get it remarkably consistent with this series. The factory lube job is generous and even. For almost everyone, opening these up to relube them is just a waste of a good weekend. They are good to go the moment you take them out of the box.
Compatibility and RGB lighting
These are 5-pin switches. If you are using a modern hot-swappable keyboard like the Keychron Q-series or V-series (which we offer natively in the ISO-BE layout), they will drop right into the PCB without any issues. If you happen to have an older board that only takes 3-pin switches, you can just clip off the two little plastic side legs with a nail clipper.
There is one practical downside: the housing is completely opaque black. This dense plastic is great for the acoustics, but it will block a significant amount of your keyboard's backlighting. If your setup relies on bright, vibrant RGB shining through your keycaps, these will mute that light quite a bit. But if you don't care much about RGB, or prefer a very subtle under-glow, it is an easy compromise to make.
Final thoughts
If you like linear switches and just want a heavy, smooth typing feel without having to modify anything yourself, the Oil Kings are still one of the most practical choices you can make.