They are currently on sale for a few more hours, so go for it! [Or look up the OUTEMU switch tester on AliExpress]. For general use, one of the most versatile switches in the Gazzew Boba lineup is the Boba U4T switch. Due to its offered various spring weights, the enthusiast-grade tactile switch can be used whenever and for whatever the typists’ use case is. This especially applies to enthusiasts that are part of the tactile gang, sharing a fondness for true tactility in mechanical keyboard switches. The combination of tactile bump, spring weight, and peak force in the Boba U4 means if you rest your fingers on the keys, they won’t budge unless you want them to.

Given I had already honed down on my preferred key mapping for this 65% keyboard, I retained the same keycap choices as before, but did go with the traditional Esc key. I also wanted to try out the replacement space bar keycap to see if more of the lighter green would better balance out the others, and think it did just that. So the keycaps used above are ultimately my go-to choices for this particular setup and keyboard build, and I used the MARVODIY software drivers to re-map the top-right key from Tilde to Delete to complete the process. A great value switch, and excellent affordable alternative to the Drop Holy Panda and Zealios premium tactile switches.

Details Pink top variant

In practice, you should feel that the entire keypress is the bump. This makes bottoming-out intensely satisfying, and hard to avoid. While these are supposed to be silent, there is a noticeable noise from the stem/leaf interaction of the Zilent that is simply not present in the Boba U4. Very smooth feel, removing the need to lube the switch (if you insist, do try them without lube first); Lighter spring weights like the 62g option may accentuate the tactile bump, but a 68g option could feel smoother without compromising much tactility. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to try a silent switch, or have been sleeping on Outemu’s latest offerings with Gazzew, the Boba U4 just might be the switch you’ve been waiting for.

Even though there is a slight bit of wobble in the Silent Sky switches, its clearly noticeable that these switches were the predecessors to the Boba U4s as they still feature lesser wobble than a vast majority of switches out there. Peak Force” is the maximum amount of force required to press and actuate the switch. The peak force required for a tactile switch is typically higher than that of a linear switch with the same spring. I’m pretty into dampened switches myself. Generally, they do all involve some kind of trade-off between silence and retaining a satisfying feel - though not all the manufacturers do it the same way.

Details RGB (clear top) variant

I'm currently using modded Cherry MX silents I salvaged from another keyboard in my ymdk96. (45g springs, lubed with trybosis 3204 and applied TX switch films) When comparing the sounds of these two switches, the relative silence of the Boba U4 only makes it harder to ignore the spring ping that comes with Aliaz switches. I have experience with two builds using those particular switches. The switches need some modest lube with 3204 to really shine, also springs of course. But they don’t need any ‘mods.’ No films, no re-springing. May be a bit of a pain to open.

BOBA PLASTIC IS BEING DISCONTINUED AS A RESULT ALL PURPLE & PINK BOBA PLASTIC THAT IS AVAILABLE CURRENTLY IS THE LAST THAT WIL BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE NEW PLASTIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED. I may make other colors available for LT & Bobagums but that will be determined when all of the bases have been used. There will be a new plastic replacing boba plastic that will be added in the future in place of the boba plastics. While the clear-top variety is commonly found through official vendors, pink tops can currently only be obtained directly from Gazzew, or by obtaining the pink “Bobagum” silent linear switches. In contrast with Cherry MX Brown’shollow switch housing, Gazzew Boba switches have tight tolerances in their switch housings, thus causing decreased stem wobble for a stable typing experience. Additionally, MX Brownshave a significant resounding keypress, producing reverb to unnecessary noises and scratches from the housing. However, Gazzew switches do not bear the same struggle as it has a tight switch housing, making their sound profile clear and creamy to the ears of their users.

Where to buy

With only the minor gripe with the consistent, leathery ‘scratch’ noise present throughout the stroke of these switches, literally everything is silent. Hell, even the scratch noise itself is quiet by modern switch metrics for tactiles and linears alike. Context The second area where this switch will suffer is not even objectively poor, but rather ‘poor’ by the way of the community standard. The tactile bump on both the original U4 stems, as well as the Boba U4 switches are both mid-range in terms of tactile strength. While I have previously mentioned that silent tactiles do lose some edge of tactility over their non-silent competitors in normal tactiles, these switches were never aimed at being the “most tactile switch that you’ve ever felt”. And the reason that this is a detriment, unfortunately, is due to such a large part of the community deeming tactile switches as good if and only if they have a tactile event strong enough to beat you up for your lunch money. There is such a thing as good, mid-range tactile switches that provide tactile events that don’t actively try and compete against Holy Pandas. (And yes, you are allowed to like them.) So with my grandstanding out of the way, while I truly think these are a great mid-tactility silent tactile switch in terms of push feel, I feel like some portion of the community will wrinkle their noses at it because it’s not “tactile enough”. Sound The Boba U4, designed by Gazzew in collaboration with Outemu, has been making waves in the mechanical keyboard communities over the past several months, but it is worth the hype? To get it out as simply as possible: these top housings are pretty much pushing the absolute manufacturing limits of stem wobble. In hand, there is ever so slight stem wobble in both the N/S and E/W directions, but its such a miniscule amount that with caps on I’m almost certain that it would not be noticeable, even at taller profiles like MT3 or SA. I’m genuinely of the belief that there is not much more of a reduction in stem wobble that you could get between the top housing and the stems reliably through a manufacturing process such as injection molding, which most switch components are made with. Aside the much more interesting (and palatable to some) nameplate on the Boba switches, the interesting color scheme and material choice of the housings will almost certainly see their usage in frankenswitches here in the future. As well, I really anticipate that he will be able to sell more than a fair bit of these switches as I have reviewed here, as they will mark off quite a few desirable boxes for beginners and experts alike. I may even be willing to go a step further and say that I honestly am considering using these someday in a build yet to be planned – though only time will tell where these switches, and Gazzew himself, will go. Further Reading