Akko CS Jelly Pink vs Outemu Red
One of these is ready out of the bag and one is a project: the Akko CS Jelly Pink comes factory lubed, the Outemu Red does not. Our library of every switch we simulate cross-links them because this matchup keeps coming up. Start with the A/B bursts below, then take the spec table and the picks in order.
Hear them back to back
simulated from real specssound loads on your first tapShortcuts: press A or B anywhere outside a text box to fire that burst. Use the volume trims to loudness-match the pair before judging which sounds better.
Spec by spec
| Spec | Akko CS Jelly Pink | Outemu Red |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 45 g |
| Bottom-out force | 55 g (our estimate) | 60 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1.9 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Budget |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both makers rate these at actuation, which is the one case where the advertised numbers compare directly. Every other force row still has to be matched basis to basis. The two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because neither Akko nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure. How that derivation works .
Verdict
Both the Akko CS Jelly Pink and the Outemu Red are linears, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. One of them is ready out of the bag: the Akko CS Jelly Pink is lubed at the factory and the other is not. Weight is nearly even at bottom-out: 60 g for the Outemu Red against 55 g, a gap most fingers will barely register. Neither Akko nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Nothing here separates by use case: the Akko CS Jelly Pink is our pick for gaming and for typing, and it is the one that carries less across a room. Take the Outemu Red only if you specifically want light thin clack with a whisper of spring ping.
- Overall pick
- Akko CS Jelly Pink
No use case rescues the Outemu Red here. The Akko CS Jelly Pink wins gaming, typing and the office question alike, so the block collapses to one.
Force curves
Akko CS Jelly Pink
Akko publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 55 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Outemu Red
Outemu publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 60 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Akko CS Jelly Pink or Outemu Red: the long answer
The practical gap comes first here, because only one of these arrives ready to use. Both are budget friendly. Only the Akko CS Jelly Pink comes factory lubed, so the Outemu Red asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
On to the mechanical side. The Outemu Red is nominally firmer at bottom-out, 60 g to 55 g, but 5 g is not a gap you buy a switch for. Neither Akko nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Both run to 4.0 mm, but the Akko CS Jelly Pink counts the press at 1.9 mm where the Outemu Red waits until 2.0 mm. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
Sound is where most people finally pick a side. Put them through the player above and the Akko CS Jelly Pink lands as bright glassy clack from the full-PC housing where the Outemu Red lands as light thin clack with a whisper of spring ping. These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
So who should buy which? The same switch wins every way we score it: the Akko CS Jelly Pink is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. On typing feel, it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. On noise, it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. That leaves the Outemu Red to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. Match the trims above, play both, and trust whichever one you keep replaying.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Akko CS Jelly Pink page and the Outemu Red page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Akko CS Jelly Pink or the Outemu Red?
We pick the Akko CS Jelly Pink for gaming. This is close to a coin toss. The scoring hands it over by a margin you would not feel in a match.
Which of the Akko CS Jelly Pink and the Outemu Red is quieter in a shared room?
Nothing in either one is built to reduce noise, so on raw volume this is a tie decided by your keyboard rather than your switch. What you will actually hear is a difference of pitch and texture, which the player above shows better than a sentence can.
Is the Akko CS Jelly Pink heavier than the Outemu Red?
The Outemu Red, on the numbers we have: 60 g against 55 g at bottom-out. Read that as a guide rather than a like-for-like manufacturer comparison, because neither Akko nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
Do the Akko CS Jelly Pink and the Outemu Red need lubing?
The Akko CS Jelly Pink arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Outemu Red does not, and on a full board that is an evening of work if you want it at its smoothest. Plenty of people run unlubed switches happily; it is a question of whether a slightly drier stroke bothers you.
More comparisons
More vs Akko CS Jelly Pink
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.