Akko V3 Piano Pro vs Gateron Oil King
The Akko V3 Piano Pro and the Gateron Oil King are separated mostly by spring weight, 10 g of it at actuation, with the Gateron Oil King the firmer press and the Akko V3 Piano Pro the easier one to hold down. Our library of every switch we simulate puts these two on each other's shortlist, and the player below is the fastest way to settle it: match the volumes, then work down through the table and the verdict.
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 V3 Piano Pro | Gateron Oil King |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 55 g (our estimate) | 80 g |
| Pre-travel | 1.9 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.1 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | ~$0.65 / switch |
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. Akko publishes no bottom-out figure for the Akko V3 Piano Pro, so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How that derivation works .
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the Akko V3 Piano Pro and the Gateron Oil King share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. 10 g at actuation is a bracket apart, not a shade, and it is the Gateron Oil King carrying the heavier end at 55 g. Stroke depth separates them too: 4.0 mm on the Gateron Oil King against 3.1 mm on the Akko V3 Piano Pro, which you hear at the bottom as much as you feel it. Where we land: the Akko V3 Piano Pro for gaming and a shared office, the Gateron Oil King for typing.
- Gaming pick
- Akko V3 Piano Pro
- Typing pick
- Gateron Oil King
- Office pick
- Akko V3 Piano Pro
Force curves
Akko V3 Piano Pro
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.
Gateron Oil King
Akko V3 Piano Pro or Gateron Oil King: the long answer
Read the spec sheet once, carefully, and most of this decision makes itself. The Gateron Oil King carries the heavier spring at actuation, 55 g to 45 g. That is a real 10 g without being a change of bracket. Travel differs at both ends, with the Akko V3 Piano Pro registering first at 1.9 mm and the Gateron Oil King running deepest at 4.0 mm. The stroke itself is shared: nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. With the stroke shared, that spring gap does most of the deciding here.
Now the part spec sheets cannot carry: the voice. Two different voices: deep resonant thock, low-note landing on the Akko V3 Piano Pro, deep, muted, oily thock; dark and full-bodied on the Gateron Oil King. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
On what they cost to fill a board, the Akko V3 Piano Pro is budget friendly, while the Gateron Oil King is mid priced at roughly $0.65 per switch, about $46 for a typical 70 pack. Factory lube on both, so the smoothness you hear in the player is roughly the smoothness you get.
So who should buy which? For gaming we lean toward the Akko V3 Piano Pro, because a lighter spring at actuation and a shorter distance to actuation go its way. For long typing sessions the Gateron Oil King makes the stronger case, since its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. And if your keyboard shares a room with other people, the Akko V3 Piano Pro is the one we would trust, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. None of this beats hearing them yourself, which the player above lets you do in about a minute.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Akko V3 Piano Pro page and the Gateron Oil King page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Akko V3 Piano Pro or Gateron Oil King for gaming?
We pick the Akko V3 Piano Pro for gaming. It takes this one on a lighter spring at actuation and a shorter distance to actuation, which is what a fast repeated press actually cares about.
Is the Akko V3 Piano Pro quieter than the Gateron Oil King?
They are close. Neither is a silent switch and neither clicks, so loudness depends mostly on how hard you bottom out and the board they sit in. Their character differs though: the Akko V3 Piano Pro leans toward deep resonant thock, low-note landing, while the Gateron Oil King is deep, muted, oily thock; dark and full-bodied.
Is the Akko V3 Piano Pro heavier than the Gateron Oil King?
The Gateron Oil King. Both brands publish at actuation, which makes 55 g against 45 g an honest 10 g rather than two numbers from different rulers.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Akko V3 Piano Pro or the Gateron Oil King?
The Akko V3 Piano Pro sits in the budget friendly bracket and the Gateron Oil King in the mid priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
More comparisons
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