Gateron Ink Black V2 vs Gateron Oil King
These two cross over on force: one is firmer at actuation and the other at bottom-out, so "which is heavier" has two correct answers on this page. Our switch library links the two to each other for that reason. Play the A/B bursts below to hear them back to back, match the volumes, then read the spec 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 | Gateron Ink Black V2 | Gateron Oil King |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 70 g (our estimate) | 80 g |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | ~$0.65 / switch |
Both of these are rated 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. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure for the Gateron Ink Black V2, 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
The Gateron Ink Black V2 and the Gateron Oil King are both linears, so nothing separates them at the fingertip until you look at springs and acoustics. Weight depends on where you measure: the Gateron Ink Black V2 is the firmer press at actuation by 5 g, while the Gateron Oil King is the heavier one at bottom-out by 10 g. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure, so treat that 70 g as our estimate. Budget also has a say, since the Gateron Oil King is mid priced and the Gateron Ink Black V2 is premium priced. Our picks: the Gateron Oil King for gaming, the Gateron Ink Black V2 for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Gateron Oil King
- Typing pick
- Gateron Ink Black V2
- Office pick
- Gateron Ink Black V2
Force curves
Gateron Ink Black V2
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 70 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
Gateron Ink Black V2 or Gateron Oil King: the long answer
Take the mechanical side first, since that is where this pair separates. The two force rows in the table disagree with each other. At actuation the Gateron Ink Black V2 leads by 5 g; at bottom-out the Gateron Oil King leads by 10 g, so read them together or not at all. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure, so treat that 70 g as our estimate. Both are linears either way, so neither one puts a bump or a click in the way of the press. Distance is not the difference: both register at 2.0 mm and stop at 4.0 mm. Same family of stroke, so read the detail rather than the headline.
The ears usually get the last word here. The Gateron Ink Black V2 sits at signature deep-yet-clacky Ink voice; smooth and resonant; the Gateron Oil King answers with deep, muted, oily thock; dark and full-bodied. Both packs are synthesized rather than recorded, so read the comparison as a faithful sketch of each voice and not as a measurement of it.
On price and practicality, the Gateron Ink Black V2 is premium priced, 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.
All three questions get different answers on this pair. Fast inputs: the Gateron Oil King, because this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. A long draft: the Gateron Ink Black V2, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. A room with other people in it: the Gateron Ink Black V2, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Gateron Ink Black V2 page and the Gateron Oil King page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Gateron Ink Black V2 or the Gateron Oil King the better gaming switch?
We pick the Gateron Oil King 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 Gateron Ink Black V2 and the Gateron Oil King is quieter in a shared room?
Volume is roughly a wash: no dampening and no click mechanism on either, so your typing force and your case decide the level. The character is not a wash, with the Gateron Ink Black V2 reading as signature deep-yet-clacky Ink voice; smooth and resonant against deep, muted, oily thock; dark and full-bodied from the Gateron Oil King.
Which switch is heavier, the Gateron Ink Black V2 or the Gateron Oil King?
That depends on where you measure, because these two cross over. The Gateron Ink Black V2 is the firmer press at actuation, 60 g against 55 g, but that reverses at bottom-out, where the Gateron Oil King is the heavier of the two at 80 g against 70 g. Both of these are advertised at actuation, so the actuation figures are the ones the makers stand behind. Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure, so the 70 g we list for the Gateron Ink Black V2 is our own derivation from the forces it does publish rather than a manufacturer rating.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Gateron Ink Black V2 or the Gateron Oil King?
The Gateron Oil King sits in the mid priced bracket and the Gateron Ink Black V2 in the premium priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
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