Gateron Milky Yellow Pro vs Gateron Yellow
One of these is ready out of the bag and one is a project: the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro comes factory lubed, the Gateron Yellow does not. Our switch library 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 | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro | Gateron Yellow |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 50 g | 50 g |
| Bottom-out force | 62 g (our estimate) | not published |
| Pre-travel | 2 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 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. The figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Gateron publishes no bottom-out figure for the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
Gateron is on both sides of this one and both are linears, so the question is which of its own linears suits you. One of them is ready out of the bag: the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro is lubed at the factory and the other is not. Both are rated 50 g at actuation, the only measuring point with a published figure for each, so the spec sheet will not settle weight. One pick, not three: the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro takes gaming and typing, and it is the one that carries less across a room. The Gateron Yellow is the answer only to a question our scoring does not ask.
- Overall pick
- Gateron Milky Yellow Pro
No use case rescues the Gateron Yellow here. The Gateron Milky Yellow Pro wins gaming, typing and the office question alike, so the block collapses to one.
Force curves
Gateron Milky Yellow Pro
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 62 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 Yellow
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the dashed end of the curve is an estimate, not a spec. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers.
Gateron Milky Yellow Pro or Gateron Yellow: the long answer
The practical gap comes first here, because only one of these arrives ready to use. Both are budget friendly. Only the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro comes factory lubed, so the Gateron Yellow asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
That leaves the stroke itself. The stroke is the same shape on both: neither one puts a bump or a click in the way of the press. That leaves the spec sheet to separate them. Both come out at 50 g at actuation, and actuation is the only point with a figure for each of them, so the tie is on the spec sheet rather than proven in the hand. 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. Two different voices: deeper, muted, creamy bottom-out from the milky nylon housing on the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro, smooth, slightly deep clack; famously good for the money on the Gateron Yellow. The usual caveat applies. Nothing here is a studio recording; both packs are synthesized from published specs, and the players say so.
This one does not split. Every axis we score points the same direction: the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro 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, its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. On noise, it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. That leaves the Gateron Yellow to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. 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 Milky Yellow Pro page and the Gateron Yellow page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro or the Gateron Yellow?
We pick the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro for gaming. This is close to a coin toss. The scoring hands it over by a margin you would not feel in a match.
Gateron Milky Yellow Pro or Gateron Yellow: which one is quieter?
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 Gateron Milky Yellow Pro heavier than the Gateron Yellow?
Neither, as far as the published numbers go: both are rated 50 g at actuation, the only measuring point with a published figure for each. Bottom-out is where two switches matched at actuation often diverge, but neither switch here has a published bottom-out figure at all. Treat this as a tie on the spec sheet rather than a proven match in the hand.
Do the Gateron Milky Yellow Pro and the Gateron Yellow need lubing?
The Gateron Milky Yellow Pro arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Gateron Yellow 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.
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