Gateron Red vs Outemu Red
Weight is the real gap here: 5 g between the Outemu Red and the Gateron Red at bottom-out, which is enough to change how a long session ends. Our switch library 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 | Gateron Red | 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 | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | 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. Neither Gateron nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so the two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the Gateron Red and the Outemu Red share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. The Outemu Red is the firmer of the two at bottom-out, 60 g to 55 g, though 5 g is not much to choose between. Neither Gateron nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. What really separates them is sound, with the Gateron Red tending toward smooth, light clack with minimal scratch and the Outemu Red toward light thin clack with a whisper of spring ping. One pick, not three: the Gateron Red takes gaming and typing, and it is the one that carries less across a room. The Outemu Red is the answer only to a question our scoring does not ask.
- Overall pick
- Gateron Red
Gaming, typing and a shared office all point at the Gateron Red, so printing the same name three times would tell you nothing. One pick it is.
Force curves
Gateron Red
Gateron 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.
Gateron Red or Outemu Red: the long answer
Start with feel, because it settles most switch arguments before sound comes up. Spring weight barely separates them, 5 g at bottom-out with the Outemu Red on the firmer side, which most fingers will not register. Neither Gateron nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Both are linears either way, so both give you spring resistance and nothing else. The two stroke depths are identical, 2.0 mm to actuation inside 4.0 mm of total travel. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
The ears usually get the last word here. Played back to back, the Gateron Red is smooth, light clack with minimal scratch against light thin clack with a whisper of spring ping from the Outemu Red. One caveat we repeat wherever a player appears: no studio recording sits behind either of these. They are built from what each maker publishes and what the community reports.
On what they cost to fill a board, both are budget friendly. Neither ships lubed, so budget an evening with a brush if you want either at its best.
Who buys which, then? One switch takes every axis we score: the Gateron Red is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. On typing feel, nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. On noise, it makes the least fuss of the pair in a shared space. That leaves the Outemu Red to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. Whichever way you land, listen to both above with the volume trims matched before you spend anything.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Gateron Red 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 Gateron Red or the Outemu Red?
We pick the Gateron Red 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 is quieter, the Gateron Red or the Outemu Red?
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 Gateron Red leans toward smooth, light clack with minimal scratch, while the Outemu Red is light thin clack with a whisper of spring ping.
Gateron Red vs Outemu Red: which one is the heavier press?
The Outemu Red on the figures this page carries, 60 g to 55 g at bottom-out, but the comparison is not manufacturer against manufacturer: neither Gateron nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
More comparisons
More vs Gateron Red
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.