JWICK (JWK) Black V2 vs Outemu Red
One of these is ready out of the bag and one is a project: the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 comes factory lubed, the Outemu Red does not. Our full 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 | JWICK (JWK) Black V2 | Outemu Red |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | bottom-out | actuation |
| Actuation force | 42 g | 45 g |
| Bottom-out force | 58.5 g | 60 g (our estimate) |
| 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 |
JWICK (JWK) advertises a bottom-out force for the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 and Outemu an actuation force for the Outemu Red, so the two headline numbers are not measured at the same point. Compare row by row, not brand claim to brand claim. Outemu publishes no bottom-out figure for the Outemu Red, so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 and the Outemu Red share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. Only the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. The Outemu Red is the firmer of the two at actuation, 45 g to 42 g, though 3 g is not much to choose between. One pick, not three: the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 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
- JWICK (JWK) Black V2
Gaming, typing and a shared office all point at the JWICK (JWK) Black V2, so printing the same name three times would tell you nothing. One pick it is.
Force curves
JWICK (JWK) Black V2
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.
JWICK (JWK) Black V2 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 JWICK (JWK) Black V2 comes factory lubed, so the Outemu Red asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
That leaves the stroke itself. Type is not the difference here. Both are linears, and both give you spring resistance and nothing else. At actuation they sit 3 g apart, 45 g against 42 g, close enough that lube and housing will decide the feel before the spring does. 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.
Sound is where most people finally pick a side. Played back to back, the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 is clean smooth clack, Alpaca-adjacent on a budget against light thin clack with a whisper of spring ping from the Outemu Red. These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
The scoring gives up trying to divide this pair: the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. 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 Outemu Red 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.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 page and the Outemu Red page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 or the Outemu Red?
We pick the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
JWICK (JWK) Black V2 or Outemu Red: 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.
JWICK (JWK) Black V2 vs Outemu Red: which one is the heavier press?
The Outemu Red, and the comparison is clean: actuation on both sides, 45 g to 42 g.
Do the JWICK (JWK) Black V2 and the Outemu Red need lubing?
The JWICK (JWK) Black V2 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.
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