| Switch Type: Tactile | Mount: PCB Mount (5-pin) | Spring: Single Stage | Price: £9 (100pcs) on Akko |
| Top Housing: POM | Bottom Housing: PA66 | Stem: POM | Factory Lubed: Yes |
| Actuation Point (mm): | 2.0 ± 0.4 | Actuation Point (mm): | 2.14 |
| Actuation Force (gf): | 45 ± 8 | Actuation Force (gf): | 38.7 |
| Total Travel (mm): | 3.2 ± 0.3 | Total Travel (mm): | 3.72 |
| Peak Tactile Point (mm): | 0.5 | Peak Tactile Point (mm): | 0.46 |
| Peak Tactile Force (gf): | 57 ± 8 | Peak Tactile Force (gf): | 56.8 |
| Reset Point (mm): | 1.7 | Reset Point (mm): | 2.12 |
| Bottom-out Force (gf): | 50 ± 8 | Bottom-out Force (gf): | 51.9 |
| Stem Length (mm): | 13.75 | ||
DISCLAIMER | Please Read:
These switches were sent by Akko for review and testing purposes. No one paid me to write this review, and impartiality will always be a top priority here at KeebWorks.
TL;DR
It closely matches the tactile profile of the Drop + Invyr Holy Panda switch. Plus, it also has a shorter total travel of roughly 3.3mm. The force curve below speaks for itself.
Otherwise, this is possibly the best price to performance Holy Panda-like tactile switch out there. It’s currently on sale for £8, but even at the full price of £9, it’s absolutely worth it!
Smoothness: 8/10
On-centre keypresses are very smooth with only slight inconsistencies at very slow keypresses.
Off-centre keypresses are quite smooth with slightly noticeable scratchiness at slow keypresses.
Overall, it feels like a slight refinement over the Drop Holy Panda.
Akko Creamy Purple U1 switch disassembled.
Weighting: 8/10
Now, according to Akko these switches have a peak tactile force of 57g at 0.5mm, an actuation force of 45g at 2mm and a bottom out force of 50g at 3.5mm.
Akko Creamy Purple U1 force curve.
As you can see from the force curve above, the Akko Creamy Purple U1 is on spec in all areas.
Akko Creamy Purple U1 consistency force curve.
As you can see above, they’re moderately consistent with noticeable variances between all 3 switches.
Akko Creamy Purple U1 vs. Akko V3 Creamy Purple Pro force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Akko Creamy Purple U1 and the Akko V3 Creamy Purple Pro. It’s clear that the U1 is the heavier of the two with roughly a 5-7g difference on the downstroke and about 2-3g on the upstroke. Additionally, the U1 has a longer travel of ~3.3mm compared to ~2.8mm on the V3.
Akko Creamy Purple U1 vs. Drop + Invyr Holy Panda force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Akko Creamy Purple U1 and the Drop + Invyr Holy Panda. These are closer in performance compared to its predecessor, with both their tactile bump very closely matching in both distance (~0.5mm) and force (~56g). Although the Holy Panda is roughly 10g heavier after its actuation point.
Overall, these are moderately consistent, medium weighted tactile switches with a shorter travel. I like them, and I wouldn’t mind using these as my main switch. They’re definitely for those looking for a Holy Panda-like tactile switch without paying the Holy Panda price tag.
Sound: 8/10
Given my case, they have a clacky sound signature, but they also sound ‘full’. I believe in a thockier build; these would sound absolutely incredible – much like the beloved original Holy Panda.
Overall, these sound fuller than the Drop Holy Panda, which I prefer.
The Akko Creamy Purple U1 stem length is 13.75mm.
Typing Performance: 8/10
I tend to prefer tactile switches that have an early tactile bump, much like this one, and especially so as it is Holy Panda-like.
However, a few switches have started to chatter which affected my typing experience, but it’s thankfully not too severe. Here’s hoping it won’t get any worse!
On a more positive note, they’re quite snappy to type on and are within the range of my preferred weighting. So, all in all, I had a great time with these switches.
Overall, I couldn’t find too many things to dislike about these switches – they performed smoothly and consistently throughout my testing with barely issues to note. Although I think Akko could make them a touch smoother and more consistent at slower keypresses. It will most likely make them pricier, but I wouldn’t mind paying a little extra for that.
Gaming Performance: 8/10
For gaming, I tend to lean towards a smooth, heavy, linear switch. Although a tactile switch like this comes in a close second.
However, they weren’t as consistent as I would’ve liked to be in slower-paced games. Some of the switches had very slight hesitations when I was making very precise movements, though this could just be the lube getting in the way.
Additionally, there were hints of scratchiness throughout my gameplay sessions; they were very subtle and didn’t ruin my gameplay experience, gladly.
Overall, slight refinements can be made, but these are still top-tier gaming switches, in my opinion.
Final Score = 40/50 (80%)