| Switch Type: | Linear |
| Mount Type: | PCB Mount |
| Travel Distance: | 2.0mm Actuation | 3.8mm Total |
| Force: | 35g Operating |
| Stem Length (mm): | 12.91 |
| Price: | $12.99 (45 pieces) on Akko |
The Akko Dracula is a very lightly weighted linear switch featuring a POK (Polyketone) top housing and stem – a first from Akko.
DISCLAIMER | Please Read:
These switches were sent by Akko for review and testing purposes. I was NOT PAID in any way to write this review. Impartiality will always be a top priority here at KeebWorks; this one included.
TL;DR
Think Gateron Clear – that’s what these essentially are, but made with different materials. It also has the benefit of it coming from Akko, so you can be rest assured that it would perform consistently well for a very long time.
Smoothness: 9/10
On-centre keypresses are extremely smooth with only the switch installed in my “I” key having slightly scratchiness issues. This is very likely an isolated case as the rest of the switches did not have this issue.
Off-centre keypresses are also very smooth with very minor scratchiness present on very slow keypresses – not noticeable in normal typing.
Overall, these are one of the smoothest switches money can buy. I’m very impressed.
Akko Dracula switch disassembled.
Weighting: 3/10
According to Akko, these switches have an actuation force of 35g at 2mm and bottom-out distance of 3.8mm.
In the real world, they feel like the Gateron Clear from my side-by-side testing which I’m not a fan of at all as I’m not a fan of super lightly weighted switches such as these.
However, Akko has done a great job in making them feel very consistent much like the rest of their lineup given the new material they’re working with. I definitely expected more hiccups with these, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.
Overall, anything as lightly weighted as these won’t get a high score, but I appreciate Akko for trying out a new material – I just hope it’s successful enough to make it to other switches in the future.
Sound: 7/10
These are on the clacky side with a level of high-pitchiness to them at times. I’m unsure if this is due to the new material or not, but they don’t sound unpleasant to my ears.
Overall, I’d like to see Akko make more switches out of POK as they sound pleasant enough, and I’m sure that with more refinement; they should be as good or maybe even better than traditionally made switches.
The Akko Dracula stem length is 12.91 mm.
Typing Performance: 4/10
With an actuation point of 35g and a bottom-out of roughly 50g, it’s hard to not make typos with these. Whether is missing a letter, duplicating a number or simply leaning your hands on the keyboard – I’ve done it all. I’ve made all the typing mistakes on these switches.
It’s not all doom and gloom however. The one thing really going for these is their top-level consistency which the Gateron Clear didn’t quite have. Also, these are directly competing with the Gateron in case if you haven’t figured it out yet. Additionally, I didn’t feel any scratchiness when using them normally.
Overall, I’m very clearly not a fan of them. Although with that being said, a number of my audience have come to say that they prefer lighter switches such as these, so there’s definitely a small market for them.
Gaming Performance: 4/10
I tend to lean on switches whenever I’m gaming, and this is especially true when it came to fast-paced games. Additionally, just like with typing, I made several accidental keypresses along the way, but getting used to these while gaming wasn’t as frustrating.
Moreover, I didn’t feel any inconsistencies or scratchiness in any of the games I played, so it seems that Akko’s choice of POK paid off here… then again, it’s highly likely this would’ve been the case if they stuck with the usual materials.
Overall, I personally still wouldn’t choose these as my go-to switch, but I’m happy to recommend them to many gamers who value a light weighting and consistent performance.
Final Score = 28/50 (56%)