| Switch Type: Linear | Mount: PC Mount (3-pin) | Spring: Single Stage | Price: £5.90 (16pcs) on KBDcraft |
| Stem: POM | Factory Lubed: Yes |
| Actuation Point: | 1.9mm | Actuation Point: | 1.92mm |
| Actuation Force: | 40g | Actuation Force: | 42.9gf |
| Total Travel: | 3.5mm | Total Travel: | 3.55mm |
| Reset Point: | Reset Point: | 1.86 | |
| Bottom-out Force: | Bottom-out Force: | 49.0 | |
| Stem Length: | 13.63 | ||
This particular S2 Engine switch is KBDcraft’s 3rd gen linear switch. It has slight differences in specs compared to their previous, gen 2 switch.
DISCLAIMER | Please Read:
These switches were sent by KBDcraft 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
These are probably going to be very underrated, but they shouldn’t be. I consider them an upgrade over Cherry MX Reds or Gateron Yellows. Plus, at £5.90 for 16 switches; they aren’t terribly priced either.
Smoothness: 8/10
On-centre keypresses are very smooth with only noticeable scratchiness at very slow keypresses.
Off-centre keypresses are also very smooth with slightly more noticeable scratchiness at very slow keypresses.
Overall, I can’t compare them to its predecessors, but these are very smooth switches. I’d recommend them to those still using Cherry MX Reds or Gateron Yellows.
KBDcraft S² Engine (Gen-3) switch disassembled.
Weighting: 4/10
Now, according to KBDcraft these switches actuate at 40g at 1.9mm and have a total travel of 3.5mm.
KBDcraft S² Engine (Gen-3) force curve.
As you can see from the force curve above, the KBDcraft S² Engine Gen 3 were within its outlined specs.
KBDcraft S² Engine (Gen-3) consistency force curve.
They were also extremely consistent! All 3 switches measured almost equally in the downstroke. However, Switch 2 (orange line) had a slightly heavier upstroke between the -1.8 and -2.0mm mark, but this wouldn’t be noticeable for most people.
KBDcraft S² Engine (Gen-3) vs Gateron Yellow force curve.
The above force curve shows a comparison between the KBDcraft S² Engine Gen 3 and the Gateron Yellow. The Gateron Yellow starts off slightly lighter, but it surpasses the weight of the S2 around the 1.2mm mark.
KBDcraft S² Engine (Gen-3) vs Akko CS Piano force curve.
The above force curve shows a comparison between the KBDcraft S² Engine Gen 3 and the Akko CS Piano. Both switches have a very similar weighting with the Akko switch being around 2-4g heavier throughout the entire travel. The Akko switch also has a slightly shorter travel.
Overall, these are lightly weighted linear switches with a very consistent performance.
Sound: 7/10
They are on the clacky side of the spectrum. Although, I would consider them to have a “safe” sound signature. It won’t please everyone, but most will enjoy it.
Overall, they sound pretty good given the lack of scratchiness, but they aren’t anything groundbreaking.
The KBDcraft S² Engine (Gen-3) stem length is 13.63mm.
Typing Performance: 5/10
The main problem I had with these switches was their weighting as I made a number of typos with them throughout my testing. So, I’m not a huge fan of them for any sensitive work applications.
On the plus side however, they remained smooth and consistent; never missing a beat. It’s a good thing the factory lubrication was applied properly.
Overall, weighting aside, these had a smooth and consistent performance. They certainly aren’t for me, but I can recommend to them to those looking for a smooth, lightly weighted switch with a consistent performance.
Gaming Performance: 7/10
Similarly to typing, I also found them to be on the light side when it comes to gaming.
However, it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it was going to. Its smooth and consistent nature made it effortless for the slow and fast-paced games.
Overall, they aren’t the most exciting switches on the market, but when it comes to performance, they performed as expected and as needed which is all that matters to most of us.
Final Score = 31/50 (62%)