Zeal PC Zealio 67g (V1)

Switch Specifications:

Switch Type:	Tactile
Mount Type:	PCB Mount
Travel Distance:	2.5mm Actuation | 4.0mm Total
Force:	30g Operating | 67g Bottom-out
Price:	~£9.00 (10 pieces)

ZealPC’s Zealio 67g switch is the 3rd heaviest tactile switch offered by ZealPC. They are also available in 62, 65 and 78g variants. These switches are the modern approach to the popular Ergo Clear mod.

NOTE: I will be featuring the Zealio V1 in this review which has now been discontinued. The Zealio V2 is available on ZealPC’s website. Also, this review will mainly focus on the 67g variant.

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Here’s the video review if you prefer watching content:

Smoothness: 7/10

On-centre keypresses are relatively smooth with hints of scratchiness, especially towards the bottom of the travel. Additionally, the tactile bump adds some scratchiness to the switch, but this is barely noticeable under normal use.

Off-centre keypresses are also relatively smooth with more noticeable scratchiness to some of the switches when pressed slowly. It’s most noticeable when gaming and not so much when typing.

Overall, these are smooth switches. They’re a cut above the rest (in stock form).

Zeal PC Zealio 67g (V1) switch disassembled.

Weighting: 7/10

Whilst, these are supposed to be the modern equivalent to the Ergo Clear mod; they fall behind in key areas that are important to me.

Here is the link to Haata’s force curve of the switch.

Now, I personally love the weighting of Cherry MX Clear switches, but I also understand that many enthusiasts find them to be too heavy, hence why the Ergo Clear mod is so popular.

However, I dislike these Zealio switches (at least the 67g variant) as it has a much lower weighting compared to the MX Clear.

More importantly, I could type more reliably and comfortably with MX Clears than I can with these Zealio switches, even though MX Clears were less tactile – this go to show that increased tactility ≠ better performance.

So yes, I still prefer the MX Clear for this segment, but these switches do have their place on the market as a high-end offering.

Overall, the 67g variant isn’t as bad I make it out to be. They are a worthy upgrade if you’re coming from an MX Brown or a cheaper MX clone like the Gateron and Outemu Brown, but they certainly won’t be winning any awards from me.

Sound: 7/10

Sound is refreshingly nice. I tend to bottom-out these switches often enough for the soundtrack to shine…and shine it does!

Again, as a reminder, I’m testing on a new, better keyboard which affect switch sound the most.

Overall, these sound better than most MX based tactile switches. Though, lubing them would probably increase their ‘thockiness’. Have fun experimenting!

Typing Performance: 7/10

As you would probably guess, I’m not as happy with the typing performance with the 67g variant…which to an extent, is true, but these do have their upsides that I prefer over the MX Clear.

Firstly, smoothness. These are objectively smoother than MX Clears (stock) making it my go to recommendation if you’re looking for a modern equivalent to Ergo Clears.

Secondly, they are more tactile. Now, I mentioned in the Weighting section that MX Clears were more comfortable and more reliable to type on – this is true. However, I also mentioned in the Typing Performance of the Cherry MX Clear review that I still did not find the switch to be tactile enough.

The 67g variant is definitely more tactile, an aspect I enjoy over the MX Clear, but this alone doesn’t make up for its downsides I’ve previously mentioned.

Overall, I like the smoothness and the tactility of the Zealio switch. However, I enjoy the heavier weighting of the Cherry MX Clear. If there was a switch that had all the aspects I liked between the two, that’d be the real winner.

Gaming Performance: 7/10

Now, gaming on these was a great experience. It’s smoothness and consistency really set it apart from other MX based tactile switches.

However, at first, I found the tactility to be a bit excessive, especially in slower paced moments, but it didn’t take long for me to adjust.

Additionally, it performed very well in fast paced environments. Its tactility was super helpful even in comparison to the MX Clear. That’s a big thumbs up from me!

For the downsides. It’s mainly the lighter weighting compared to the MX Clear. Plus, the frequent bottoming-out even during semi-intense situations, which I don’t prefer when gaming.

Overall, if you’re looking for a high-end tactile switch for gaming and don’t mind splurging, this is a good choice. However, there are plenty of cheaper, well-known competitors that you may want to check out first.

Final Score = 35/50 (70%)

 

Places to purchase this switch:

AliExpress | ZealPC | KBDfans