Everyone wants to improve their typing experience in order to get a tactile feel. A mechanical keyboard is the most incredible and comfortable thing to use, which increases your ability and improves your typing experience. These keyboards are quite durable, reliable, and customizable to take advantage of. Many people argue about which keyboard has switch faces.
Well, there are two basic switches in the keyboard, which are North-facing vs South-facing switches.
You need to follow this article, in order to know how it actually works and what is the difference between North-Facing vs South-Facing switches. Read the article to know how switches help and benefit your typing and gaming experience.
North-Facing Vs South-Facing Switches:
Many of you must be confused about North-facing vs South-facing switches. It is better that before I move ahead to tell you how it actually works, I should tell you the differences between both switches. When you get the idea of how you can make use of these switches, you can choose which mode you want to work on.
Mechanical keyboards are quite challenging to use because of the two different switches it has. So, it is very important that you have a piece of complete knowledge about both switches separately. Some people waste their money because of the issues they face while switching. In order to prevent all the problems and difficulties it is important that you can gain the full concept of North-facing vs South-facing switches.
The best thing about switches in mechanical keyboards is that they are more durable, and have a longer lifespan than other ones. It helps people to improve their gaming, and typing skills as it provides proper stability and comfortability of use. You can type with different and smooth sound levels, which is a feature of keycaps.
Here, I will discuss each both north-facing vs south-facing switches separately and then I will compare the differences to clear your confusion.
What are North-Facing Switches?
North facing are actually the LED shine that most of you see in the keycap. It is the top-lighted part of the keycap. This is actually called a north-facing switch because it is located at the top of the Printed Circuit Board. Well, there are many keyboards available in the market which have this feature of a north-facing switch. Keyboards with north-facing switches are quite common nowadays. Also, the excessive light shine of the keycap makes it super easy for you to work on. The keyboards with north-facing switches are more commonly used because people can easily work on these keyboards in dark environments. The keyboards with this feature are quite fascinating and helpful to improve your typing skills.
Pros:
- Have better RGB shine through that makes it glow
Cons:
- Cause interference with profile keycaps of Cherry
What are South-Facing Switches?
South-facing switches are the keyboards with the light on the bottom side of the Printed Circuit Board. Light basically shies from the switch into the keycap making it easy for an individual to practice and improve their typing speed and skills. South-facing switches are more commonly used because of their incredible features. The best thing about south-facing switches is that they are quite compatible with almost all types of keycaps. Also, it gives the perfect and smooth sound while you are typing. There is a proper space between each keycap, which makes your typing more convenient. A south-facing switch is more common than a north-facing switch, because of its incredible features.
Pros:
- Don’t cause interference with Cherry profile keycaps.
Cons:
- Low RGB shine through the keycaps
Read a detailed answer about the pros and cons of north-facing vs south-facing switches on the forum here.
Can You Change North-Facing Switches to South-Facing Switches or South-Facing Switches to North-Facing Switches?
Unfortunately, you cannot change the direction in which your switches are socketed. This is because switches are designed to be installed in a specific way in a keyboard PCB, and holes in the PCB are drilled for the pins in your switches to pass through. Because the pins can only fit in one direction, you can’t simply flip the switches to make north-facing switches south-facing or vice versa.
You could get a new PCB to put inside your keyboard case and then swap your switches and keycaps over to that, but that isn’t an option for many pre-built keyboards or keyboard cases with unique shapes that require a specific PCB.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the main difference of North-facing vs South-facing switches?
The main difference between north-facing vs south-facing switches is the placement of LED lights at the top and bottom.
Are Akko switches north or south-facing?
The Akko switches are basically the north-facing switch because of their LED modification and also they are compatible with other features as well.
Why are south-facing switches better?
South-facing switches are better because of their high-standard quality material, better sound, and good typing experience
Conclusion
Well, I hope that in this article you have got to know how mechanical keyboard switches actually work and what is the main difference between north-facing vs south-facing switches and improve your typing skills. Once you know the proper differences then it becomes quite easy for you to convert your keyboard to any suitable switch you want. Now, as a hobbyist or a professional, you can improve your skills by making the right use of both switches. If you want to know how to replace mechanical keyboard switches, read our detailed guide on How to replace mechanical keyboard switches.
