 So most folks buying a mechanical keyboard have a relatively straightforward choice to make. You pick which variety of Cherry MX switch you want based on how loud or tactile you want your experience to be, you decide if you want bells and whistles like macro keys or RGB, and then you click the buy button. But, our friends at A4Tech think that there's a better switch type for enthusiasts, and they have sponsored this video about how they've incorporated them into their line of bloody gaming keyboards. I'm talking switches that operate not by using metal contacts, but with freaking laser beams. But other than coolness factor, what is the point of an optical switch? Let's take a closer look. So we actually did a tech quickie update. I did a tech quickie episode explaining how optical key switches work a little while ago, but the basic concept is that when you push down an optical switch, a beam of light inside will somehow change and register a keystroke. Bloody keyboards, including their new 900 series, which they sent over, use a type of optical switch called light strike or LK, with the K being a reference to a strike in baseball. I guess Bloody didn't think that LS sounded as cool. I'm hurt. But at least they did send three different models, the 10 keyless B930, plus the B945 and the B975, which put the keypad on opposite sides of the keyboard. More on that later. Let's talk about the switches first. Unlike most other mechanical keyboard manufacturers, who use switches from other companies, A4Tech uses its own LK switches, which work by causing a beam of infrared light to shine through a cavity inside the switch when it's pushed down, which then hits a detector on the other end. Now, of course, you can't exactly see this effect when you're typing, so we pressed our resident mad engineer Alex into service to have him cut open one of these switches with that collection of power tools that he's always looking to use on something. So one of the stated benefits, according to Bloody, is that because there are fewer parts that have to touch each other compared to a traditional mechanical switch, along with less metal that can oxidize, the LK switch should have a longer life, with Bloody claiming that you can get over 100 million keystrokes out of it before it would finally wear out, partially thanks to a stabilizer bar that, again, according to Bloody, reinforces the keys and also prevents them from becoming mushy after long-term use. Bloody also touts a quick response time of only 0.2 milliseconds due to their use of laser beams, with an actuation point of 1.5 millimeters to help your key presses register super quickly, which should come in handy if you're a wizard at CSGO like Ed, even though he swears up and down that his skills are not due to his keyboard switches. Now, since Bloody's focus is on reducing perceptible leg and latency as much as possible, they analogize migrating from a mechanical to an LK switch to stepping up to a higher refresh rate monitor. And although the 1.5 millimeter actuation point is indeed higher than most, you can still get tactile feedback when your switch actuates if you opt for a model with orange switches, which are clicky, so they kind of sound and feel similar to Cherry MX Blues. But, unlike Blues, the LK oranges have a lower actuation force. LK brown switches are also available if you're more into quiet and linear, because you're not into the sound of your own typing. Both switch varieties are fully modular and can be removed to clean them or swap them out. The keyboards are also built with a nano-coating layer on the PCB, as well as drainage holes to protect them from spills, and although Bloody stops short of calling their lineup waterproof, it is water and dust resistant, and it held up pretty well in our spill test. Back to the more visible features, though. Bloody has opted to put the number pad on its B945 on the left side, though they don't intend the product to be strictly for left-handers. Bloody is instead touting this as a way to easily operate the number pad and a mouse at the same time, as well as a way to give right-handers more room to operate the mouse without a numpad in the way, which is obviously useful for productivity. I said useful for productivity. Though we can see it giving more flexibility to gamers as well, if you're wanting more keys on that side to use for macros or other functionality, since all keys on the 900 series are fully programmable. So that's basically it. Thanks for watching. If this video sucked, you guys know what to do, but otherwise, hit the like button, get subscribed, or maybe consider checking out Bloody's 900 series of keyboards at the link below. You can use offer code techtips to get 25% off the models we showcased in this episode.