Gateron KS-20 Orange Magnetic (HE)
Gateron KS-20 Orange is a 38g Hall effect linear with adjustable actuation from 0.4mm to 3.6mm. Smooth, light, and built for magnetic boards.
How it feels
How it sounds
Full review
Quick Summary
The Gateron KS-20 Orange is a magnetic Hall effect linear aimed at the analog and rapid-trigger crowd rather than the traditional mechanical scene. It pairs a light 38g initial force with a smooth, contactless keypress and a software-adjustable actuation point spanning roughly 0.4mm to 3.6mm. If you own a Hall effect board and want a fast, light linear for gaming or light-touch typing, it’s an easy and inexpensive pick. Just don’t expect it to drop into a normal keyboard.
Specs and Feel
This is a clean, uniform linear with no bump and no click anywhere in the stroke. Because there’s no physical contact leaf, the travel feels very consistent from top to bottom, and there’s none of the chatter or bounce you can get from a worn metal contact. Total travel lands around 4.1mm. The POM stem riding in a polycarbonate-top, nylon-bottom housing gives a slightly fuller, less hollow tone than an all-nylon switch, and the factory lube keeps things smooth out of the box. Stem wobble is well controlled, and scratch is essentially a non-issue for a switch at this price. The 38g stainless steel spring keeps the whole thing light and quick, noticeably springier and easier than a typical 45-50g daily linear.
Tuning
There’s very little to do here. These come factory lubed and run smoothly stock, and pulling a magnetic switch apart to re-lube risks disturbing the magnet alignment that the sensors depend on, so leave them be. The real “tuning” happens in software: set your actuation depth and rapid-trigger settings per your board, and you’ll get more out of it than any hand-lube job would offer.
Verdict
Buy it if you have a Hall effect keyboard and want a light, smooth, set-and-forget analog linear without spending much. The adjustable actuation and clean feel make it a strong gaming pick, and the low price makes a full board’s worth painless. Skip it if you don’t own a magnetic board (it won’t work in standard PCBs) or if you prefer a heavier, more grounded linear underfoot. For its niche, it’s a good value.
Frequently asked
Will the Gateron KS-20 Orange work in a normal mechanical keyboard?
No. The KS-20 is a Hall effect switch that relies on a magnet in the stem rather than a metal contact leaf, so it only functions in boards built with magnetic Hall effect sensors. Drop it into a standard hot-swap or soldered PCB and it simply won't register. Compatibility can also vary between magnetic boards, so check your specific keyboard's supported switch list first.
How adjustable is the actuation point?
Very. Because actuation is read magnetically, you can set the trigger point anywhere from roughly 0.4mm to 3.6mm in your board's software. That lets you run a hair-trigger for gaming or a deeper, more deliberate point for typing, and many boards add rapid-trigger behavior on top.
Is the 38g spring too light for typing?
It's on the light side, closer to a Red than a heavier daily linear. Fast typists and gamers tend to love the low effort, but anyone prone to bottoming out hard or resting fingers heavily may prefer a firmer magnetic option.
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