Gateron Moonlight Magnetic
Gateron Moonlight Magnetic: a light 35g Hall Effect linear with a 3.5mm travel, POM stem and smooth, chatter-free keypress. Specs, feel and verdict.
How it feels
How it sounds
mutedFull review
Quick Summary
The Gateron Moonlight Magnetic is a light, smooth Hall Effect linear built for analog-input boards rather than standard mechanical keyboards. It pairs a feathery 35g initial force with a magnet-driven keypress that sidesteps the chatter and bounce of physical contacts, making it a strong pick for gamers chasing fast, adjustable actuation and typists who like a soft, low-effort stroke. Just be sure your keyboard actually supports magnetic switches before buying.
Specs and Feel
This is a true light linear: 35g to start, climbing to about 50g at bottom-out, over a 3.5mm total travel. The shorter-than-MX travel gives it a quick, snappy feel that rewards rapid presses, a natural fit for the rapid-trigger and adjustable-actuation tricks magnetic boards are known for. Because actuation happens through Hall Effect sensing rather than a metal leaf, the downstroke is uniform top to bottom with no tactile interruption and no contact bounce.
The materials are well chosen for a smooth ride: a POM stem against a PC top housing and a PA66 bottom housing, sprung on a 20mm stainless steel spring. The POM-on-polycarbonate pairing keeps the glide consistent and largely free of scratch, while stem wobble stays tight enough to feel composed under fingertips. Sound is on the muted, rounded side rather than clacky, a quiet, controlled bottom-out that suits a closed, low-effort linear.
Tuning
There’s little reason to mod these. The magnetic actuation is already smooth and consistent from the factory, and as a sealed analog switch it’s not the kind of part you typically pop open to lube or film. Leave them stock and let the board’s actuation settings do the tuning instead.
Verdict
If you own a Hall Effect keyboard and want a light, fast, low-fuss linear, the Moonlight Magnetic is an easy recommendation: smooth, quiet, and cheap enough to fill a board without thinking twice. The only real caveat is compatibility: these are useless in a standard mechanical PCB and may not play nicely with every magnetic board, so confirm support first. Match it to the right keyboard and it’s a confident pick.
Frequently asked
Does the Gateron Moonlight Magnetic work in a regular mechanical keyboard?
No. This is a Hall Effect (magnetic) switch and requires a board with magnetic sensing. It will not register actuations in a standard mechanical PCB, and because of manufacturing tolerances it may not even be compatible with every Hall Effect board. Check your keyboard's supported switch list.
What is the actuation force of the Moonlight Magnetic?
It starts at a light 35g initial force and climbs to roughly 50g at bottom-out, with a 3.5mm total travel. That puts it firmly in light-linear territory.
Do magnetic switches need lubing?
Generally no. Hall Effect switches like the Moonlight are sold as a sealed, factory-tuned unit, and the magnet-based actuation is already smooth out of the box, so most users leave them stock.
Compare Gateron Moonlight Magnetic against another switch
Stack specs, sound profiles, and feel side by side.