ATK V75X/V75K Switch Comparison Guide

The ATK V75X/V75K is available with five pre-installed switch options. You choose at the time of purchase and the keyboard ships with that switch installed in the hot-swap PCB. The switch cannot be changed without pulling it out manually, though the board supports any 5-pin MX-compatible switch as a replacement. Choosing the wrong switch is the most common reason buyers are dissatisfied with a keyboard at this price point.

This guide covers every ATK switch in detail: construction, actuation specs, sound character, gaming suitability, typing suitability, and the user profile each one is best suited for. The five switches are Anya, Arctic Fox, Aurora Ice Cream, Periwinkle, and Obsidian.

 

Vrkaa tested all the given switch variants and have compiled the detailed experience here. You can get a live demo of the ATK V75X & V75K variants on Vrkaa's Live Shop.

ATK Switch Construction

All five ATK V75X switches share a common construction platform. Every switch uses a BOX housing design. BOX housing encloses the stem in a sealed box structure rather than leaving it exposed at the sides. This reduces stem wobble during keystrokes and improves resistance to dust and moisture entering the switch body. Standard non-BOX switches, including most budget gaming switches, have an open housing that allows more lateral play in the stem.

All five switches use gold-plated contacts rated at 50 million actuations. Gold plating prevents oxidation at electrical contact points, maintaining consistent electrical signal quality over the life of the switch. Each switch is factory-lubed. The degree of lubing varies between linear and tactile variants, but all are shipped with lubrication applied to the relevant contact surfaces.

All five are 5-pin (PCB-mount) designs. They fit the V75X and V75K hot-swap sockets directly. They are also compatible with any other 5-pin MX-compatible hot-swap PCB. 3-pin variants of these switches do not exist; all ATK custom switches are 5-pin only.

Anya: The Linear for Sound-Focused Users

 

Component	Detail	Notes
Type	Linear	Standard linear, no tactile bump
Actuation Force	42gf	Medium-light
Actuation Point	2.0mm	Standard MX depth
Total Travel	3.2mm	Shorter than standard 4.0mm
Housing	BOX, Nylon	Sealed BOX structure
Lifespan	50M actuations	Gold-plated contacts

 

Anya is a 42gf linear with a 2.0mm actuation point and 3.2mm total travel. The reduced total travel (3.2mm versus the standard 4.0mm for MX switches) means keys bottom out slightly earlier. For fast typists or gamers who bottom out their keypresses, the shorter travel reduces the time to complete each keystroke cycle.

Anya is the switch ATK specifically positions as sound-focused. The Nylon housing produces a mid-frequency thock on bottom-out that pairs well with the five-layer foam dampening in the V75X. On a gasket-mounted board with silicone pads underneath, Anya produces one of the deeper, quieter typing sounds available at this price point without any aftermarket modification.

At 42gf, Anya sits in the medium-light range for linears. It is not as light as Aurora Ice Cream or Periwinkle at 40gf, but the 2gf difference is not perceptible during normal use. The distinction between Anya and Periwinkle is primarily the stem material and resulting feel: Anya uses a standard linear Nylon stem while Periwinkle uses a POM stem with lower friction.

Anya is best for:

•        Users who prioritize keyboard sound quality over maximum input speed

•        Typing-heavy use: content writing, coding, office work

•        Gaming setups where sound character matters alongside gaming performance

•        Users who prefer medium actuation force with shorter total travel than standard MX

 

Arctic Fox: The Tactile with Quick-Trigger

 

Component	Detail	Notes
Type	Tactile	Only tactile option in the V75X lineup
Actuation Force	56gf	Heaviest in the V75X range
Actuation Point	1.7mm	Shorter than standard 2.0mm
Total Travel	3.6mm	Standard range
Quick-Trigger	Yes	Enabled via V HUB software
Housing	BOX	Enclosed stem
Lifespan	50M actuations	Gold-plated contacts

 

Arctic Fox is the only tactile switch in the ATK V75X range. It has a 56gf actuation force, which is noticeably heavier than the four linear options (40 to 45gf range). The tactile bump occurs before the actuation point at 1.7mm. You feel the bump, then the switch actuates, then continues to 3.6mm total travel.

Arctic Fox is the only V75X switch with quick-trigger support. Quick-trigger allows rapid key re-presses without the switch fully resetting. In standard switches, you must release a key past the reset point before a re-press registers as a new keystroke. With quick-trigger enabled in V HUB, Arctic Fox switches reset within a much shorter travel window. This is specifically useful in FPS games for rapid wasd direction changes, crouch-spam, and counter-strafing mechanics.

The 56gf actuation weight means Arctic Fox requires more deliberate finger pressure than the linears. For gaming sessions lasting several hours, heavier switches create more finger fatigue than light linears. For users with strong or trained fingers who play at a competitive level and benefit from quick-trigger, this is the correct switch. For casual or mixed gaming and typing use, the heavier actuation is not necessary.

Arctic Fox also produces a different sound profile than the linears: the tactile bump adds a slight tactile click of physical feedback at actuation that is not present in smooth linears. The switch is not a clicky switch, but it is noisier than a linear due to the bump contact.

Arctic Fox is best for:

•        Competitive FPS gaming where quick-trigger and rapid re-presses matter

•        Users who prefer tactile confirmation during typing and do not want linear switches

•        Users whose primary use is gaming and who do not share a workspace with others sensitive to sound

•        Buyers upgrading from membrane keyboards who are accustomed to a bump before actuation

 

Aurora Ice Cream: The Shallowest Actuation

 

Component	Detail	Notes
Type	Linear	BOX structure
Actuation Force	40gf	Lightest (tied with Periwinkle)
Actuation Point	1.4mm	Shortest actuation in the V75X range
Total Travel	3.5mm	Standard range
Housing	BOX	Enclosed stem
Lifespan	50M actuations	Gold-plated contacts

 

Aurora Ice Cream has the shortest actuation point of any switch in the V75X lineup at 1.4mm. For reference, standard MX linears actuate at 2.0mm. Aurora Ice Cream actuates at 1.4mm, which means keys register at a significantly shallower press depth. Combined with the light 40gf actuation force, Aurora Ice Cream registers keypresses faster with less finger movement than any other switch in this lineup.

For gaming, the 1.4mm actuation point means inputs register before the finger has fully committed to a bottom-out motion. This is useful in fast-paced games where speed of input registration matters. For typing, the shallow actuation point requires adjustment time: if you are accustomed to bottoming out keys, Aurora Ice Cream registers each press before you reach the bottom, which can initially cause missed letters until muscle memory adjusts.

Aurora Ice Cream uses the BOX construction, which provides stem stability and dust resistance. The sound profile is a smooth, slightly higher-pitched linear sound due to the shorter travel before bottom-out.

Aurora Ice Cream is best for:

•        Fast-paced gaming where the shallowest possible actuation point is the priority

•        Users who have used short-travel or rapid-trigger switches before and prefer that feel profile

•        Experienced mechanical keyboard users who want maximum input speed with a very light switch

•        Not recommended as a first mechanical keyboard switch: the 1.4mm point requires adaptation time

 

Periwinkle: The POM Stem Linear

 

Component	Detail	Notes
Type	Linear	Nylon shell, POM stem
Actuation Force	40gf	Lightest (tied with Aurora Ice Cream)
Actuation Point	2.0mm	Standard MX depth
Total Travel	3.7mm	Longest travel in the V75X range
Stem Material	POM	Polyoxymethylene: lower friction than Nylon
Lifespan	50M actuations	Gold-plated contacts

 

Periwinkle is a 40gf linear with a 2.0mm actuation point and 3.7mm total travel. The defining feature of Periwinkle is its POM (Polyoxymethylene) stem. POM is a dense engineering thermoplastic with a lower friction coefficient than the Nylon stems used in Anya, Arctic Fox, and Obsidian. Lower friction means the stem slides more smoothly against the housing on both the down and up stroke.

In practice, POM stems produce a faster, snappier return stroke than Nylon stems. The spring pushes the stem back to the rest position with less resistance from friction. For gaming, this improves the speed of rapid-repeat presses. For typing, it produces a slightly crisper keystroke feel with a faster tactile sense of key reset.

Periwinkle and Aurora Ice Cream share the same 40gf actuation force, but the experience is different. Aurora Ice Cream actuates at 1.4mm with 3.5mm total travel. Periwinkle actuates at 2.0mm with 3.7mm total travel. Periwinkle is a more conventional MX-depth linear with a high-quality POM stem. Aurora Ice Cream is a short-throw linear. Users choosing between the two should focus on the actuation depth difference more than the stem material.

Sound-wise, Periwinkle produces a smooth, slightly creamy linear sound. The POM material is often described in the mechanical keyboard community as producing a slightly smoother bottom-out sound than Nylon. On the V75X with five dampening layers, Periwinkle is one of the quieter switches in the lineup.

Periwinkle is best for:

•        Users who want the smoothest possible linear feel and have prior switch experience

•        Mixed gaming and typing use where standard actuation depth (2.0mm) is preferred

•        Users who have used smooth linears before (Gateron Yellow, Novelkeys Cream) and want a similar feel profile

•        Sound-conscious users in a shared workspace: Periwinkle on the V75X foam stack is quiet

 

Obsidian: The Balanced Linear

 

Component	Detail	Notes
Type	Linear	BOX structure
Actuation Force	45gf	Mid-range in the V75X lineup
Actuation Point	1.9mm	Near-standard MX depth
Total Travel	3.5mm	Standard range
Housing	BOX	Enclosed stem
Lifespan	50M actuations	Gold-plated contacts

 

Obsidian sits in the middle of the V75X linear range in every measurable way: 45gf actuation (between Periwinkle/Aurora at 40gf and Arctic Fox at 56gf), 1.9mm actuation point (between the shallow Aurora at 1.4mm and the standard Anya/Periwinkle at 2.0mm), and 3.5mm total travel.

Obsidian is closest to the classic gaming linear feel that most users are familiar with from mainstream gaming switches such as Cherry MX Red (45gf, 2.0mm) or Gateron Red. If you have used a mainstream linear and found it comfortable, Obsidian will feel immediately familiar. It does not have the specific sound character of Anya, the POM smoothness of Periwinkle, or the ultra-short actuation of Aurora Ice Cream. It is a well-executed, balanced linear.

For buyers new to custom mechanical switches who are upgrading from a gaming keyboard with Cherry Red or Gateron Red equivalents, Obsidian is the most direct comparison in the ATK V75X range. The BOX housing and gold-plated contacts are construction improvements over standard gaming switches, but the feel profile is familiar.

Obsidian is best for:

•        Buyers new to custom switches who want a familiar gaming linear feel

•        Users upgrading from Cherry MX Red, Gateron Red, or equivalent mainstream linears

•        Balanced gaming and typing use without a specific preference for light or heavy actuation

•        Conservative buyers who want a proven linear feel rather than a highly optimized specific-use switch

 

Full Switch Comparison

 

Switch	Type	Force	Act. Point	Travel	Key Feature
Anya	Linear	42gf	2.0mm	3.2mm	Sound-focused. Shorter total travel.
Arctic Fox	Tactile	56gf	1.7mm	3.6mm	Quick-trigger support. Only tactile option.
Aurora Ice Cream	Linear	40gf	1.4mm	3.5mm	Shallowest actuation in lineup.
Periwinkle	Linear	40gf	2.0mm	3.7mm	POM stem. Smoothest feel.
Obsidian	Linear	45gf	1.9mm	3.5mm	Balanced. Familiar gaming linear feel.

 

Best Switch for Gaming?

For competitive FPS gaming (BGMI, CS2, Valorant) where input speed and re-press speed are priorities: Arctic Fox with quick-trigger enabled via V HUB is the strongest choice. The quick-trigger feature is exclusive to Arctic Fox in this lineup and directly addresses the mechanics that matter most in movement-heavy FPS play. The 56gf weight and tactile bump require adaptation if you are coming from a light linear, but the feature set is specifically built for this use case.

For gaming that is not primarily competitive FPS, or for users who play a mix of FPS, strategy, and RPG titles: Aurora Ice Cream (fastest linear actuation at 1.4mm) or Obsidian (familiar balanced linear) are the better choices. The shallow actuation of Aurora Ice Cream provides speed without the heavier actuation weight of Arctic Fox.

Which Switch for Typing

For typing-heavy use such as writing, coding, or document work: Anya and Periwinkle are the two strongest options. Anya produces the best sound profile for a quiet or shared workspace due to its shorter travel and Nylon housing pairing with the V75X foam stack. Periwinkle provides the smoothest keystroke feel due to the POM stem and suits users who prefer a longer total travel (3.7mm).

Arctic Fox (tactile) is also a strong typing switch for users who prefer tactile feedback to confirm each keystroke. The 56gf actuation weight is heavier than the linears but within the range used by typists who prefer resistance.

Can You Change the Switch After Purchase

Yes. The ATK V75X uses a 5-pin hot-swap PCB, which means any switch can be removed with the included switch puller and replaced with any 5-pin MX-compatible switch. The pre-installed ATK switches can be removed and replaced with aftermarket switches from other brands. Additional ATK switches are also available through Vrkaa if you want to try a different ATK option after purchase.

The V75K variant uses a single-key slotted PCB that makes individual switch removal easier. On the V75X, individual switch removal requires care to avoid bending switch pins, but it works reliably with the included tool.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which ATK V75X switch is best for gaming?

Arctic Fox is the strongest gaming switch in the lineup because of quick-trigger support via V HUB software. Quick-trigger allows rapid key re-presses without full switch reset, which improves performance in FPS movement mechanics. For users who do not specifically need quick-trigger, Aurora Ice Cream provides the fastest standard linear actuation at 1.4mm.

Which ATK V75X switch is best for typing?

Anya is the best typing linear for users who prioritize sound quality: its shorter travel and Nylon housing produce a deep, quiet thock on the V75X foam stack. Periwinkle is the best typing linear for users who prioritize keystroke smoothness due to the POM stem. Arctic Fox is the best option for users who prefer tactile confirmation while typing.

Is there a clicky switch option for the ATK V75X?

No. All five ATK V75X switches are either linear or tactile. There is no clicky switch option. Arctic Fox is the only tactile option; the remaining four are linears. If you specifically want a clicky switch, you can install any compatible aftermarket clicky switch via the hot-swap PCB after purchase.

What is the difference between Anya and Periwinkle?

Both Anya and Periwinkle are linears at similar actuation forces (42gf vs 40gf). The key differences are stem material and total travel. Anya uses a Nylon stem and has 3.2mm total travel. Periwinkle uses a POM stem with lower friction and has 3.7mm total travel. Periwinkle feels smoother on the keystroke; Anya produces a slightly deeper sound and bottoms out sooner.

Can I use Aula F75 switches in the ATK V75X?

Yes. The ATK V75X hot-swap PCB accepts any 5-pin MX-compatible switch. Aula F75 switches (Ice Vein, Reaper, Star Vector) are 5-pin MX-compatible and will fit the ATK V75X sockets. Verify the pin count on the switch you plan to install before removing the pre-installed ATK switches.

Is the ATK V75X available without switches for a custom build?

The ATK V75X is sold as a complete keyboard with switches pre-installed. It is not available as a barebones kit. If you want to use different switches, purchase the keyboard with any switch option and swap to your preferred switches via the hot-swap PCB after it arrives.