GLORIOUS PANDA SWITCHES REVIEW. Recently, the buzz surrounding custom mechanical keyboards has grown to a ridiculous level. The hype is real and that has led to extreme demand for keycaps, key switches, plates, and all of the various other components that make these boards special. Thankfully, Glorious PC Gaming Race is here to try and save the day with its Panda Switches. This is the Game Revolution review.
Premium tactility
Regularly marketed as “the most tacticle switch in the world,” the Holy Panda switch is widely sought-after and fetches a premium price tag when featured in drops and when being resold. It’s a mythical switch that has availability issues. If the Glorious Panda switches come close, that would be huge for keyboard enthusiasts.
I’m happy to report, after a week of use, that the Glorious Pandas feel incredibly satisfying to use. Using the GMMK Compact, I have added Glorious Panda switches to my letter keys, while keeping my previous favorite Box Browns in the surrounding keys.
Depressing a Glorious Panda starts with slight resistance, which helps avoid accidental pushes, before smoothly descending into that unique “bump” that Holy hunters yearn for. Normal typing results in a satisfying “thoc” sound that leans on the higher frequency scale of pitch, without becoming fatiguing. It’s a very nice sound that could be enhanced with lube. (The Glorious Pandas come unlubed from the factory.)
It’s the lack of pre-travel that stands out to me most, I feel. Immediate resistance followed by the satisfying descending into a clear, yet subtle, sound and bump combines to make for a wonderful typing experience.
For the exact specifications, Glorious claims the following:
- Top Shell – Created from original Invyr tooling, modified to incorporate Glorious branding, made with premium grade polycarbonate
- Stem – New and improved Glorious stem that provides less pretravel for the tactile bump to occur and a stronger upward stroke. Composed of POM sourced from Japan.
- Spring – 67 gram stainless steel spring with nickel plating, sourced from Korea.
- Leaf – Premium grade copper, sourced from Japan
- Bottom Shell – Created from original Invyr tooling, 3 pins, using premium Nylon PA66
Availability and pricing
So, the Glorious Pandas emulate the Holy switches pretty damn well, offering a satisfying experience for those who have failed to get their hands on the “real deal.” However, that’s only significant if Glorious can keep these key switches in stock, right?
Glorious is aiming to keep these in stock “indefinitely,” allowing anyone and everyone to visit the site and purchase them. At the time of writing, which is just after the reveal and initial orders, the switches are available to order and will be distributed in batches. Batch 1 is set to go live “Late September/Early October 2020,” while Batch 2 will be sent out in “Late October/Early November 2020.”
When you consider the months and months of waiting that other switches can require, this doesn’t seem too bad. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if Glorious can fulfill all of those orders in time.
For $24.99 you get 36 Glorious Panda switches. That equates to around 70 cents per switch. Depending on the size of your keyboard and how much of it you want to customize with Pandas, you may need to purchase more boxes. However, mixing and matching is always an option with modular boards, which is what I went with. Having different switches in letters and functions helps make each switch stand out, rather than them all blurring together.
Glorious Panda Switches Review | The Final Verdict
With its Panda Switch, Glorious PC Gaming Race is looking to capture what makes the elusive Holy Pandas so great, but with massively increased availability.
With a set price and the power to produce on a more mainstream level, the Glorious Pandas are a keyboard enthusiast’s best bet of getting that Panda feel without needing to wait around for a lucky drop or paying through the nose from scalpers.
After swapping out my letter keys with Glorious Panda Switches, I’m happy to say that I’ll be daily driving these for the foreseeable future. For many, these will be endgame key switches.
Glorious Panda Switches review unit was provided by Glorious PC Gaming Race.
