As Cherry shakes up the keyboard market, the company unveils its new induction switches—the Cherry IK—which are designed to offer a more reliable and flexible experience at a lower price point compared to traditional mechanical switches. While speaking at Computex 2025, Gunnar Schreck, the Global Product Manager at Cherry, explained that the design replaces sensors used in older switches with a more straightforward electronic component, allowing manufacturers to decrease costs significantly.

“So if you have a TMR or the old generation Hall effect switches, you need a sensor to read out the signal. And these sensors make those solutions very expensive,” says Cherry’s Schreck. (Translation: “Si tienes un TMR o los antiguos interruptores de efecto Hall, necesitas un sensor para leer la señal. Y estos sensores hacen que esas soluciones sean muy costosas.”)

The IK switches not only eliminate the need for magnets but also enhance the lifespan of the switches due to less wear and tear, providing a better tactile experience. Cherry aims to introduce these induction switches to the mass market, offering an alternative to the mostly traditional methods still prevalent in gaming peripherals.

As the industry anticipates the potential of these new switches, it’s clear that Cherry is shifting its focus towards innovation in keyboard technology.

“We at Cherry say, after 30 years of MX, this is the old era. Our combustion engine. This [IK] is the new era.”
(Translation: “Decimos en Cherry que, después de 30 años de MX, esta es la antigua era. Nuestro motor de combustión. Este [IK] es la nueva era.”)