Get the Akko v3 Cream on Amazon
The v3 Cream Yellow is comfortably one of the best bang for buck switches I have ever tried
It’s really exciting to see how accessible and affordable switches are becoming, and there is no better example than the Akko v3 Cream, a switch that is going for $8.99 per 45-pack which comes up to only $0.20 per switch. The v3 Cream is available as a Yellow linear or Blue tactile, and we have the Cream Yellow for review today. There is also a Pro version of this switch that includes improvements like 5-pin and dustproof stems–still very affordable at only two dollars more.
This particular Akko switch comes with the Kailh top housing style, and what I like about this housing is it’s really tight and there is no looseness. This is only 3-pin however, so they do feel a bit unsteady once inserted. It’s definitely worth buying the 5-pin Pro version for a few dollars more. The Cream Yellow does come factory lubed, and a thin layer of lube has been applied to the contact leaf. On the Pro version the slider rails are also prelubed. The stem is made of POM, and we have the typical nylon bottom housing and polycarbonate top housing.
The Cream Yellow has a bottom out of 58g, which might sound fairly light, but in actuality it feels heavier, reason being it comes with an extended spring. Switches like these feel heavier at the top of the downstroke, which should result in less typos. Nonetheless I would like to see Akko release heavier spring weights, as all of their switches are fairly light.
Similar to the Epomaker Wisteria, the Cream Yellow comes with an extra long stem pole. This increases the volume of the bottom out and also gives it a more solid feel as the stem pole really thuds against the bottom housing. This switch is much louder than a conventional Gateron or JWK.
Also, a longer stem pole reduces the travel of the switch. The bottom out distance is 3.5mm, and it will definitely be perceptible if you’re used to 4mm. I still prefer 4mm, but I can happily use 3.5mm. For gaming that lower bottom out is desirable as it provides a speed boost. The actuation point is 1.9mm which is more akin to a conventional switch. For me this is actually preferable, as I usually press speed switches by mistake due to the lower actuation. These are going to work great for gaming.
While the v3 Cream cannot match a JWK in terms of smoothness, it’s more than adequate for a budget switch and comparable to Gateron Yellows. The scratchiness was mainly noticeable during slower keypresses. Unless you enjoy lubing, it’s definitely worth getting the Pro version as the slider rails are also lubed. I did pick up a tiny amount of spring ping on some switches, but it wasn’t audible during general use. It’s not essential to lube this switch, but highly recommended as it will improve the feel and sound.
Talking about the sound, it’s already very good. As a matter of fact it was the highlight of this switch. Not only do you get that aggressive thockiness from the longer stem pole, but this switch is bassy. It basically has the same thock as the NK Cream or Epomaker Wisteria, but at the same time it has the bassiness of something like a Gateron Black Ink. I was super impressed and surprised by how good this switch sounds.
The v3 Cream Yellow is comfortably one of the best bang for buck switches I have ever tried, and it comes highly recommended.
headtr1p 