Hidden champion from Auerbach sets standards worldwide

World market leader CHERRY impresses influencers with MX Ultra Low Profile keyboard switches

Munich, July 19, 2022 – For gaming or high-end laptops, more and more hardware manufacturers around the world are using the mechanical CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile keyboard switches, which are considered one of the greatest innovations in switch technology. The patented switches have an overall height of only 3.5 mm and provide a unique typing feel thanks to the gold crosspoint contact system.

Cherry is the world’s only supplier of these ultra-flat mechanical keyboard switches for laptops. The stainless steel switches are incredibly robust, durable, precise and above all reliable. This makes the ULP series ideal for high-end gaming laptops and office notebooks, which are becoming increasingly popular with the growing e-sports, streaming and content creator communities. In addition to the click version, these particularly accurate and responsive switches now come in a purely tactile version, where the mechanical feedback can still be felt, but there is no audible click of the switch.

ULP switch production is running at full speed

“With these extremely flat mechanical switches, we have reached the limit of what technology can currently do and are once again setting a benchmark for the entire industry,” explains Rolf Unterberger, CEO of Cherry AG. Thanks to this technology, gaming laptops in particular are becoming increasingly attractive not only to professional gamers and e-sports players, but also video streamers and content creators.

In the long term, the switches will also be used in high-quality office notebooks. “The demand for this technology is huge. We produce these switches 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Unterberger. This means production capacity for these switches is going to be rapidly expanded. The number of units manufactured is set to be doubled next year.

Award-winning switch is highly popular among manufacturers

In May this year, the CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile received the Gold award of the German Innovation Awards 2022. The jury based its choice on the first-class typing feel, Cherry’s fantastic achievement in terms of development and the new standard that the MX Ultra Low Profile sets in the keyboard market. It creates completely new technical and design possibilities in the development of keyboards. More and more hardware manufacturers are opting for this standard. Since its launch in 2021, the MX Ultra Low Profile has successfully established itself on the market and is now used by several well-known manufacturers including Dell/Alienware, MSI, XMG, Corsair and Cairn Devices for high-end gaming laptops and desktop keyboards.

Top trend in the gaming industry: user-generated content for more than 250 million viewers worldwide

“Let's Plays”, which are streaming services or videos of major e-sports events, have become increasingly popular in recent years. Every day, 250 million viewers around the world watch video playthroughs of computer games. There are now more than 40 million channels worldwide featuring gaming content. With each new generation of players, gaming is becoming a bigger and more important part of life. For Generation Alpha (those born after 2010), it is already by far the main source of entertainment. The social aspect of gaming is also increasingly fueling the global metaverse trend. Three-quarters of gamers across all age groups now share virtual worlds without even playing story mode or a campaign. It is estimated that the number of gamers around the world will pass the three billion mark this year.

“In addition to gamers, we see a wide range of future potential for this technology and the associated hardware among people who type a lot when working from home or in the office, as well as content creators of all kinds, who all want guaranteed maximum precision and a typing experience that feels good,” says Unterberger.

Über CHERRY

CHERRY is a global manufacturer of high-end mechanical keyboard switches and computer input devices for gaming & e-sports, office, industrial and healthcare applications. Since its founding in 1953, CHERRY has stood for innovative, high-quality products designed specifically to meet diverse customer needs. CHERRY has its operational headquarters in Auerbach in the Upper Palatinate (Bavaria) and employs over 540 people in production facilities in Auerbach, Zhuhai (China) and Vienna (Austria) as well as in several sales offices in Auerbach, Pegnitz, Munich, Paris, Kenosha (USA), Taipei and Hong Kong.