Cherry brings back MX Nixie switches from the 1980s
Cherry reintroduces the MX Nixie mechanical keyboard switch under the name MX Black Clear-Top. The MX Nixie is a variant of the traditional MX Black switch and was produced for the German Nixdorf for a number of years in the 1980s.
The MX Black Clear Top has the same design and specifications as the MX Nixie from the 1980s, according to Cherry, although the manufacturer writes that the switch is optimized with ‘modern production techniques and materials’.
The MX Black Clear-Top is linear and has an actuation force of 63.5cN. The switch also has 2mm of pre-travel and the total travel is 4mm. As for the design, there is a ‘milk’ top, a black bottom and a black stem.
The original MX Nixie was produced in the 1980s for the German company Nixdorf Computer. Nixdorf made keyboards for terminals, servers and mini computers, among other things. The switches were based on Cherry’s MX Black switch, with specific modifications. For example, the actuation force was slightly increased, from 60.0cN to 63.5cN. The MX Nixie also supported n-key rollover, allowing multiple simultaneous keystrokes to be registered.
Beginning in 2023, the MX Black Clear-Top switches will be available. In addition to the standard switch, Cherry also supplies a pre-lubed version. The manufacturer does not currently mention recommended prices or a more concrete release date.