This is the first time in my switch posting history that I cannot reveal the switch manufacturer. The reason is that Y1 is a special project in collaboration between MZ Studio and the manufacturer, and they were only able to bring the price down this much because the MOQ was super high. To my knowledge, MZ placed an order for more than 300K for the first batch. Usually, this manu's switch would not be sold at this price point, and this is an exception.
Why did MZ do this though? In most cases, a switch manufacturer's lowest MOQ would only be around 40-50K. What was the reason that MZ decided to make six times that number for the first batch? The most important reason was MZ wanted to create a switch that is under 0.3 USD each but is still good enough to challenge any switch that has a price between 0.4-0.6 USD each. A good manufacturer is not difficult to find, but In order to bring the cost down, almost the only thing he could do was to raise the order quantity BY A LOT. From his actions, I can see how confident MZ is about the switch. He is not afraid that they won't sell 
Maybe Y1 switch will justify his confidence. We will see.
Materials:
The biggest mystery here is what the heck is the Y1 material used for the stem. To be honest, I don't know. Based on MZ's comments, Y1 is a material imported from South Korea. Secondly, Y1 is a very smooth material and highly suitable for making switches. During the early stages of sampling, MZ was going to choose UPE as the stem material, but they later realized that UPE was too soft, and it came with plenty of stem wobble. No matter how they adjusted the stem and top housing molds, the stem would still feel very loose, and neither the bottom-out feel nor sound was great. That was why they tried a variety of materials from different brands and decided to go with the so-called "Y1" which is solid and firm.
Regards the bottom housing material, MZ went with PBT. PBT bottom housing is not uncommon as a housing material. When paired with the Y1 stem, it creates a firm but not harsh bottom-out sound and feel. This manu was not known for their great sounding switches, but they can expect Y1s to perform a lot better than average.
The reason for choosing PA66 as the top housing material is: 1. PA66 is a commonly used and technically mature top housing material. 2. They have very decent smoothness. 3. They make a great top-out sound if the molding is right.
Design:
Y1 switches were made using the 8-point injection technique for better precision.
One thing that needs to be mentioned regarding the switch's design is the modifications done to the top housing molds. The Y1 switch was scheduled for release before Jan. 2024, but quite a few switch reviewers in China noticed that it had a wobbly stem and a noisy top-out sound. After this discovery, MZ decided to trash all the top housings that were made and worked with the manu to make modifications to the top housing mold. All current top housings are newly produced, and the issue was solved. The switch now has a more subtle and concentrated top-out sound.
Conclusion
I totally agree with MZ when he said Y1 switch is a challenger in the switch market. Thanks to the well-controlled production cost, we would easily enjoy the Y1 switches at almost half of the price. With the new stem material and refined top housing, they will bring you a new experience. Of course, these switches are not perfect. For example, they won't sound as clacky and concentrated as HMX switches, but they are definitely a top performer if you want a switch that feels great and sounds decent at the same time.
Form of Sales
Time of Sales
March 6th, 2024
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