Editing Holy Panda

{{stub}}
The '''Holy Panda''' was originally a hybrid key-switch, made from the stem of a [[Input Club Halo]] switch in a housing of ''Panda'' switch.
After its rise to fame, ready-made Holy Pandas and clones have become available from multiple sources.

The switch has a crisp but smooth tactile bump with only little pre-travel.

==Availability==
While the original [[Invyr Panda]] switch housings are no longer available, housings from GSUS and YOK switches are considered to be valid substitutes.

Authentic [[Input Club Halo|Halo]] switches and stems have only been available from [[Drop]], per agreement with the manufacturer [[Kailh]].
Stems from Halo Clear and Halo True differ only in colour, so either will do.

Pre-assembled Holy Panda switches with authentic stems and re-tooled housings have been available in group orders from [[Drop]] from late 2018 to 2019. These have not had the [[Hot-swap#Hot-swap pins|hot-swap pins]] of the original Invyr Panda switches but are otherwise considered to be identical to them.

The authenticity of any other switches called "Holy Panda" (including the 2020 group order from Drop) is uncertain.

==History==
The original Holy Panda was made with Halo stem in a [[Invyr Panda]] switch.

Due to scarcity of the Invyr Panda, enthusiasts have turned to instead using [[GSUS Panda|GSUS "New Panda"]] or [[YOK]] switch housings as substitutes - and some have still called those Holy Pandas.
Purists tend to call the latter hybrids '''Holy GSUS''' or '''Holy YOK''' respectively.
GSUS "New Panda" are made by [[BSUN]], the maker of the Invyr switch.
<ref name="mechwiki">MechWiki—Holy Panda. (Defunct. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200331155306/https://mechwiki.com/holy-panda/ Copy on archive.org]). Originally retrieved 2020-02-03</ref>

[[Drop]] (formerly Massdrop) began taking preorders for pre-assembled Holy Panda switches in December 2018. These had Kailh-made Halo stems, with housings made by [[BSUN]] using the same tooling and materials as for Invyr and GSUS.<ref name="mechwiki"/>

In February 2020, Drop had claimed that housings in the next run would be made of [[POM]], and that the switches would not have [[lubrication]].<ref name="droppom">Drop.com—[https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-invyr-holy-panda-mechanical-switches/talk/2572608 Post on "Drop + Invyr Holy Panda Mechanical switches" 2020-02-06]. Dated 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-09-05</ref>
After switches were received, both claims turned out to be false. People have also claimed that the stem looks different in closeup comparison to the Kailh-made stems, and that the switch wobbles less, has a different sound and weaker tactility.<ref name="geekhack20200718">Geekhack.org forum—[https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=107568.0 Drop Holy Pandas 2020 Run]. Dated 2020-07-18. Retrieved 2020-09-04</ref>
More than a month later Drop answered that there had been a "miscommunication" about the materials and claimed that Holy Pandas have always had a Nylon bottom and a polycarbonate top "painted to match" the bottom. Drop did however not address other issues.<ref name="drop200820">Drop.com—[https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-invyr-holy-panda-mechanical-switches/talk/2687415?utm_source=linkshare&referer=AH7ZX5 Post on "Drop + Invyr Holy Panda Mechanical switches" dated 2020-08-20] by "Will (Chief Product Officer)". Dated 2020-08-20, but edited. Retrieved 2020-09-04</ref>

Switches marketed as "Holy Panda" have appeared on various merchant sites such as Taobao, and are believed to be counterfeit because the stems do not match previous stems made by Kailh.
[[Deskhero]] has supposedly had a group buy of Holy Panda switches with [[POM]] housings made by BSUN and "Halo style" stems.<ref name="deskhero">Deskhero.ca—[https://www.deskhero.ca/collections/switches/products/nowyotrszmf8lv941xakq Holy Panda POM Edition]. Retrieved 2020-09-04</ref>

On September 4, 2020, [[Glorious]] launched their own [[Glorious Panda]] switches for preorder<ref name="gloriousblog">Glorious PC Gaming Race blog—[https://www.pcgamingrace.com/blogs/news/introducing-glorious-holy-panda-switches-preorders Introducing Glorious Panda Switches - Pre-Orders Open 9/4 @ 12PM CT]. Dated 2020-08-27. Retrieved 2020-09-05</ref>, with reviewers publishing reviews of the switch at around the same time.<ref name=theremingoatglorious">ThereminGoat's Switches—[https://www.theremingoat.com/blog/glorious-panda-switch-review Glorious Panda Switch Review]. Dated 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2020-09-04</ref>.
Glorious claims to use Invyr housings in "upgraded materials" and an "improved stem".

After these, many other clones and switches with near-similar tactile feel have been introduced, including the lower-cost "Feker Panda".

==Unholy Panda==
The opposite of a Holy Panda: a Panda stem in a Halo housing is a linear switch called '''Unholy Panda'''.

==External links==
* Massdrop—[https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-invyr-holy-panda-mechanical-switches Drop + Invyr Holy Panda Mechanical Switches]
* ThereminGoat's Switches (blog)—[https://www.theremingoat.com/blog/pandas Pandas, Pandas, and more Pandas]
* IO Sam on Youtube—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfdfJ5jq6qM Holy Panda Wars: Invyr vs. Yok vs. Glorious]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Tactile switches]]
[[Category:Metal contact switches]]
[[Category:Modified switches]]
[[Category:List of all keyboard switches]]