Royal Kludge S85 TKL Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Review

Introduction

RK Royal Kludge, or simply Royal Kludge as usually referred to, was founded in 2015 by gamers who wanted to design mechanical keyboards to fit their needs. This venture started with a 60% keyboard, the RK61, which helped establish the Royal Kludge brand almost immediately, before developing into a large product line that covers a variety of keyboard form factors and features alike. We took at look at the Royal Kludge RK84 a few years ago, a highly compact 75% keyboard that offered as many as 84 keys in a neatly packed layout. Little did I know how popular the 75% form factor was going to get in the subsequent years! Still, there remain many who dislike non-standard key sizing with the smaller size keyboards, and TKL and full-size keyboards continue to reign when you look at the keyboard market as a whole. This is especially true with keyboards that aim to offer more value for money, which is what Royal Kludge as a brand is also known for.

Today we take a closer look at the Royal Kludge S85, which you will also see referred to as Royal Kludge RK S85 TKL in some places. This is a tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard thus, albeit one that has still taken some liberties in key arrangement. For one, there are fewer than the 87 keys expected in the US ANSI layout here, with Royal Kludge opting to use a large multi-function wheel as well as an LCD screen in the top right corner. We still get 85 keys though, and I do like how the keyboard looks too. Royal Kludge is using what it calls the “Cloud Switches” here, which are pre-lubed linear switches that aim to satisfy gamers. The keyboard supports hybrid wireless connectivity too, with a large battery and extensive dampening inside in addition to a gasket mount too. The S85 TKL is shaping up to be a well-rounded keyboard thus, so let’s thank Royal Kludge for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp and begin the review with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications