Enos Tech Verdict
The Royal Kludge S98 offers an amazing aesthetical appeal and thanks to its smart screen and knob, customizing it to your liking has never been easier.
Pros:
- Smart Knob and Display
- Hot-Swappable switches
- Linear and Tactile switches available
- Available in multiple colors
- Wireless 2.4G/Bluetooth/Wired connectivity
Cons:
- Battery life could be slightly better on a keyboard of this size
- Unique color schemes may not be for everyone
The S98 from Royal Kludge comes with pre-lubed hot-swappable switches available in both linear and tactile feedback. It features more than enough RGB for the masses and thanks to its smart knob and display, it is easily controlled. The smart knob also doubles up as a volume control knob.
Those who need multiple connectivity options will be happy to know the S98 comes with Wireless 2.4G, Bluetooth, and wired options available. When used in a wireless mode, the S98 is rated for 200 hours with the backlight off or 30 hours with it on. Royal Kludge also states the battery can be fully recharged in just 6-7 hours.
Related Article: Royal Kludge RK84 Limited Review: Great Budget-Friendly Keyboard
Video Review
Pricing
| Royal Kludge | £76 / $101.91 |
| Amazon UK | £124.99 |
| Amazon US | $99.99 |
Specifications
Closer Look
Inside the box, alongside the S98 Keyboard are the USB cable, key switch/cap puller, and a few spare switches. In my experience, Royal Kludge always includes a few extra switches which is nice. Things happen and switches will die, but they are easy enough to change out so anyone can do it and it’s nice to see Royal Kludge has users covered should something happen.
The S98 features a nice and unique color profile that offers some of the keycaps to be in different colors from each other. This is a nice little touch and Royal Kludge has done a good with how they have implemented this. The font used is also easily read and of a nice size
In the upper left corner are the Numpad, Caps, and Win lock lights to let us know whether these are on or off. This is a unique placing for these and I don’t recall seeing them in this position on any other keyboard.
Royal Kludge has also forgone the (Ins)ert, and End keys and has gone with a vertical layout for the remaining keys, even adding the (del)ete key in unison with the F keys in the top row.
They key caps look nice and while the lettering isn’t laser etched as to allow the RGB lighting to shine through the letters, you should have no issue reading them even in low-light conditions.
The top left of the corner has our USB inputs as well as a couple of switches.
The USB-C port is going to be used to charge the S98 and use it in wired mode. The USB-A port is for passthrough and will allow you to connect other devices such as peripherals directly to the S98 keyboard itself. There is also the on/off switch giving you easy access to turn the keyboard on/off when using it in a wireless mode.
Royal Kludge has also snuck the wireless receiver in this corner as well. It slots into the keyboard nicely and is held in magnetically.
The bottom of the S98 is rather plain and boring which is just fine. Not much to see hear except the feet and four anti-slip rubber pads.
The feet have multiple heights to them which should provide better ergonomics for all users.
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S98 RGB and Smart Display
The RGB lighting is more than sufficient and there are multiple effects and colors you can set it to.
You can use the Royal Kuldge software, or you can set it from the keyboard using the Smart Knob and Display. Both options are quite easy.
The smart display has a lot of features and will let you know some important info. It can tell you if you are using Windows or macOS mode, wired or wireless, Windows/num/caps lock status, and even has a volume icon. You can also see the date, time, and battery percentage which I feel is absolutely essential for a wireless keyboard! There is nothing worse than having to try and guess what the battery percentage is based on how many keys light up!
Of course, you can customize the display and add your own logo or design to it. It supports both standard images and Gifs for those who like to take things to the next level.
RK Keyboard Software for S98
The software is easy to use a quite straightforward once you have downloaded and installed it. Using the software gives you even further customization options over the S98 so you can really fine tune it to your exact needs. The S98 works just fine as it comes out of the box but it is always nice to know you have full control and easy-to-use software should you want to change some settings.
You can easily change the RGB lighting by choosing different effects, colors and even the animation speed.
Setting macros isn’t for everyone, but if it is your thing this can also be done in the software.
Of course, uploading your own image to the Smart Display has to be done via the software.
Final Words
For the price, it is hard to fault the S98 keyboard at all. It comes with a plethora of features and customization options and has an amazing aesthetic appeal. Customizing the keyboard whether you use the knob or the software is easy enough that most anyone should be able to do it.
Using it for both typing and gaming was quite enjoyable and I did not notice any real difference in using it compared to my daily keyboard. It’s responsive, smooth and there is no real latency, even when using it in the Wireless 2.4G mode from about 10 feet away from the PC. As soon as you hit the key, the keystroke is registered.
The design has to be my favorite part of the S98, I just really like how it looks. The fact that it also comes in multiple colors, with the same design appeal is a bonus. It’s nice to see keyboard makers starting to step away from the standard black or white keyboards and give us something that looks a little more customized.
All in all, the S98 is a well-worthy keyboard for almost any need you may have. From typing to gaming, you will enjoy using it and you will also have fun playing with all the options that it brings to the table.
