Introduction

Redragon had kicked off a massive chain of 60% keyboard reviews on TPU recently, beginning with the K530 Draconic late last year. It was a 60% keyboard that was followed by an even smaller unit in the form of the K585 Diti gamepad, which unfortunately did not fare as well. Redragon had sent along another keyboard with the K585. As such, we now get to see if it is redemption time for the company with the K596 Vishnu. Thanks again to Redragon for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!


Brands have used various naming schemes for keyboards, with some going with "Kxx" and others opting for more exotic names in other languages. Some, such as Gamdias, choose to go with Greek gods instead. So I suppose it was only a matter of time before Hindu gods entered the picture, although a Chinese brand doing it is still hilarious to me. The K596 Vishnu, which I will just refer to as the Redragon K596 henceforth, is an interesting take on the TKL form factor. Sure, it misses out on the numpad and takes up less desk space compared to the average full-size keyboard, but Redragon added macro keys on the left and top, which take up more room and are usually things we see on larger full-size units. Let's see how this works out in practice as we begin this review with a look at the product specifications below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the Redragon K596 keyboard is about par for the course for gaming-branded keyboards. The cardboard box has a black wrap with the company logo and product name on front, along with a large illustration of the keyboard all lit up and its salient marketing features. We also see that the keyboard comes with "Dust-Proof Red" switches, but more on that later. On the back are more features and specifications in multiple languages, which go with more images of the keyboard, as well as seals on either side to keep the contents inside in place during transit.


We see now that Redragon employs a two-piece packaging with an inner box, and its design is on the simpler side with just the logo in the middle. A double flap on the side further keeps the contents from spilling out. Opening the box, we immediately see the keyboard in a thin plastic wrap and thick foam surround to protect it as it makes its way to you.


All the accessories are underneath the keyboard, including a wrist rest that does not come inside a plastic wrap as per usual. We get a lot of goodies here, including the pretty much mandatory paperwork in a multi-language guide that is fairly handy for going over the onboard controls and pre-programmed features, even with the less-than-perfect English employed in the English section. Redragon also throws in a sticker of the logo should you want it. There is a detachable male USB Type-C to male USB Type-A keyboard cable, which points towards the adoption of a Type-C port on the keyboard. A plastic zip-lock bag contains a plastic ring-style keycap puller and a metal switch remover. We can expect hot-swappable switches here then, although I would have liked to see the better metal-wire puller Redragon included with the K530. As seen above, the wrist rest has a hard plastic top surface with textures, as well as the company name in large lettering. The underside has multiple rubber pads for friction against the resting surface, and we also see magnets on the front that no doubt are used for pairing with the keyboard.


The final set of accessories comes inside a separate cardboard box with spare switches inside, and we get a total of eight replacement switches inside a long pre-cut foam piece. Redragon throws in sets of two Redragon-branded, but Outemu manufactured, Red, Black, Brown, and Blue switches. These are all Outemu versions of the Cherry MX equivalents, and in the RGB flavor with the clear top. The primary difference compared to the Cherry offerings consists of the walled columns surrounding the stem for some dust and spill resistance in use. These are otherwise 3-pin switches, meaning the keyboard uses 3-pin hot-swap sockets, and respectively provide light linear, heavy linear, tactile, and tactile+clicky feedback.