Introduction

I first heard of the Royal Kludge brand a few years ago, in particular in combination with the RK61 keyboard aiming to be a well-designed 60% form factor keyboard of good value. While it might still be the brand's most popular keyboard today, I was in two minds about whether to cover another 60% keyboard after all the recent ones. In the middle of all this, the company dropped a newer keyboard with an even rarer layout, one I am getting familiar with courtesy Epomaker and Akko. Today, we introduce Royal Kludge to TechPowerUp by taking a look at the RK84 keyboard. Thanks again to the company for sending us a review sample.


Don't ask me why the company is called Royal Kludge, especially since Kludge by itself does not work positively for keyboards. I suppose using a random set of components to fulfill a purpose holds true, though! Either way, you will see RK and RKGaming used more often these days, with the keyboards named RKxx, where the "xx" consists of two digits representing the number of keys on the keyboard. Logic dictates then that the RK84 is a Royal Kludge keyboard with 84 keys. As such, it is meant to be a truncated TKL (tenkeyless) keyboard to save space on your desk. It comes in a white color option with the obvious RGB lighting seen above and not one, but three separate modes of connectivity. There is a lot to unpack here, so let's begin as per usual with a look at the product specifications below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

I like the packaging for the RK84, especially with the angled two-tone design employing orange and black colors. The orange section on the front has a minimalist render of the keyboard in white, and the black section has the company name as well as a mention of there being a keyboard inside, as if it was not obvious. The back and sides have a similar design, now with a larger render of the entire keyboard as well as QR codes leading you to the company website and product manual. We get certification information on the side too, along with more specific information about the sample. A double flap in the middle keeps the contents in place during transit.


Opening the box, we immediately see the keyboard inside a wax paper wrap for further protection along with the cardboard surround. The user manual is found on top of the keyboard and inside the same foam wrap for some reason. I'd rather see it underneath the assembly. It is only in English with some typos that don't hurt much, but do remember that this is not an English-first company no matter what the Las Vegas address on the website may lead you to believe. The manual is quite detailed in terms of going over all the pre-programmed functions, but I wish it would also talk about there being software support for the RK84, which is quite easy to miss if you don't look at the product page.


The other accessories are found in a separate compartment at the top, and three of the four sets come inside a plastic zip-lock bag each. The fourth one is a combination keycap puller and switch remover, and the better type employing a metal-wire keycap puller and metal prongs for the switch remover. In the middle is a plastic grip with the Royal Kludge logo on it. The metal wires are actually too close to each other and need to be physically separated to where they function properly, but this default setup does help with shipping at least.


Royal Kludge includes a matching cable for the keyboard that is white in this case. It goes from USB Type-A to Type-C in connectivity, which allows for the wired connection option of the RK84. There are also two add-on keyboard feet with magnets on the bottom, which no doubt helps install these. Finally, we get a set of four replacement RK Brown mechanical switches we will take a close look at on the next page.