šMINI 60% KEYBOARD: RK61 is a ultra-compact layout keyboard with 61 keys. Concentrated all the key functions you need in minimalist design. Save more space for your mouse moving and neat the desktop. Itās most FPS gamers’ choice for this 60% gaming keyboard.
šHOT SWAPPABLE–Red Switch: The Wired RK ROYAL KLUDGE mechanical keyboard linear red switches could be fast action with minimal resistance without a tactile bump feel, provides a smooth quiet click mechanical stroke experience. Perfect for office typing or playing games
šGORGEOUS RGB EFFECT: The RGB gaming keyboard has 18 RGB backlight modes and 8 monochrome backlight on board. Customized backlit colors and effects are also available through RK ROYAL KLUDGE software. Single key color is also controlled. Giving you more enjoyable when you gaming or typing at night
šSMOOTH GAMING EXPERIENCE: Hot swap mechanical keyboard is compatible with Windows, Linus and and Mac. Full keys anti-ghosting bring you more smooth gaming experience. Detachable USB-C keyboard cable make the quite gaming keyboard more portable and customized
šERGONOMIC GAMING KEYBOARD: The design of this mechanical gaming keyboard is based on ergonomics. Scientific stair-up keycaps design brings maximum comfort, keeping your hand in a most natural state to minimize hand fatigue after longtime use. Perfect for gamer, office worker, copywriter, typing teacher and editors
Product Dimensions
11.5 x 4.02 x 1.57 inches
Item Weight
1.23 pounds
Manufacturer
RK ROYAL KLUDGE
Language
English
Country of Origin
China
Item model number
RK61
Date First Available
April 13, 2020
10 reviews for RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK61 Wired 60% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard RGB Backlit Ultra-Compact Hot-Swappable Red Switch White
Rated 5 out of 5
Bananas –
For the price itās absolutely the best mechanical keyboard you can get. The best part is that itās hot swappable so you can change the switches. The keyboard can be transformed from a budget board to a premium board by swapping the switches, keycaps, and modding it. By itself itās still probably the best board within this price range. Itās good enough that it doesnāt feel cheap or like a toy.
Rated 1 out of 5
Danni Hill –
Would have been a great keyboard if it hadnāt been faulty. Beware anyone not in the USA, this is a US seller and they will not replace faulty keyboards outside of the US. The RGB lights are faulty on my keyboard, also worth noting that mine came without a bluetooth switch. The space for the switch is there, but itās just a hole, no switch. I would give Royal Kludge the benefit of the doubt that I got a one-off faulty keyboard, perhaps a different stockist would be a good place to buy but I donāt know. Everything else about the keyboard is great, excellent value for money. Unfortunately the RGB fault is extremely distracting unless I turn them off completely.
Rated 4 out of 5
Susan Dikmen –
Good keyboard. Like the size of it and the material it’s made of, I love how customizable the RGB is many different settings. If your hands get sweaty the keys might get sweat on them and slip and or get oily if you touch them. The packaging was great love how they give you a key cap puller with it. The downsides of this is that I’m not able to find the software for this and sometimes the buttons won’t work and constantly need to factory reset it (to factory reset press fn and spaceport till the light change all colors) other then that it’s very customizable would be better if it had some more grip on the keycapd but you always can replace them. No delay when pressing the keys which some of my old keyboards have had that problem.
Rated 5 out of 5
Irinel Liscan –
this a really good keyboard i got the red switches and I’m pretty sure they are pre lubed they sound nice and thocky the keyboard has a nice thick back plate wich i love and the rbg is just amazing if you want a good keyboard but dont know wich one to buy this one is a great choice especially for people that want to mod keyboards or that just want to do some high level gaming
Rated 5 out of 5
Jaxon Tee Sy –
Snagged this keyboard for $45 on Cyber Monday. I didn’t need the bluetooth version, so this was a great item to buy at the time. I have had some connectivity issues, but I think it is due to my mobo usb panel. Since switching the usb to my PC case ones, I haven’t experienced any issues since.
I am a college student, who sometimes games, and the difference from switching from a cheap membrane off-brand “gaming” keyboard is INSANE. Love the feeling of the switches and keys. But of course, I will need to get used to it. I am thinking of modding this board in the future. So far, I have been enjoying it and I think it is a great keyboard.
Rated 1 out of 5
Zain S –
Bought this as my first 60% mechanical keyboard after reading “good” reviews on reddit article. Keys combination was awful, complex and stops working midway.
For example: – Arrow keys didn’t work properly on Mac. Frustrating when you’re writing code/document and have to move around. – All the Insert, PgUP and PgDown didn’t seem to work on notes application on Mac. – No idea on FN+CTRL actually does, it sometime made “n”, “o” keys stop working while other times made them work alongwith numbers on the top.
“CMD” on Mac isn’t a one to one match with the “Windows” button on this keyboard which was frustrating as CMD is used a lot for daily work.
I used this keyboard for several hours for work trying to find my way around it and hoped it would just work without intermittent key failures, however I lost all hope as it was highly inefficient and made me unproductive.
Only cool thing was shiny RBG combinations, but that’s shouldn’t be the main selling point of a “keyboard”.
Rated 5 out of 5
m –
i love this keyboard so much so far! Definitely worth its price tag! Although if you are used to a full sized keyboard, 60% size definitely takes some getting used to.
they switches and caps are also really easy to change with the tools they include, iām looking forward to getting some snazzy key caps
Rated 5 out of 5
Annie –
The media could not be loaded.
Ā It is very worth the money it’s really clicky but it’s not the wireless version it is smaller than I thought it would be and the lighting effects are amazing
Rated 5 out of 5
Jameson –
The media could not be loaded.
Ā I will preface this review by saying that the Rk61 in itself is not a bad keyboard to use stock. Coming from a membrane Corsair board that was more expensive at the time (K55 gamer focused) the Rk stock didnāt disappoint. Letās start with the pros + Detachable cable for customization options + Hotswap pcb + Stabilizers came factory lubed and didnāt need to be balanced(I still holee modded but not needed imo) and stabs have 0 rattle on plate without modding + Disassembly is a breeze and uses normal screws! + Individual led per key however the pcb is a north facing led design so you could run into compatibility issues using cherry profile keycaps _____________________________________________ And now the cons before I dilute this review with personal preference -switches(Rk red) are more scratchy and snappy sounding than the common gateron reds but my main gripe is the weak clips that attach to plate. The ktt switches I swapped stay on while swapping keycaps whereas the Rk switches come off the board before the keycaps release. Easy to replace but some switch sets cost as much as this board – Keycaps. Theyāre okay, hollow sounding due to being shine through and cheaper abs plastic. Iād be okay to keep them but I learned oem profile is not for me. As for other cons itās truly subjective as some will like the sound of a plastic case vs aluminum vs wood. But thatās where your mileage may vary. On a side note if you want the Rk form factor for simplicity but want a metal case the pro option is available while being slightly more expensive. Hereās my list of alterations done to the rk61 to make it royal to my preference.
– Went from tray mount style to a gasket o ring mount by cutting all the supports from the inside of the case and wrapping an oring around the pcp/plate. This makes the typing feel more uniform while giving the board much more flex when pressing keys ____________________________________________ – Swapped Rk reds with lubed ktt Kang whites – Pe foam between switches and pcb – memory foam inside case to dampen sound – Stabilizers lubed and balanced(didnāt need adjustment) – a layer of pennies shrink wrapped into columns along the bottom of case for weight
At the end of the day, this keyboard is a entry level budget board that will provide a platform for you to explore the world of mechanical keyboards. If you want something plug and play, this will do but you get what you pay for. If you want an affordable board to tinker with to find your personal preference; I recommend this board.
I ended up using the case as a template to make my own custom wood case with the same mounting system.
Rated 5 out of 5
Anthony –
Edit: So shortly after my review they reached out to me offering me a replacement keyboard and a bunch of help they didn’t even have to do and it was extremely appreciated. Their customer support is on point! The more time I spend with the RK61 the more I enjoy it. The software issues have gone away and the keyboard works flawlessly. I’ve also updated the review with pictures. I’m using Akko Crystal Clear switches which make the RGB brighter and it looks perfect, these switches have a bit more thock than the brown switches I chose for the RK61. The stock brown switches do sound great too. I plan on getting blank keycaps, a custom spacebar and call it the day. People ask how I type so fast, I just say it’s because I’m using the RK61 and it feels amazing to type with.
So I was extremely displeased with this purchase when I originally received the RK61 which I’ll explain in this review. After a few more days with this keyboard, it has actually grown on me. I’ll separate this review in 2 sections, pros and cons.
Pros:
R61 is a great beginner keyboard for those getting into mechanical keyboards such as myself due to its mod potential and price. I purchased the version with brown tactile switches which I eventually swapped out to the akko crystal clear tactile 5 pin switches (makes the RGB appear brighter too). The original switches and keycaps feel amazing stock and sound fantastic. The board itself doesn’t feel too heavy nor too light but just sturdy enough for its size that gives it a great satisfying feel. 60% leaves a lot of space on my desk which I need for gaming and also allows me enough space to get a regular sized keyboard if I ever choose to for my set up. I do plan on doing more mods later down the line such as bandaid mod, lubing, styrofoam, etc. when I feel more comfortable approaching those mods.
Cons: The worst part of this keyboard is the software. The software actually doesn’t work at all and shows a “no matching device found” with no fix. There are You Tube videos that provide links to different software’s that work with the RK61 {which do feel sketchy} but work nonetheless. Another big drawback are they fn functions \ short cuts. For example it took me a couple hours to realize that I have to use the right shift to type the “?” which is extremely counter intuitive. The delete function requires pressing 3 separate keys which is also counter intuitive and there isn’t any way to change this in the software’s I’ve mentioned in this segment. The last huge drawback for me is that sometimes when I start my PC and start doing what ever I’m doing, I notice the keyboard isn’t working properly or is glitched out where the keys aren’t activating or the secondary keys are activating without me pressing fn or shift. The only fix for this is to reset they keyboard by pressing and holding fn + spacebar for 5 seconds. All of this information I had to research myself.. Lastly, the RGB lights aren’t bright at all but changing to the akko crystal clear switches, made the RGB appear more brighter. I may or may not swap to pudding keycaps to make the RK61 brighter.
For $40 (sale and $4 coupon) this could’ve been slightly better in terms of quality, especially for how much YouTubers hype up this keyboard. However after giving this keyboard a chance I’ve started enjoying the RK61. I do suggest trying out some mods for the RK61 and there are ways to make the RGB brighter if that is a deciding factor for you.
I’m rating this 3 stars because the hardware and price is great but the software and glitches definitely bring down the quality of the RK61.
Bananas –
For the price itās absolutely the best mechanical keyboard you can get. The best part is that itās hot swappable so you can change the switches. The keyboard can be transformed from a budget board to a premium board by swapping the switches, keycaps, and modding it. By itself itās still probably the best board within this price range. Itās good enough that it doesnāt feel cheap or like a toy.
Danni Hill –
Would have been a great keyboard if it hadnāt been faulty. Beware anyone not in the USA, this is a US seller and they will not replace faulty keyboards outside of the US. The RGB lights are faulty on my keyboard, also worth noting that mine came without a bluetooth switch. The space for the switch is there, but itās just a hole, no switch. I would give Royal Kludge the benefit of the doubt that I got a one-off faulty keyboard, perhaps a different stockist would be a good place to buy but I donāt know. Everything else about the keyboard is great, excellent value for money. Unfortunately the RGB fault is extremely distracting unless I turn them off completely.
Susan Dikmen –
Good keyboard. Like the size of it and the material it’s made of, I love how customizable the RGB is many different settings. If your hands get sweaty the keys might get sweat on them and slip and or get oily if you touch them. The packaging was great love how they give you a key cap puller with it. The downsides of this is that I’m not able to find the software for this and sometimes the buttons won’t work and constantly need to factory reset it (to factory reset press fn and spaceport till the light change all colors) other then that it’s very customizable would be better if it had some more grip on the keycapd but you always can replace them. No delay when pressing the keys which some of my old keyboards have had that problem.
Irinel Liscan –
this a really good keyboard i got the red switches and I’m pretty sure they are pre lubed they sound nice and thocky the keyboard has a nice thick back plate wich i love and the rbg is just amazing if you want a good keyboard but dont know wich one to buy this one is a great choice especially for people that want to mod keyboards or that just want to do some high level gaming
Jaxon Tee Sy –
Snagged this keyboard for $45 on Cyber Monday. I didn’t need the bluetooth version, so this was a great item to buy at the time. I have had some connectivity issues, but I think it is due to my mobo usb panel. Since switching the usb to my PC case ones, I haven’t experienced any issues since.
I am a college student, who sometimes games, and the difference from switching from a cheap membrane off-brand “gaming” keyboard is INSANE. Love the feeling of the switches and keys. But of course, I will need to get used to it. I am thinking of modding this board in the future. So far, I have been enjoying it and I think it is a great keyboard.
Zain S –
Bought this as my first 60% mechanical keyboard after reading “good” reviews on reddit article.
Keys combination was awful, complex and stops working midway.
For example:
– Arrow keys didn’t work properly on Mac. Frustrating when you’re writing code/document and have to move around.
– All the Insert, PgUP and PgDown didn’t seem to work on notes application on Mac.
– No idea on FN+CTRL actually does, it sometime made “n”, “o” keys stop working while other times made them work alongwith numbers on the top.
“CMD” on Mac isn’t a one to one match with the “Windows” button on this keyboard which was frustrating as CMD is used a lot for daily work.
I used this keyboard for several hours for work trying to find my way around it and hoped it would just work without intermittent key failures, however I lost all hope as it was highly inefficient and made me unproductive.
Only cool thing was shiny RBG combinations, but that’s shouldn’t be the main selling point of a “keyboard”.
m –
i love this keyboard so much so far! Definitely worth its price tag! Although if you are used to a full sized keyboard, 60% size definitely takes some getting used to.
they switches and caps are also really easy to change with the tools they include, iām looking forward to getting some snazzy key caps
Annie –
The media could not be loaded.
Ā It is very worth the money it’s really clicky but it’s not the wireless version it is smaller than I thought it would be and the lighting effects are amazing
Jameson –
The media could not be loaded.
Ā I will preface this review by saying that the Rk61 in itself is not a bad keyboard to use stock. Coming from a membrane Corsair board that was more expensive at the time (K55 gamer focused) the Rk stock didnāt disappoint. Letās start with the pros
+ Detachable cable for customization options
+ Hotswap pcb
+ Stabilizers came factory lubed and didnāt need to be balanced(I still holee modded but not needed imo) and stabs have 0 rattle on plate without modding
+ Disassembly is a breeze and uses normal screws!
+ Individual led per key however the pcb is a north facing led design so you could run into compatibility issues using cherry profile keycaps
_____________________________________________
And now the cons before I dilute this review with personal preference
-switches(Rk red) are more scratchy and snappy sounding than the common gateron reds but my main gripe is the weak clips that attach to plate. The ktt switches I swapped stay on while swapping keycaps whereas the Rk switches come off the board before the keycaps release. Easy to replace but some switch sets cost as much as this board
– Keycaps. Theyāre okay, hollow sounding due to being shine through and cheaper abs plastic. Iād be okay to keep them but I learned oem profile is not for me.
As for other cons itās truly subjective as some will like the sound of a plastic case vs aluminum vs wood. But thatās where your mileage may vary. On a side note if you want the Rk form factor for simplicity but want a metal case the pro option is available while being slightly more expensive. Hereās my list of alterations done to the rk61 to make it royal to my preference.
– Went from tray mount style to a gasket o ring mount by cutting all the supports from the inside of the case and wrapping an oring around the pcp/plate. This makes the typing feel more uniform while giving the board much more flex when pressing keys
____________________________________________
– Swapped Rk reds with lubed ktt Kang whites
– Pe foam between switches and pcb
– memory foam inside case to dampen sound
– Stabilizers lubed and balanced(didnāt need adjustment)
– a layer of pennies shrink wrapped into columns along the bottom of case for weight
At the end of the day, this keyboard is a entry level budget board that will provide a platform for you to explore the world of mechanical keyboards. If you want something plug and play, this will do but you get what you pay for. If you want an affordable board to tinker with to find your personal preference; I recommend this board.
I ended up using the case as a template to make my own custom wood case with the same mounting system.
Anthony –
Edit: So shortly after my review they reached out to me offering me a replacement keyboard and a bunch of help they didn’t even have to do and it was extremely appreciated. Their customer support is on point! The more time I spend with the RK61 the more I enjoy it. The software issues have gone away and the keyboard works flawlessly. I’ve also updated the review with pictures. I’m using Akko Crystal Clear switches which make the RGB brighter and it looks perfect, these switches have a bit more thock than the brown switches I chose for the RK61. The stock brown switches do sound great too. I plan on getting blank keycaps, a custom spacebar and call it the day. People ask how I type so fast, I just say it’s because I’m using the RK61 and it feels amazing to type with.
So I was extremely displeased with this purchase when I originally received the RK61 which I’ll explain in this review. After a few more days with this keyboard, it has actually grown on me. I’ll separate this review in 2 sections, pros and cons.
Pros:
R61 is a great beginner keyboard for those getting into mechanical keyboards such as myself due to its mod potential and price. I purchased the version with brown tactile switches which I eventually swapped out to the akko crystal clear tactile 5 pin switches (makes the RGB appear brighter too). The original switches and keycaps feel amazing stock and sound fantastic. The board itself doesn’t feel too heavy nor too light but just sturdy enough for its size that gives it a great satisfying feel. 60% leaves a lot of space on my desk which I need for gaming and also allows me enough space to get a regular sized keyboard if I ever choose to for my set up. I do plan on doing more mods later down the line such as bandaid mod, lubing, styrofoam, etc. when I feel more comfortable approaching those mods.
Cons:
The worst part of this keyboard is the software. The software actually doesn’t work at all and shows a “no matching device found” with no fix. There are You Tube videos that provide links to different software’s that work with the RK61 {which do feel sketchy} but work nonetheless. Another big drawback are they fn functions \ short cuts. For example it took me a couple hours to realize that I have to use the right shift to type the “?” which is extremely counter intuitive. The delete function requires pressing 3 separate keys which is also counter intuitive and there isn’t any way to change this in the software’s I’ve mentioned in this segment. The last huge drawback for me is that sometimes when I start my PC and start doing what ever I’m doing, I notice the keyboard isn’t working properly or is glitched out where the keys aren’t activating or the secondary keys are activating without me pressing fn or shift. The only fix for this is to reset they keyboard by pressing and holding fn + spacebar for 5 seconds. All of this information I had to research myself.. Lastly, the RGB lights aren’t bright at all but changing to the akko crystal clear switches, made the RGB appear more brighter. I may or may not swap to pudding keycaps to make the RK61 brighter.
For $40 (sale and $4 coupon) this could’ve been slightly better in terms of quality, especially for how much YouTubers hype up this keyboard. However after giving this keyboard a chance I’ve started enjoying the RK61. I do suggest trying out some mods for the RK61 and there are ways to make the RGB brighter if that is a deciding factor for you.
I’m rating this 3 stars because the hardware and price is great but the software and glitches definitely bring down the quality of the RK61.