Hey Everyone! I hope you are all safe!

I have been trying to shrink my setup for quite a while now, and I think the best move to start with is to shrink my keyboard. I have been decking my old Razer Black Widow 2013 Cherry MX Blues for that many years and I have not really thought about changing it at all till now.

If you could only imagine how long it took me to change my Old Keyboard, that was 8 years. Learning to love the clickity sounds of the Cherry MX Blues, Static Green Light, and Big, very very big desk estate chomper. Yes, it took the whole full-length mousemat leaving a very small room for my poor ol' mouse. But it's now time to change, to my brand new - "BUDGET King" Royal Kludge RK61

Royal Kludge: RK61

Royal Kludge has been in the keyboard market for quite a while now. And its previous version of the RK61 blew the budget 60% category last year, mainly because of how good it was at that price point. I have looked over and over for other budget options from many keyboard reviewers and the RK61 just keeps popping out. And since I am in the market for a smaller mechanical keyboard on a budget, let me talk to you about the early Christmas present I got for myself. Ho ho ho!

Form Factor

The RK61 belongs to the 60% Keyboard layout that ditches the numerical keys and the function keys. Which brings the total dimension down to 12 inches by 4 inches. The height sits right under 2 inches at the highest point of the keyboard and could change if you plan on changing your keycap sets. To those that have been used to the shorter keyboards, you'd want to get a wrist set so you could rest your wrists while typing. Plus, the RK 61 does not have an adjustable stand as well, which might not be appealing for some of you.

The RK 61 has a detachable USB 3.0 whose port is located on the top left-hand corner which is awesome for my desk setup. And since this is also a Bluetooth-capable keyboard, the on and off switch is located at the back of the case which is a bummer.

Overall because it is very small, I have plenty of extra space to keep my desk nice and clean.

Bells, Whistles and Updates

Just like what I said earlier, the RK 61 did have an older beast version that was well-loved by all. While that older one was good, they have made significant improvements to the new one that definitely keeps its place as one of the best budget 60% keyboard under $50. Yep, you heard that right, under $50, definitely a bang for your buck should you want to go smaller.

Retained Features from the 2020 Version:

• RK Switches (I could not pinpoint what type of switches they are, but I believe they have been a rebrand for RK)
• Bluetooth that could connect to 3 devices. Pairing changes at the click of 2 buttons.
• Stock keycap set is a shine through ABS DoubleShot Plastic OEM Profile
• RGB with many modes

Here are some of the new key differences from the old to the new.

Hot Swappable

The main difference that this one has versus the older one is definitely Hot-Swappable capability. This capability allows you to pull the switches out and replace them without the need to desolder. So if you want to upgrade your switches or simply want to lube them, it would be easier to do so this time around. This keyboard supports 3pin and 5pin switches which allows you to have a wide array of options available. Just make sure to take note that this comes in a north-facing LED setup, so that might be a factor when you are choosing your switch upgrade.

And because this is a hot-swappable version of the keyboard, they have included 5 spare RK Switches and a switch/keycap puller.

Wireless 2.4ghz

When I bought this, I really thought this still came with the Wireless 2.4ghz connection, but it didn't. The back of the keyboard looked like it should have the USB Dongle attached to it, but it was blocked off as well. The package did not come with the 2.4ghz dongle, so this was definitely removed from the list of features which was sad.

I was able to connect this to my PC via Bluetooth though and it has worked perfectly fine. I have not had any issues with it and all the keys have been registering accurately.

Initial Thoughts...

Adjustments...

It has been a few days since I have been using the RK 61, though I am not on the PC as extensively as before, it has been great, I think, so far. The jump from a full-sized keyboard to a 60% keyboard definitely was a shock, my muscle memory has to retrain itself because there have been definitely times where my fingers would go directly to the numpads or the arrow keys whenever I need them. I am a DEL button abuser, it is definitely a good thing that the Fn + Backspace could do that for me and not some other weird combination.

Battery Testing

Today marks the first time I intend to use this keyboard for daily "regular" use with the occasional RGB mode change to test how long the battery would last. It is September 20, 1:30 PM here where I am at, I will definitely write up my findings on the RK 61's battery life and my daily uses. Let's see how far this would go.

Modding

When I bought this, I know this is going to be my daily driver for years, though hopefully, it would last for years like I intended it to. This is also the reason why I purposely got a hot-swappable keyboard. The modding capability of this keyboard is definitely easy. I don't think I will ever have the time to be able to do all that solder and desolder with the kids around. I intend to upgrade switches soon or lube the stock ones I have. Keycaps are the easiest to change too, so keep an eye out for those as I intend to show you this little keyboard journey.

Sound Test

The brown switches are definitely more discreet compared to my previous Cherry MX Blues and I am loving it. I should be able to provide a stock versus slightly modded on the next blog post. My cellphone microphone could not do it justice at all, so it would be so much better to save this for the next blog post.

Conclusion

To the regular users, like the previous me, the keyboard was always standard. 104 Keys that have the function keys, numpads, and the navigation keys, the only way to get it small was to shorten the board into a laptop-type chiclet keyboard which really did not reduce the overall size or take a chunk out of your desk estate. The reason for this was we were, and still are, very used to the use of the numpads and the navigation keys. (I am talking about the general public here that does not use the function keys that much)

But all it took was a little determination to, get out of that comfort zone, take a leap of fate, and think that if it all goes south, I still have my Razer Keyboard to go back to if it does not work out. LOL

And that is it from me folks! Stay safe out there!