25.5.2026
- added RK Store tutorial including a new promo code for cheaper price than buying from elsewhere using my affiliate link. This is an Official Royal Kludge store
- added assessment of battery duration with my lighting effect and brightness settings
- added teardown/disassembly info
- added nkro info
24.5.2026
- Correction for sound profile when typing. Is a creamy thock, not clack.QuoteWith Linear Switches (e.g., Chartreuse / Cream Linear): This is the signature creamy experience. Reviewers describe it as a soft, fluid "creamy thock" with minimal clackiness.
23.5.2026
- Correction for 4 layer vs 5 layer RK S98. Used official info from S98 website which clearly states 5 layer
Source:
https://rkgaming.shop/products/royal-kludge...anical-keyboard (https://rkgaming.shop/products/royal-kludge-s98-mechanical-keyboard)
- removed some AI info because could not verify. I'm aiming for accuracy, so if can't verify will remove. Will rely on official sources of info for this.
- corrected key specifications
- more corrections under keycaps & sound sub header content
- fixed some typo errors
Key Specifications
Form Factor: 96% layout with 98 keys (compact layout that retains the full number pad).
Connectivity: Tri-mode connection supporting Bluetooth 5.0 (pair up to 3 devices), a stable 2.4GHz wireless dongle, and USB Type-C wired mode.
Smart Display & Knob: Features a built-in TFT smart screen to monitor battery life, connection modes, OS settings, and custom animations/GIFs. The adjacent metal knob controls system volume, lighting modes, and screen menu selections.
Acoustics & Mount: Built with a flexible, cushioned flex-cut gasket design and filled with a multi-layer sound-absorbing system (including a PET insulation sheet and IXPE switch pad). Paired with pre-lubed Chartreuse linear switches, this configuration provides soft, cushioned bottom-out feedback and a deep, muted, and creamy sound profile.
Switches & PCB: 5-pin hot-swappable, south-facing RGB PCB to accommodate any enthusiast switch without keycap interference. Shipped with factory-lubed custom options like the Linear Chartreuse/Viridian/Cream or Tactile Pale Green/Beige switches.
Battery Capacity: Massive 3750 mAh battery, delivering up to 200 hours of continuous wireless use with the RGB backlights deactivated.
Keycaps: Durable, oil-resistant OEM-profile double-shot PBT keycaps featuring clean side-(laser etched) secondary legends.
Extra Features: 1 built-in USB 2.0 pass-through hub port (for mice/flash drives), 2-stage adjustable typing angle feet, and dedicated desktop software for macro and GIF mapping.
How to Read the Indicator Light
The bottom-most LED indicator in that vertical stack features a "W" icon or a lock icon.
LED Light is ON: The Windows key is Disabled / Locked. Pressing it will do nothing (useful during gaming to prevent accidental menu pop-ups).
LED Light is OFF: The Windows key is Enabled / Unlocked. It will function normally and open your Windows Start Menu.
note: it's recommended to use the wired usb when doing changes via the RK Hub software
notes: So though it doesn't do QMK as some would like, there are alternative options that will work for it if this is something you care for. So not an issue at least for me. I just use the default.
The top front faceplate (the upper case frame) of the Royal Kludge RKS98 (RK S98) mechanical keyboard is made of ABS plastic.
While the keyboard uses a premium top-mount structure and a rigid internal positioning plate, the entire outer enclosure—including that top faceplate—is molded from thick, durable plastic to keep the board lightweight and budget-friendly.
Custom plate-mounted stabilizers are specialized mechanical components used to keep wide keyboard keys from wobbling.
Here is exactly how they work and what makes them unique:
How They Work
The Parts: They consist of plastic housings, stems, and a shaped metal wire.
The Mount: The plastic housings clip directly into the keyboard's metal or plastic top plate, rather than screwing into the circuit board (PCB).
The Job: When you press the side of a wide key (like the Spacebar), the wire transfers that downward force equally across the whole keycap so it goes down straight.
What "Custom" Means
In pre-built keyboards like the RK S98, "custom" means the manufacturer modified the standard design to improve performance:
Tighter Tolerances: The plastic molds are redesigned to fit tighter into the plate, reducing rattling.
Factory Lubed: Dampening grease is applied inside the housing during assembly to quieten plastic-on-metal ticking.
Upgraded Stems: The plastic stems often feature internal padding or dampening material to soften the bottom-out sound.
In the context of mechanical keyboards (MKB), NKRO stands for N-Key Rollover, which is a hardware feature that allows a keyboard to accurately register every single key pressed simultaneously. The letter "N" represents an infinite or unrestricted number of keys. This means that even if you were to mash down all 104 keys at the exact same millisecond, your computer would successfully detect every single one of them without dropping inputs or locking up.
Core Concepts of Key Rollover
To fully understand NKRO, it helps to see how it compares to other standards outlined in guides by MechanicalKeyboard.net:
2KRO (2-Key Rollover): Found mostly in cheap membrane keyboards. It only guarantees that two simultaneous key presses will register correctly. Pressing a third key often results in ignored inputs.
6KRO (6-Key Rollover): Common in standard office keyboards. It registers up to six normal alphanumeric keys at once, usually plus a few modifier keys like Shift, Ctrl, and Alt.
NKRO (N-Key Rollover): The absolute gold standard for high-performance input, allowing an unlimited number of concurrent inputs.
Why It Matters for MKBs
On traditional keyboards, keys share an electrical circuit matrix. When you press multiple overlapping keys, the controller gets confused, leading to Key Blocking (ignoring the extra keys) or Ghosting (registering a key you never actually touched).
Mechanical keyboards achieve true NKRO by placing a dedicated diode on every single switch on the circuit board (PCB). This isolates the electrical current for each individual key, completely eliminating signal interference.
In the rhythm game O2Jam, the term 6KRO refers to a 6-Key Rollover hardware limitation found on standard USB keyboards. It prevents players from registering more than six regular alphanumeric keys simultaneously.
Since O2Jam's signature gameplay relies heavily on a 7-key layout (7K), hitting a chord of all 7 notes at once causes a conflict
Yes, the Royal Kludge RK-S98 supports full N-Key Rollover (NKRO) over a 2.4GHz wireless connection.
Why 2.4GHz is Better than Bluetooth
Unlike Bluetooth, the 2.4GHz wireless mode does not use standard, restricted operating system profiles.
Custom Protocol: It uses a dedicated USB dongle that sends data via a proprietary high-speed protocol.
Full Bandwidth: This removes the packet size limits, allowing the keyboard to register all 98 keys simultaneously.
Lower Latency: It delivers a 1000Hz polling rate (1ms response time), making it fast enough for competitive gaming.
How to Switch to 2.4GHz Mode
To enable NKRO wirelessly, follow these quick steps using your keyboard's built-in smart knob:
Plug the 2.4GHz USB dongle into your computer.
Turn the smart knob to navigate the screen menu.
Select 2.4G mode and press down on the knob to confirm.
Lowyat15Step 1:
Click my affiliate link here
(https://i.imgur.com/aeUdLFo.png) (https://rkgaming.shop?sca_ref=11290798.lkhdqi8c3j)