Closer Examination

If you have read the previous pages, you will know that the Epomaker GK96LS is one of a family of new keyboards under the GK96S badge from Epomaker. The "L" refers to the left-handed numpad, and the "96" to the 96% form factor. This is easier to understand with the more traditional version, which truncates a full-sized keyboard to remove the space between the alphanumeric section, the arrow key cluster column, and the numpad. It does result in the loss of a few discrete keys, especially in the arrow-key column, but ends up being a highly efficient keyboard that offers all the average end user would need without going down to a TKL keyboard. This left-handed version, however, also moves the numpad to the left, so the arrow keys are suddenly no longer available to cram in the space of a typical 96% keyboard. This means we have fewer keys in total even compared to the GK96S, and larger keys instead to fill out that space. There remain some extra keys for productivity Epomaker added to the top row of the GK96S family as a whole. That said, the legends for these don't do a good job of explaining what they do, so this facet could have been done better.

Epomaker states that the GK96LS is intended for "those who would like to use the numpad and the mouse at the same time; moreover, this is ideal for people who use the numpad for longer periods, such as for data entry or excel." Having a southpaw version is rare to begin with, and the option alone is great to see. So there was little doubt in my mind on which version I sough to take a look at. Overall aesthetics are also dependent on the version you get. The PBT keycap versions come with this tricolor black and white with orange accents, and there are all black and all white ABS keycap versions with matching cases for the retail units. Here, we have a black case, and it is a striking keyboard in all senses of the word. Most keycaps have single legends only, placed in the center for maximum effect. Secondary legends are generally above the primary ones, with keyboard-specific secondary/tertiary legends alongside these to where it does sometimes get crowded. No branding to be seen anywhere in use, and the bezels are nearly absent, too.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle, but with the Skyloong logo. At this point, it might as well be present on retail units, as it is barely a factor anyway. There are five rubber pads along the edges, as well as two sets of feet which can be raised for two separate, steeper angles if you wish. Both sets have a rubberized bottom for further friction against the resting surface.


We saw the detachable cable on the previous page, and this is where it plugs into. A recessed USB Type-C port is present on the left side of the back, so the cable routes away from a mouse on the right of the keyboard. Yes, that sounds ironic given this southpaw edition, but generally, such left-handed numpad keyboards are still used by right-handed users, and the company is saving money by using a single case mold. The cable fits into a USB Type-A port on your motherboard, and USB 2.0 suffices for power and data alike. The connector is also gold-plated to add that extra bit of oxidation resistance.


The side view shows that Epomaker has gone with the so-called GK1 keycap profile, which has also been referred to as the "GSA" profile on a few other keyboards from Epomaker/Skyloong. It looks and feels similar to DSA, and for most used to the OEM profile, the big change will be the relatively flatter profile, with each keycap row not as prominently sculpted along a curve as usual. The included keycap puller works well, although your mileage may vary on whether the keycaps come out with the switch as well. This was the case more often than not for me with the thick PBT keycaps that tend to stick to switches more. No backlight compatibility on any of these PBT keycaps, with a single-color plastic with thermally sublimed legends used for longevity. The ABS keycaps use doubleshot-injection, so those will fare better with backlighting if that is a big deal for you. Also, given the nature of this left-handed 96% keyboard, finding replacement keycaps is going to be difficult. As such, it's a good thing that the stock keycaps are of above average quality, and there are first-party choices available, too.


The Epomaker GK96S keyboards come with a lot of switch options, all from Gateron. I have the Gateron mechanical Red RGB version, evident as per the red stems and moving parts inside for mechanical actuation as opposed to the optical interruption with the optical switches in SK96S keyboards. The larger keycaps use a Cherry-style stabilizer, which goes well with the GK1 profile and thicker PBT keycaps in mitigating that usually mushy effect associated with these stabilizers.


Every single switch socket aboard the GK96S keyboards is hot-swappable, which makes swapping switches easy. Their included switch removal tool is no different from any other of the same design and works well enough in practice. You hook into the middle notches on either side of a switch and wiggle it sideways while pulling upwards. Removing a switch also clearly shows where the associated RGB LED is placed, which ends up being more for lighting accents between keycaps.


The keyboard comes with macOS-specific keys on the bottom row by default, which is why we have the Windows-specific keycaps included as accessories. On the left above is a look at the GK96LS with these swapped out, including the arrow key secondary legends, and this was the way I used it throughout the review on my Windows PC. Next to it is a stock photo of the regular GK96S, which has a different layout even with the right-handed numpad.