Software

Though named after something else, there are unified drivers of sorts for the Epomaker Lite keyboard. You can download the latest installer here. Named "GK6XPlus version 6.0.0.52" as this is written, it was originally an unofficial replacement for the original software hosted on GitHub. The official drivers for the GK6x keyboards, of which this is one, were from Jikedingzhi. The installer downloads as a compressed folder of 77 MB, and installation requests over twice as much storage space for the software. As seen above, installation is straightforward, although without some options, including for shortcuts and start menu items, and I have no complaints in terms of system utilization. As of now, GK6XPlus is the official software, so the original goal of using a fully open firmware with QMK/VIA support remains just that—an unachieved goal.


This is made worse by knowing that GK6XPlus was originally written to be a command-line interface program that has received a GUI over time. Javascript limitations have resulted in some limitations in GUI mode, such as the inability to change anything on the base layer of the keyboard, but it does offer a much easier means of customization for the average end user than typing something in CMD, of course. Knowing the source of the drivers explains why GK6XPlus looks and feels much more rooted in English than most from an Asian brand, although the provided resources, or lack thereof, are also evidenced by the poor user experience behind that polished look when they pushed it to support the various recent Skyloong keyboards, including this Epomaker Lite, as well as the GK61 V3 or GK61S. Some of this is also due to poor scaling with high DPI displays, with the software drivers stuck at a resolution of 1200x900. I turned my 4K display down to 1080p to make the most use of it, which also made recording the walkthrough seen below easier because it isn't tiny.

Sadly, nothing has changed since the last couple of times I have used it, and it was again a frustrating experience. Epomaker tells me they are working on improving the software, so let's see when that happens. At this time, there is no detailed user manual specific to the Epomaker Lite; however, the generic GK61 manual linked to earlier should suffice. By default, the first layer can't be re-programmed, but the other layers are fair play. The Driver 1 layer is for programmed functions that are too large to be saved on the device; it requires the driver to be running in the background. Key mapping is also not that hard to achieve, with virtual keyboards and options to choose from and blinking action items to save any made changes. I still think everything else might as well be thrown into the bin and created from scratch. While the many files and configurations over several updates ensure the many keyboards are supported, they definitely do add to the confusion. LE (presumably "Light Effect") files are available, but here too customization is a mirage unless you create your own, which constitutes a line-by-line entry that is way more complicated than it has any right to be. Macros are a slight improvement, but the pre-recorded ones are questionable in their implementation and naming, with a recorder that is adequate. Here too it is an issue of remnants from older versions making up the questionable base to which others are added for a more up-to-date appearance. I really want to see this revamped heavily, as Epomaker keyboards are being let down by the software experience all the more now, and this is made worse by the likes of Akko coming out with a brand-new software solution that is easier to use and better organized.