Lighting and Performance

The Genesis RX85 RGB supports N-key rollover USB out of the box, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and as with most modern keyboards, the expected Fn key replaces the R. Win key.

When first powered on and running, the keyboard lights up in a multi-color breathing effect, which is the default option without the software running. The transition animation is smooth, but faster than I'd like, and the effect is also a good demo to ensure the keyboard is powered on and working properly. Notice the red line at the top, and be aware that the keyboard is not set to 100% brightness by default as seen on the previous page.


Genesis has plenty of onboard controls over backlighting, so the software drivers are only needed for finer control or per-key custom lighting effects. The quick installation guide walks you through these, and the keyboard-specific secondary legends on the keycaps also help. I used a combination of the onboard controls and software to try and see what that red line was all about. As it turned out, a set of red LEDs associated with the daughter PCBs reflect outward on that side, including on the frosted white plastic around the volume wheel. This is a weird implementation, one that can be distracting with certain static colors. Take that white, for example, which I sought to use to test for color fidelity. It is tainted by the red at the top to where it's not a controlled test anymore. I am not sure why Genesis had this going on, and there is no easy way to turn it off, either. Testing for color bleed also involved using the custom effect and manually choosing a color for different keycaps, whereby there's not much light bleed courtesy the darker frame with the brushed matte finish and choice of background color. Seen above is a rainbow wave effect Genesis calls the "Prismo effect," and it has a dedicated key combination shortcut, while the others have to be toggled through using other key shortcuts.

The onboard functionality goes beyond just backlighting, with the Genesis RX85 having more shortcuts via an Fn layer tied to the function key row. It includes media playback and volume control, again on top of the dedicated wheel, as well as some other shortcuts to pull up commonly used programs, including the default email client, browser home page, and a calculator. There is no on-the-fly macro recording or key mapping without the software drivers, which work well enough with three profiles for different typing layouts or even program/game-specific macros tied to any of the 104 mechanical keys. The other two buttons alongside the volume wheel allow you to turn Game Mode on, which deactivates the Win key and turns backlighting on/off easily. This is otherwise a full-size keyboard with the expected functionality of one, including the integrated numpad for those who need it.


The Kailh (Kaihua) Brown switch is the only one this keyboard is available in, and it is similar to the more popular Cherry MX Brown switch in that both are medium-force tactile switches. What does make it differ from the Cherry MX Brown is that it has a rated tactile peak force of 55 gf, as opposed to 45 gf for the Cherry MX Brown, although Genesis is claiming a 55 gf actuation force. Similarly, its actuation and bottoming-out forces are 5 gf higher each (42 vs. 37 and 60 vs. 55 gf) than the Cherry MX Brown switch. Everything else is identical as both have a ~2 mm actuation distance, 2.2 mm pre-travel, and a total travel distance of 4 mm with gold-plated crosspoints to minimize metal oxidation. The tactile bump isn't very pronounced, which it also shares with the Cherry equivalent, so those wanting a more tactile experience may be disappointed. On the other side, this inadvertently becomes easier to imagine as a linear switch, and thus is more fitting for a gaming keyboard.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the Genesis RX85 keyboard sample at ~110 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Kailh Brown RGB switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile switches. I did bottom out more often than not, but you can certainly train yourself not to by paying attention to the tactile bump. The switches bottoming out is the primary sound signature, which in turn makes these sound very similar to analogous linear switches. The lack of lubed stabilizers, or even better-quality stabilizers, does take away from the typing experience for me, but the PBT keycaps help over the typically thin ABS ones. While some empty case reverberation is present, it would have certainly been much worse had a higher-profile case been used.