Performance

The Kinesis Gaming Freestyle Edge supports N-key rollover USB (NKRO), which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Out of the box, it comes with 6KRO selected, and using Fn + F10 has it switch over to NKRO mode. Switch Hitter also confirmed no chatter with these keys.


When first connected, the keyboard lights up in a static lighting mode on level 5 brightness (out of nine and off). Onboard controls allow you to change the brightness level via SmartSet + LED (next to Fn) and the number keys 1–9. You can also select 0 to disable key backlighting, P for the pitch black mode referenced previously, and B for breathing mode. One of the changes the new firmware brought with it was a lowering of the brightness associated with level 1, so note that these are not all equal steps. At 100%, the keyboard is very brightly lit, which even has the legends located underneath the primary ones well backlit. At the default level of 5, you can see a clear difference in the backlighting of the two legend sets, however.

Turns out that level brightness change was not the only one the new firmware brought along, albeit the other was done inadvertently. Above is the keyboard's breathing mode with the new firmware, and notice how the change is a lot more subtle and slower and does not go through the entire spectrum. Kinesis is aware of this and will address this issue in a new firmware update. I can confirm that this keyboard's breathing mode worked as intended before the firmware update, so be aware of this and stick to the default firmware if you absolutely must have this working.

Using the keyboard is not an immediate switch-and-play task, especially if you have been used to the more common single-piece keyboards all your life. Give this 2–3 weeks at the very least before making a decision, as I too struggled initially despite having used a split keyboard before. Kinesis Gaming had to make some choices in the design that affect the user experience—where exactly to split the keyboard, whether to use staggered keys or ortholinear columns, and even on the location of the extra buttons in relation to others. In what is closer to a 75% form factor than TKL, you might not agree with all the choices made. For example, I think I might have personally preferred a smaller escape key and the Y on the left half, but then I might also not like the similar gap in other rows on the right half. There are also trains of thought regarding the use of ortholinear columns for ergonomic keyboards, as well as employing something smaller than even this ~75% form factor, but by going with staggered keys and a layout more familiar to the average user, Kinesis has ensured users have an easier time adapting to the Freestyle Edge as well. Note also that the brand and product target gamers with a marketing feature calling out for the product to be a gamepad as well as a keyboard. The various examples they have provided to illustrate how to take advantage of the split keyboard layout go beyond just ergonomics by adding in functionality for streamers, gamers, and casual users alike.

Credit must also be given to the extensive onboard controls provided, to where you can do nearly everything the SmartSet App configurator allows for without even going that far. There are some functions the configurator simply does better and faster—key remapping in particular, where Fn is only remappable via the configurator, as well as macro recording and editing. But by having the option on top of the app built into the device and the ability to directly program in other options via the text files in the v-Drive folder, Kinesis Gaming is making sure there is no subset of the user base left wanting. If there was a thing I would want them to do differently, it is to include the lift kit, or at least a version thereof now that we know a variant is in development, with the keyboard. It really makes a world of a difference to the user experience, and while I appreciate the modularity of allowing users to buy what they want, a case can also be made about a package that should have included it in the first place rather than as additional, split-off content.


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 Freestyle Edge sample at ~85 WPM. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out here given the linear nature of the switch and the relatively lighter spring. The recent batches of the Cherry MX Red have improved upon the previous ones via a new mold, which has resulted in a smoother slider travel, and I particularly felt it here compared to the older Cherry ML switches used for the four buttons on the right half. I have no complaints with the MX Red switches with their excellent consistency in actuation force (44.82 gf vs ~45 rated) and travel across 20 switches I tested at random.