Lighting and Performance

The Redragon K596 keyboard supports N-key rollover USB out of the box, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. We get the same NKRO with 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, and you can switch to 16KRO in the software if desired. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys. As per usual, the R. Win key is replaced by an Fn key here. Also, and without the drivers installed, G1–G10 end up duplicating F1–F10 functionally.

When first connected, regardless of whether the software is running or not, the keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave lighting effect. The transition animation is smooth and a good demo to ensure the keyboard is powered on and working properly. The side lighting is in the "Streamer" effect, which is effectively the same thing.


A preset mode allows multiple colors in a static effect on the keys, which helps test for light bleed. The non-floating keycaps and matte black everywhere result in barely any light bleed. The side lighting can be subtle, and it is only when viewed directly that we see the lights through the cutout properly. If you have a dark surface and the keyboard lit up at night with no other source of light around, it can be appreciated better. Lastly, I set the lighting throughout to a static white to test for color fidelity, and things are better than average with a relatively decent white that has a slight pink hue to it.

Here are some more of the lighting effects demonstrated, and as we saw before, there are a fair few to choose from. The used names are ridiculously hard to relate to for an English speaker, and I would have liked more control over the colors as well as some other options for the lighting effects, including direction of effect and better coordination of the side lighting effects.

Pretty much everything seen above can be done via onboard controls, and this is a good thing since all the software does is provide for a GUI for comparatively easier effect changes. Everything is saved on the device, and the instruction manual does an alright job of going over this. The language barrier is still present, however, but in addition to the lighting controls, the keyboard also allows on-the-fly macro recording and assignment, as well as some pre-programmed functions with the Fn keys, including redundant media playback and volume control, as well as some shortcuts to programs, including pulling up the default email client, search, and the calculator. This redundancy and software assignment being similar to another brand's offering we saw recently shows that Redragon took up a similar base before adding other things, including the extra keys and volume wheel.

It is these that help distinguish the Redragon K596 from most other keyboards today since you don't often see a TKL keyboard with so many extra keys. The idea works better in theory than practice as dimension are not that far off a 96% form factor that offers more keys as a result, though it still saves space compared to the typical full-size keyboard. As such, and especially considering this is marketed as a gaming keyboard, the extra 10 keys come in fairly handy, as do the key-assignment options for these. I do wish key mapping were possible on all the keys, but no one is going to buy this purely for typing, especially with the single linear switch option.

There are two connectivity modes—the typical wired mode using Type-C connectivity that is always nice to see and a wireless mode using a dedicated 2.4 GHz dongle. The latter works better than just Bluetooth for lower latency and also allows for a stronger signal through bottlenecks, including walls for whatever reason. The included 3000 mAh battery is bigger than average even for larger keyboards, though it's best to turn off the back and side lighting entirely since RGB lighting will eat that battery up like nothing else on the keyboard. With lighting turned off, again possible through a quick key combo, battery life comes in weeks to where I only charged it after deliberately draining the battery by leaving the lights on. Charging sadly takes forever, though, with the battery restricted to what appears to be 500 mA (USB 2) in charge mode. So it's an overnight affair, which is not a big deal since it is done once a month or so on average in general use, or in short segments when moving between wired and wireless modes.


As we discussed before, at the time of writing, the Redragon K596 is only available with the Redragon-branded Outemu Red switch. This is a linear switch that was originally a clone of the MX Red down to the design, but has since changed slightly with the walled column seen above. The rated specifications will be similar to most low-medium weight linear mechanical switches, with an actuation force of 45 gf at 2 mm and a total travel of 4 mm, although the peak force is actually closer to the Cherry MX Black than the MX Red, as testing from Input Club shows. What this means is that you don't bottom out with as much force as lighter switches, which results in slightly reduced downstroke noise. It's also quite smooth in travel, but I think there are much better switches to type on today. Outemu (Gaote) is a budget switch manufacturer, and these no doubt were used to hit a bottom line for the keyboard bill of materials.


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 Redragon K596 sample at ~95 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Outemu Red RGB switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out more often than not owing to the relatively lighter actuation switches this keyboard employs compared to my preference, but also did so purposefully now and then to show you that this keyboard ends up being quieter than usual here.