Packaging and Accessories

I like the packaging for the RK84, especially with the angled two-tone design employing orange and black colors. The orange section on the front has a minimalist render of the keyboard in white, and the black section has the company name as well as a mention of there being a keyboard inside, as if it was not obvious. The back and sides have a similar design, now with a larger render of the entire keyboard as well as QR codes leading you to the company website and product manual. We get certification information on the side too, along with more specific information about the sample. A double flap in the middle keeps the contents in place during transit.


Opening the box, we immediately see the keyboard inside a wax paper wrap for further protection along with the cardboard surround. The user manual is found on top of the keyboard and inside the same foam wrap for some reason. I'd rather see it underneath the assembly. It is only in English with some typos that don't hurt much, but do remember that this is not an English-first company no matter what the Las Vegas address on the website may lead you to believe. The manual is quite detailed in terms of going over all the pre-programmed functions, but I wish it would also talk about there being software support for the RK84, which is quite easy to miss if you don't look at the product page.


The other accessories are found in a separate compartment at the top, and three of the four sets come inside a plastic zip-lock bag each. The fourth one is a combination keycap puller and switch remover, and the better type employing a metal-wire keycap puller and metal prongs for the switch remover. In the middle is a plastic grip with the Royal Kludge logo on it. The metal wires are actually too close to each other and need to be physically separated to where they function properly, but this default setup does help with shipping at least.


Royal Kludge includes a matching cable for the keyboard that is white in this case. It goes from USB Type-A to Type-C in connectivity, which allows for the wired connection option of the RK84. There are also two add-on keyboard feet with magnets on the bottom, which no doubt helps install these. Finally, we get a set of four replacement RK Brown mechanical switches we will take a close look at on the next page.