Lighting and Performance

The Sharkoon SKILLER SGK30 supports N-key rollover USB, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and as is usually the case with mechanical keyboards these days, the right Windows keys is replaced by an Fn key that actually is denoted by a special Sharkoon keycap.

When first powered on with or without the software running, the keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave effect. The light effect is good for making sure all LEDs are up and running, and a visual indicator that the keyboard is recognized and working well.


The various lighting effects are all stored on the keyboard itself, and keyboard shortcuts allow us to toggle through them even without the software running. This includes a multi-color mode that helps test for light bleed, of which there was hardly any here owing to the two-piece plastic construction and dark base plate. Seen above is also one of the custom lighting effects configured to different game genres, and then I used the software to set all keys to white since that is not possible without it. This was done to test for color fidelity since RGB LEDs have a harder time putting out white than just white LEDs, and we see that the white actually has a light green hue to it, which is strange. Typically, it ends up being a warmer (pink) or cooler (blue) white, so it may be that the lack of dedicated hardware LED drivers is hurting, in combination with perhaps the need for some keyboard firmware tweaks.

Here is a look at a couple of other onboard lighting effects of the SKILLER SGK30. The hardware controls are pretty decent in this regard since there are not a lot of options to choose from regardless, and you would go to the software mostly for specific colors or speed/brightness steps in addition to associating an effect with a profile.


This is taken from the manual directly and shows the various pre-programmed functions. Most of these are for the backlighting, but some are functional, including the media playback and volume controls with the Fn key row. There is a safety blanket in the form of a factory reset here, as well as a Win lock toggle. The latter is usually associated with gaming as it prevents accidentally tabbing out of a game. Adding to this is the option to swap the WASD and arrow keys for functionality, but why do it on the keyboard instead of just using WASD or any other combination for movement in-game! Further customization takes us back to the software interface, which has per-key remapping and software profiles for more control over the keyboard, be it for typing (maybe a change of scene from QWERTY?) or macros for games and other programs. Otherwise, the Sharkoon SKILLER SGK30 is a fairly standard full-size keyboard that is available in several language layouts, which no doubt pleases many readers longing for something other than just US ANSI or the occasional International ISO.


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 SKILLER SGK30 keyboard sample at ~105 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Huano Red switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out often given the springs of comparatively force are used, but it also hurt each time I did. I know Sharkoon had to work with a budget here, but man these switches and stabilizers paired with the thin ABS keycaps are not the best to type on. The space bar rattles, the switches are some of the scratchiest, and the ping off that plastic insert on the steel plate is really the only counter to a high-pitched metallic downstroke. The switches are MX Red clones, but make the MX Red seem like a luxury item by comparison.