I was having a hard time finding the Sharkoon SKILLER SGK30 for sale in the US, which is the market we base pricing on since most companies tend to do the very same and it ends up as a great equalizer in the absence of the inclusion of the sales tax in the MSRP. As it turns out, the SGK30 is quite new and from a German brand that focuses on Europe a lot. Combine that with ongoing shipping issues galore and I did not want to wait to see what the US retail window is going to be like. Regardless, one thing is for certain—the keyboard is a great buy at the $50 price point I expect it will go for based on EU and UK pricing.

At $50, all the shortcomings get a smothering blanket to cover them. The feature set is quite large and one I dare say will cost close to twice as much from some larger brands. The biggest savings no doubt come from the switches, which I think Sharkoon could have done better. Heck, even TTC and Outemu provide better-feeling switches that are also more popularly used. The Huano Red switch on my sample is my first and hopefully last time with it. I know I am being harsh and that the first-time user will still be satisfied, but unless these are significantly cheaper to buy than others, I urge Sharkoon to look elsewhere next time around. At this price point, I can easily excuse the lack of any lubrication anywhere and the laser-etched ABS keycaps. It is only the budget Asian brands, such as Aukey, that somehow squeeze in PBT doubleshot injected keycaps for around the same price point, but they generally let down in terms of the software experience owing to language barriers.

Speaking of which, Sharkoon provides a lightweight software interface that works quite well and allows for lots of customization on lighting and key mapping alike. I would have liked to see some form of per-key lighting control beyond the preset options, but there are plenty of light shows to choose from here. It is fairly bright owing to the thin keycaps and the LEDs which are closer. Key mapping and macro recording is as detailed as I'd personally like and even goes a couple of steps further, which is always appreciated. You can also create software profiles and associate them with programs for further customization, and most of the base controls are available onboard the device, too. Sharkoon has also added some pre-programmed functions, including media playback and volume control. For $50, you'd be hard-pressed to find something better with a similar feature set.