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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 12, 2026

Keychron R5 vs Skyloong GK96

Get the Keychron R5 for qmk.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron R5

QMK

Build quality in the bottom 50% of 96% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.

Get the

Skyloong GK96

Build quality in the top 50% of 96% boards under $100.

What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

Keychron R5

Skyloong GK96

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Bluetooth, Wired, 2.4 GHz

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Case material

    ABS

    ABS, Plastic

  • Switch options

    Linear, Tactile

    Clicky, Linear, Tactile

  • Mount style

    Plate Mount

    Gasket Mount

  • QMK

    Yes

    No

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron R5
  • Skyloong GK96
Performance
79
61
Build quality
63
63
Productivity
83
51
Customizability
78
68
Portability
54
48

What they share

  • Layout size: 96%
  • Hot-swappable
  • Battery: 4,000 mAh
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron R5 vs Skyloong GK96 specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

12 of 21 specs differ

Keychron R5

Skyloong GK96

Typing & switches

Switch options

Linear, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

96%
96%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
No

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, Wired, 2.4 GHz

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

4,000 mAh
4,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
No

Build & materials

Case material

ABS
ABS, Plastic

Plate material

Plastic
—

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
RGB

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
No

Extras

Released

2026
2022

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

Keychron R52 stores

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