Keychron V3 vs Royal Kludge RK61TKL or Wireless
Choose the Keychron V3 for its TKL layout and QMK customization, or the Royal Kludge RK61 if wireless connectivity and a compact, lighter board matter more.
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4.9 (17)4.9 · 17 reviews
from$54at Keychron
No reviews
from$49at Royal Kludge
90-day lowLowest price in 90 days
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron V3
Knob
Build quality in the top 5% of 80% boards under $100.
- 80% TKL layout with a function row.
- QMK firmware, VIA support, and Keychron Launcher for remapping and macros.
- Hot-swappable sockets support 3-pin and 5-pin MX switches, according to Keychron.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No numpad.
Get the
Royal Kludge RK61
Build quality in the bottom 15% of 60% boards under $50.
- Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless, and wired connectivity.
- 500 g weight and compact 60% layout.
- Hot-swappable switches, with the vendor specifying support for 3-pin and 5-pin switches.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
- Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or numpad.
For a primary desk keyboard, choose the Keychron V3 if you want a TKL layout, QMK/VIA customization, and a programmable knob. Pick the Royal Kludge RK61 if lower weight and Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz connectivity take priority over dedicated keys and deeper customization. Check the RK61's 60% layout and ANSI-only listing before buying if you rely on ISO keys or dedicated arrows.
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 V3
Royal Kludge RK61
Layout size
80%
60%
Connection
Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Knob
Yes
No
Weight
1,360 g
500 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
QMK
Yes
No
The deep option when you want to remap every key
- Keychron V3
- Royal Kludge RK61
- Performance
- 9156
- Build quality
- 8851
- Productivity
- 9869
- Customizability
- 9858
- Portability
- 5888
- Hot-swappable
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- Keycaps: ABS, PBT
What will you mostly use it for?
The V3 leads for gaming, office work, programming, modding, and content creation, mainly through its larger layout and more extensive customization features. The RK61 is the travel pick because it is lighter, smaller, and supports wireless connections. Both are hot-swappable and offer linear, tactile, and clicky switch types, so switch category alone does not separate them. Consider the RK61's compact layout carefully if dedicated arrow or function keys are important to your workflow.
Pick the Keychron V3
- The V3 has a 1000 Hz polling rate listed in its vendor specifications.
- Its 80% TKL layout includes more dedicated keys than the RK61's compact 60% layout.
- The V3 offers south-facing RGB lighting, while the RK61 listing specifies no RGB.
Keychron V3 vs Royal Kludge RK61 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
13 of 27 specs differ
Keychron V3
Royal Kludge RK61
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Keychron V3
- Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
In stockShips to you
- Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
In stockDoes not ship to you
Royal Kludge RK61
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron V3 vs Royal Kludge RK61: your questions
The Keychron V3 is a wired 80% TKL keyboard with QMK/VIA support and a programmable knob. The Royal Kludge RK61 is a lighter 60% keyboard with Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless, so the right choice depends mainly on layout and connectivity needs.
No, the V3 is listed as wired only. Its vendor specifications describe wired USB-C connectivity and a 1000 Hz polling rate.
Yes, the RK61 supports Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless, and wired connectivity. The vendor also describes it as suitable for multi-device connection.
The Royal Kludge RK61 is the more portable option in the listed specifications, weighing 500 g with a 60% layout. The Keychron V3 is an 80% TKL keyboard and is listed at 1360 g.
No, the Keychron V3 has no numpad. Its 80% TKL layout retains a function row, but not a numeric keypad.
The RK61 compatibility notes specify that it has no dedicated arrow keys. Its vendor description says the arrow-key function is accessed with FN + Enter.
The V3 is the stronger fit if you want QMK firmware, VIA support, and a function row in an 80% TKL layout. The RK61 has a compact 60% layout and the vendor describes arrow keys as a function combination.
Yes, both keyboards are listed as hot-swappable. Keychron specifies that V3 sockets accept 3-pin and 5-pin MX switches, and Royal Kludge also describes 3-pin and 5-pin switch support.
The V3 supports QMK and VIA, and Keychron describes its Launcher web app as a way to remap keys and create macros. The vendor says to connect the keyboard in wired mode to use Launcher.
Yes, the V3 has south-facing RGB lighting. Keychron says the assembled configuration uses non-shine-through PBT keycaps, so the legends are not designed to shine through.
The RK61 compatibility notes list ANSI only and specify that ISO layouts such as ISO-DE and ISO-UK are not offered. The V3 metadata lists several ISO layout options.
The RK61 is the more travel-oriented choice based on its 500 g weight, 60% layout, and wireless connectivity options. The V3 is larger, heavier, and wired only.
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