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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 12, 2026

XVX M98 vs Royal Kludge RK96

Get the XVX M98 for the 8,000 mAh battery. Get the Royal Kludge RK96 for knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

XVX M98

Battery

Build quality in the top 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

Royal Kludge RK96

Knob

Build quality in the top 40% 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.

XVX M98

Royal Kludge RK96

  • Battery

    8,000 mAh

    3,750 mAh

    A larger battery means fewer cables during the day

  • Switch options

    Linear

    Clicky, Linear, Tactile

  • Mount style

    Gasket Mount

    PCB Mount

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

  • Display

    LED

    None

    A case display rather than a typing feature

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • XVX M98
  • Royal Kludge RK96
Performance
61
66
Build quality
66
69
Productivity
77
91
Customizability
67
78
Portability
64
54

What they share

  • Layout size: 96%
  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: Plastic
  • Sound dampening
  • Keycaps: ABS
See every spec side by side

Full specs

XVX M98 vs Royal Kludge RK96 specs

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

12 of 24 specs differ

XVX M98

Royal Kludge RK96

Typing & switches

Switch options

Linear
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount
PCB Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

96%
96%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

LED
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

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

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

8,000 mAhBetter
3,750 mAh

USB passthrough

No
Yes

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Plastic
Plastic

Plate material

Plastic
—

Keycaps

ABS
ABS

Weight

1,140 g
1,500 g

Dimensions

36 x 408 x 142 mm
38 x 124 x 38 mm

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
RGB

Firmware & software

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2022

Where to buy

Compare prices

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

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

XVX M982 stores

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