Royal Kludge R99 vs S988K Polling or Display and Knob?
Choose the R99 for its 8000 Hz polling and 10000mAh battery, or the S98 for its TFT display, knob, and USB pass-through.
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from$89at Royal Kludge
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Which one should you get?
Get the
Royal Kludge R99
Battery
Build quality in the top 45% of 100% boards under $100.
- 100% layout with a dedicated numpad.
- 8000 Hz polling rate and vendor-described SOCD support.
- 10000mAh battery.
Get the
Royal Kludge S98
Knob
Build quality in the top 35% of 96% boards under $100.
- 96% layout retains a numpad in a more compact arrangement.
- TFT display and knob for on-keyboard controls.
- Built-in USB pass-through port.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Pick the R99 if gaming features, a standard 100% layout, and its 10000mAh battery matter most. Choose the S98 if you prefer a tighter numpad layout and will use its TFT display, knob, or USB pass-through. For replacement keycaps on the S98, account for its south-facing LEDs and compact layout.
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.
Royal Kludge R99
Royal Kludge S98
Layout size
100%
96%
Battery
10,000 mAh
3,750 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Mount style
Gasket Mount
Gasket Mount, Top Mount
Knob
No
Yes
Display
None
TFT
A case display rather than a typing feature
- Royal Kludge R99
- Royal Kludge S98
- Performance
- 8565
- Build quality
- 6072
- Productivity
- 7782
- Customizability
- 6072
- Portability
- 6353
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Switch options: Linear, Tactile
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The R99 is the gaming-focused pick here, with its specified 8000 Hz polling rate and SOCD support, and it has the travel edge based on its lower listed weight and larger battery. The S98 takes the office, programming, modding, and content-creation picks, combining a compact numpad layout with a display, knob, USB pass-through, and more mounting options. For buyers who want a conventional full-size layout and prioritize wireless battery capacity, the R99 remains a clear alternative. Both offer the same broad connection modes and hot-swappable switch support.
Pick the Royal Kludge R99
- The R99 lists an 8000 Hz polling rate, while the S98 has no polling rate specified in its product metadata.
- Royal Kludge describes the R99 with SOCD support for competitive gaming.
- Both keyboards offer 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired connectivity.
Royal Kludge R99 vs S98 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
10 of 20 specs differ
Royal Kludge R99
Royal Kludge S98
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB passthrough
USB-C
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Backlight
Mac & Windows
Released
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Royal Kludge R99 vs S98: your questions
The R99 is a 100% keyboard with an 8000 Hz polling rate and a 10000mAh battery. The S98 uses a 96% layout and adds a TFT display, a knob, and USB pass-through.
Yes, the R99's product specifications list an 8000 Hz polling rate. Royal Kludge also describes SOCD support and response times as low as 0.125ms.
Yes, the S98 has a TFT display. Royal Kludge says it can show information such as battery status and connection mode, as well as custom GIFs.
Both include a numpad. The R99 is listed as a 100% layout, while the S98 has a compact 96% layout that keeps the numpad but removes the gaps of a full-size board.
The R99 has a listed 10000mAh battery, while the S98 has a 3750mAh battery. Royal Kludge advertises up to 200 hours of S98 use with the backlight off.
Both support Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless, and wired connections. The R99 vendor page specifies Bluetooth 5.0, and the S98 vendor page also specifies Bluetooth 5.0.
Yes, both keyboards are listed as hot-swappable. Royal Kludge says the R99 PCB supports 3-pin and 5-pin switches, while the S98 product description says switches can be changed without soldering.
The S98 includes a built-in USB pass-through port in addition to its Type-C port. Its product listing describes the pass-through as USB 2.0.
The S98 uses south-facing LEDs, and its compatibility notes warn that shine-through legends stay dark. Some sculpted keycaps may also clip the LEDs.
The S98 is listed as a 96% layout, not a standard 100% layout. It retains the numpad in a compact arrangement, with fewer gaps than a conventional full-size board.
The R99 is listed at 1600g, while the S98 is listed at 1879g. Both are large keyboards with numpads, so the R99's lower weight does not make either a compact travel keyboard.
Both are hot-swappable and support linear and tactile switch types. The S98 lists top-mount and gasket-mount styles and ABS and PBT keycap materials, while the R99 lists a gasket mount and its vendor describes 3-pin and 5-pin switch support.
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