In the market of mechanical keyboards, the Epomaker S68 stands out as a board packed with value.
This board, in a compact yet efficient 65% layout, delivers more than you would expect for such a low price.
Lets dive into the details of the S68 so you can know more about the features, price, and why we think it is a great deal.
The Verdict
For a mechanical keyboard, Epomaker’s S68 is fantastic for the price under $50.
The S68 is a great gateway into the mechanical keyboard world being a big improvement over any membrane offering.
There are plenty of other mechanical offerings in this price range but Epomaker delivers an arguably better layout with an efficient 65% form factor and more functionality.
At this price point the fact that there is a board with wireless connectivity at this price point. In addition to the wireless, the board has good stabilizers, attractive keycaps, and an overall decent case.
One interesting thing about the S68 is its similarity to another great budget board in this space, the Royal Kludge RK68. They share all the same features, a similar design, and the only major difference is the switches.
Let’s see if the S68 If you are looking for a mechanical keyboard under $50 then this is probably one of if not, the best boards on the market at the price point.
You can find the Epomaker S68 on Amazon for a great price.
If you also want to see other budget offerings, check out our best budget gaming keyboard article.
In The Box
The S68 comes in a nice cyan colored cardboard box.
Inside the box, you get the board wrapped in a plastic wrap and held into place by a piece of cardboard around the board holding it into place.
In addition to the keyboard you get:
Keyboard User Manual: The manual will walk you through the basic things that you need to know for the keyboard like RGB lighting, macros, keys on different layers, and more. It is very useful.
Detachable Cable: The cable in the box is the same color and the board, either white or black at 1.5m or 4.9ft. This cable is essential to charge the battery or use the board in wired mode.
Wire Keycap Puller: This tool is great if you want to take off the keycaps for any reason. You can easily take off the keycaps to clean them or replace them. The wire design is great because it won’t scratch the sides of the keycaps like a plastic one will.
Build Quality
The build of the S68 looks quite nice and clean.
The case is made from semi-thick plastic. It is pretty sturdy and it definitely won’t break easily.
On the front right side, there is the Epomaker logo although it isn’t obnoxious and actually looks pretty cool. There is a small recessed area along both sides to give the board a more aesthetic which makes it look a bit more interesting.
The paint looks pretty good considering it is on the budget end with a matte look. When buying the board you can choose between either white or black to suit your preference and setup better.
There is a slight angle on the case to achieve a slightly more ergonomic typing experience. One issue with the case though is that there are no flip-out feet for another layer of adjustment.
This isn’t terrible for most people as the angle isn’t that bad but for those who want a more aggressive typing angle, you may not enjoy this as much.
On the rear of the board, there is a slightly recessed USB C port directly in the middle. It is great to see USB C because it is a lot better than the mini or micro USB offerings on other boards that have a specific way that you must plug in the cable.
The fact that such a budget board has a removable cable is great because it can improve portability and give you more customizability. If you ever want to use a custom cable you should have no issue.
Overall the build is great for the budget.
The only downside would be the lack of angle adjustment but it isn’t terrible because the preset angle isn’t bad.
The Keycaps
The keycaps come in the same color as the board, either white or black, with shine through legends allowing the RGB lighting to illuminate the letters.
The legends are doubleshot, meaning they are great for long term durability and provide great visibility while typing at night.
Below the main legends are sub legends to show a second layer. This is a great way to show that keys do without requiring the user to reference the manual.
The keycaps are made from decently thin ABS plastic which tends to wear down over time. Usually, ABS keycaps will collect more oils and grease from hands or other things but with the S68 this isn’t as bad of an issue.
For being ABS they do feel better than the usual ABS caps on pre-built boards. Regardless a PBT option would have been preferred for better durability and resistance to oils.
If you are interested, you can read more about the differences between ABS and PBT keycaps.
The keycaps are OEM profile, which is the design and height for most mechanical keyboards. The top of the keycaps are sculpted so your fingers can rest nicely on the caps.
This provides a more comfortable typing experience.
The Switches
Most keyboards in the budget category with Outemu switches. The S68 is no different.
Unlike the Royal Kludge offering with lesser-known TTC switches, Epomaker gives you three switch options from Outemu.
Outemu Blue: A loud and clicky switch. A great option for typing alone.
Outemu Brown: A tactile switch with a slight bump, great for gaming and working.
Outemu Red: A linear switch that has no bump but is instead smooth until bottoming out. It is great for gaming but you may also like it for general typing.
Outemu is a pretty decent option considering it is at a budget price. For the price, they deliver performance. Outemu is a great place for those just starting to get a mechanical keyboard and don’t want to spend too much money.
From my experience of using Outemu blues, they are pretty similar in performance to comparable offerings from Cherry and Gateron. For their other options like reds and browns, Cherry and Gateron are smoother and provide an arguably better sound but they do cost more.
For someone who just wants a keyboard for its essential purpose, you won’t notice any of this and Outemu is still great.
The major downside of Outemu switches is their lifespan. Their switches won’t last as long as an offering from Cherry but they are still rated for 50 million keystrokes.
All the switches are great for the price and Outemu switches do provide a better experience then a lot of the other lower end switches.
The Stabilizers
Typically budget keyboards are expected to have stabilizers that are rattily, creaky, and and feel over all really bad.
Surprisingly the stabilizers on the S68 are actually quite good.
They are pretty smooth and stable. The spacebar and larger keys were pretty satisfying to press. Overall it is pretty great to see keyboards where the stabilizers aren’t overlooked.
If you want to improve the stabilizers a bit more then you can lube the stabilizers. This is recommended to make them quieter and smoother.
This will require you to take some time to learn how to lube them and then actually do so, but this shouldn’t be a concern for the DIY crowd.
The Features
RGB
The RGB on the board looks quite good.
Many budget mechanical keyboards have backlighting but it is not per switch or there is a single effect. The S68 instead delivers a good RGB experience.
There are up to 17 different lighting effects with options to change speed and brightness.
RGB is a great way to add to the theme of your setup and to see the legends of your board easily, even in the dark.
Wireless Connectivity
A feature that stands out the most on the S68 is wireless connectivity through Bluetooth.
You can connect the board through Bluetooth to as many as five devices which is really surprising.
Most higher-end boards only support up to three devices at a moment. The S68 allows you to connect to five.
The board only uses Bluetooth 3.0 which means it isn’t super fast but it is good for typing. If gaming the wired mode is recommended.
For the battery life, it isn’t amazing but it will most likely be able to get you through the day with RGB lighting on. Before you leave your setup for the night just simply plug it in.
Overall the fact that this board has connectivity via Bluetooth is very rare in the mechanical market under $50.
Conclusion
There are few 65% mechanical keyboards in the budget category but the Epomaker S68 is one of the best options.
This keyboard is compact but still provides a lot of important utility making it efficient. It comes with dedicated arrow keys but removes the function row, number pad, and navigation cluster.
The RGB is very vibrant especially with shine through keycaps. They can make your setup look better and help you while working during the day and gaming through the night.
In addition to all this, the S68 also includes wireless connectivity which is very surprising to see on such a cheap offering.
Overall the board fantastic and the only improvements that really could be made are adding flip-out feet for adjustment and using PBT keycaps rather than ABS.
The only other offering that comes close in features and performance for the price is the Royal Kludge RK68. Both companies sell almost the same board. The only major difference is the switches as Epomaker uses a better option of Outemu over TTC.
Regardless of all this, this board is packed with value and those looking for something in the $50 range should definitely consider this option.
You can find this board on Amazon with multiple switch options.
Happy Typing!