The buying checklist
- MX stems, normal height (the RK84 is not low profile)
- 75%/84-key coverage; sets sold for Keychron K2 style boards fit the RK84's sizes as well
- Shine-through legends if you use the RGB heavily; the stock ABS caps are shine-through and cheap-feeling, which is why most owners upgrade
North-facing note
Most RK84 units have north-facing sockets, where strict Cherry-profile caps can interfere on some switches, and Royal Kludge has shipped several revisions over the years. OEM or XDA profile sidesteps the issue on any revision; or test a single Cherry cap before committing to a full set.
Best-value upgrade
A mid-range double-shot PBT set transforms this budget board more than any other change: better texture, better sound, legends that never fade. It is the classic first upgrade for RK84 owners for good reason.
Pudding caps: why this board loves them
Pudding keycaps, with opaque tops and translucent skirts, are the community's favorite pairing for budget RGB boards like the RK84 for a simple reason: the lighting is bright and per-key, and pudding skirts turn it into an even glow instead of pinpricks. They also sidestep the usual budget shine-through problem where the legend layer looks grainy when lit. Two practical notes: pudding sets are almost always OEM-ish in height, which conveniently avoids the north-facing interference issue, and the common doubleshot versions have legends that never wear. If you bought the RK84 partly for the lighting, this is the upgrade that makes the lighting look intentional rather than leaky.
Variants do not change the answer
Royal Kludge has sold the RK84 in wired, wireless tri-mode, and hot-swap versions, across several colorways and production years. None of that affects keycaps: the layout and the MX stems are the same across variants, so any set that fits one RK84 fits them all, and your caps carry over if you later swap the board's switches or move to another standard 75% board. The one thing worth double-checking on secondhand units is that a previous owner has not already mixed in odd-sized caps; count the right column and check the right Shift against the kit map if a used listing's photos look off.
Living with the stock caps
If you keep the stock ABS caps, expect visible shine on WASD and the home row within months of daily use; it is cosmetic and harmless. Washing caps in warm soapy water and letting them dry fully overnight keeps grime from accelerating the polish, but nothing reverses shine once it appears. The community advice is blunt: do not invest effort maintaining the stock set, and once you do upgrade, keep the originals in a drawer as a complete spare kit. They stay useful for resale, since buyers like receiving a board with its original parts, and as donors if you ever crack or lose a cap from the new set.