Natec Genesis RX85 RGB Mechanical Keyboard Review with Kailh Brown switches

Genesis was a completely unknown brand to me until they reached out, however they have been established since 2012 and appear to be a popular brand in their native country Poland.

They have kindly sent me Genesis RX85 RGB Mechanical Keyboard to review which is a full-sized keyboard based on Kailh Brown switches featuring media control and an armrest.

Features & Design

This is a full-sized keyboard with 104 keys and a media control knob. It comes packaged with a wrist rest and the cabling has a premium look and feel thanks to braiding.

There is no raised lip around the end of the keyboard, this leaves the keys raised quite high exposing as much of the LEDs as possible. I am indifferent towards the RGB craze, but I like this design as it makes cleaning the keyboard a little easier, dust and other bits are less likely to get trapped around the keys and it is easier to brush them out.

There are 20 different lighting modes in total – 8 default, 10 dedicated to games and a couple of custom options.

It has a US layout so there is a $ but no £. My current Logitech keyboard is US, and I have had no issues with it, but this has some different key placements in comparison. The enter key is on one row but double-width, this then moves the placement of the # to above the enter key.

I have used my Logitech for so long that I had to double-check other keyboard designs, most have a double heigh enter key, but Gigabyte AORUS, ASUS ROG and a few others use this layout. It is not a major issue once you get used to it, but I know some people can be funny about key placement and size. The Genesis Thor and Rhod keyboards all use the double heigh enter.

Kailh Brown vs Cherry MX Brown

I have never used brown switches before and they feel quite unusual at first. There is no clickiness but there is a moderate amount of tactile feedback.

I have the Logitech G610 with Cherry MX Brown and they feel quite different from each other.

• Cheery brown has an actuation force of 45±20gf and pre-travel 2.0±0.6mm
• Kailh Brown has an actuation force of 60±10gf and pre-travel of 2.0±0.6mm

The increased actuation required to press these and the deeper pitched sound give them a more spongy feel at first, and switching between the two felt quite off. At first, I didn’t like it, then I did. The lower-pitched noise the Kailh will be good for environments where you want to keep the noise down. I am quite an aggressive typer so it can be a bit noisy when typing on my Logitech.

It is worth noting, that in the past Kailh was regarded as the cheap low-quality alternative to Cherry MX, but it would appear their reputation has improved considerably, and many people regard them as being just as good.

Performance

One I got used to the brown switches the keyboard performed well, and both typing and gaming was a pleasant experience on it. I think I still prefer the Cherry MX brown, but I have been using my current keyboard for years and this is a subjective choice.

I found my typing speeds were quite fast with this, my gaming skills are questionable at the best of times so I can’t really comment on how it affected them. Getting used to the enter key took some time, but again, this is just different to what I am used to.

I like the fact there is a volume knob, I hate virtual media keys, or having to press down on a button to change the volume. The one downside is that there is no pause and skip buttons. You can press the knob which will mute but not pause media.

RGB & Software

You don’t need to install any software to change the RGB, you can cycle through the profiles using the buttons next to the volume knob. This includes all the RGB profiles you have probably experienced in the past.

Using the software you can set up different profiles, and within each profile, you can remap your keys, set up macros and change the USB report rate.

You can then also, of course, set the lighting to how you want it. Lighting customisations are limited compared to some keyboard options I have used, and the software, in general, is more basic than others, but it works with no issues.

Overall

In general, this is an excellent keyboard, it ticks most of the boxes you want from a mechanical keyboard and having physical volume control is always a big plus.

The biggest issue I have is the complete lack of UK availability, which makes comparing this to other keyboards a little hard. I have found one place selling it, and that is for €88.38 which is about £75. At this price point, there are quite a lot of options, the HyperX Alloy FPS Mechanical Keyboards costs between £60 and £90 depending on which model you choose and use either Cherry Red, Blue or Kailh Silver Speed. There is also the Corsair Compact K63 for around £72. There is also the Thermaltake Premium X1 RGB for £89 on Amazon.

If you really want brown switches, then this is one of the better-priced models with the EVGA Z10 being the cheapest alternative at £100.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

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