Redragon K580 VATA RGB LED Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Macro Keys & Dedicated Media Controls, Hot-Swappable Socket, Onboard Macro Recording (Blue Switches)

If you just want to get to the bottom line, this is it: this keyboard is phenomenal for what you're paying. If you don't care about brand names and don't want to pay the high premiums that the industry standards charge, just stop thinking about it and pull the trigger.I've been wanting to write this review for awhile. I've had this keyboard for over a year, and I'm typing on it right now. I bought it when my previous keyboard, a Redragon Indrah, had started to deteriorate on me (the switches were fine, but the LEDs started to fail. I didn't take great care of it, so I pin that on me). That keyboard was pretty good; it had full rgb, switches were good and it had macros and media keys. However, besides what I consider a premature failure, it had a large footprint, and it's looks weren't exactly to my preference. After considering more established options from Corsair, Logitech, etc., I decided it was better to save the money and buy the Vata since it seemed like an overall improvement over the Indrah at more or less the same price. I do not regret my decision in the slightest.Let's talk switches and feel first, since that's the most important part of the product. They feel great. They're blues on this keyboard, which is how I like it -- good actuation force, tactile, and oh so clicky. I don't have an insane amount of experience on other keyboards, so I'm no expert on the matter, but I usually prefer my keyboard over other keyboards I've tried. The main, direct comparisons I can offer are to that of Logitech's and Razer's (both newer and older) blues, and I can say for certain that this keyboard is easily on the same level. Cherry clones have come a long way. In most cases I've seen their performance nearly indistinguishable, and the Outemus on this board is no exception. If blues aren't your thing, I know they have the Vata in optical browns, but I can't exactly speak for those. The keycaps are probably the low point in this keyboard, but by no means are they bad. They have a slight amount of wobble, which may annoy those who are used to more premium offerings, but I find that to be a nitpick -- I don't even notice it. They larger issue with the keycaps is that they're the generic type with this "gamer" style font that you see on a lot of budget keyboards, so they don't look too unique or appealing, but more on that later. Overall, the feel is great, and I have no complaints.Now let's review the feature set. I honestly find this to be just as important as the feel just because I really like having my media keys and shortcuts. A fleshed out feature set on keyboards in this price range is pretty rare, but this keyboard punches the ticket. It has media keys, most importantly a physical volume rocker, which is a huge plus in my book. It has macro keys, that honestly I don't use too much, but they work fine. They have some shortcuts too, but frankly the one I find myself using the most is the calculator shortcut. You'd think this isn't something that substantial, but I honestly use it every time I need to use a calculator and I appreciate its inclusion immensely. Really, the only feature omitted that I would LOVE see is a USB passthrough for my Xbox controller or headphones. The other criticism I have is that the feel of the macros are subpar. They are made of this hard rubber material, and have a membrane feel to them. As I said previously, I don't use macros too much anyways, but I have to mention it. They're not awful, just okay. The media keys on the other hand have this clicky feel to them, which is great, and the volume rocker is pretty good. Maybe the steps could be more outspoken, but that's not an issue at all. The extra features for the Vata are absolutely solid, and it's frankly what makes this keyboard, in my opinion, stand above the rest in this price bracket. The last thing I have to mention is the software. The keyboard is mainly advertised as being able to change its configuration through key combinations, but the keyboard does have software on the Redragon website. Unfortunately it's pretty bad. I can't speak on it thoroughly because I only recently found out about it, but you can configure the macros from there, which I haven't done, as well as the LEDs. I'm not sure if you can customize the individual switch colors (my inclination is no), but you can customize the overall color of each of the effects. I have my keyboard one solid color, so it works fine for that. I have to say the functionality is not all there and the user experience isn't great.Finally let's go over the looks and build. Let me open with the chassis: it has a plastic backing with a metal front plate, which makes the keyboard extremely firm. Pretty much absent of any flex, and it has a pretty decent weight to it too. The pads are good, and it has the adjustable back legs to raise the keyboard, which is how I prefer to type. The footprint is slim for a full sized keyboard, which is great. Not bulky in the slightest, but still firm and solid. In terms of looks, I'd say this category is respectable. The frame has a matte finish, which is my preference over anything glossy or brushed. The switch LEDs are great. Unlike the Indrah, none of them have failed on me and they color match my other peripherals on the tee, given the same RGB values. They even have a LED strip on the side of the board which doesn't look bad, but you can't really customize through the software like you can with the switch LEDs, which is a bummer. They aren't too bright either, so they just get a pass from me. The main detractor for appearance on this keyboard are the aforementioned keycaps. They just look okay, and the aggressive but generic font does it no favors. They don't look bad, but I've seen these caps on so many other boards that it's just disappointing. Also, the light passthrough isn't the greatest. I wouldn't be complaining if they had that generic Arial-like font that so many keycap sets have since that seems to be the industry default. I know they wouldn't have cost more than the caps equipped here, but I digress. You can always easily replace the keycaps if you want, unlike most other things on a keyboard. The build gets a full pass from me, the LEDs are formidable, but the keycaps are my major criticism here.At the end of this review, I have to come back to the price. At less than seventy dollars, this keyboard is criminal. Every time I window shop other keyboards, I can never find a full sized keyboard that at its core is worth it when an offering like this available, so I rarely ever think twice about switching. I love the feel of this keyboard, and the added features such as the media keys are something I can't be without. Rigidness of the chassis is also something to behold. My main points for criticism is the keycaps, the software, and the lack of USB passthrough, but honestly those three points are pretty minimal in my overall opinion here. The keycaps are probably the worst offense here, but I can't say they're bad and I can always replace them if I wanted to. The software is the equivalent of some cheaply made Chinese software, but it works for what I need it to and I don't like spending too much time in my peripheral's software anyway -- at least it seems lightweight compared to the other suites that I have installed like iCUE or G Hub. Finally, the USB passthrough is really just a nitpick, and is just a quality of life feature I would love to see. I write this lengthy review for the appreciation I have for this keyboard. My keyboard is how I connect to my computer, which is something I spend a lot of time on given my profession, and the Vata serves me well. I just can't get over the completeness of this keyboard at the price that it's at. Redragon is a brand that seems like a cheap Chinese brand, and while admittedly their product line seems a bit inconsistent, they do have solid offerings and this is one of them. As more time goes on, I notice they release more enticing keyboards, such as the wireless 60% they just came out with (though I can't actually speak on the quality of that product). I hope that people realize how competitive of a keyboard this is in its category. I also hope a Redragon representative or related reads this and releases a variation of the Vata with a USB passthrough ;). My perfect version of this keyboard would be a more subtle keycap set, with USB passthrough, maybe even with solid Bluetooth functionality. If they could release that at 90 or less, it's something I'd pick up in heartbeat.

This keyboard checks all boxes for me. I wish it optionally came with different switch types than just red, but if that's what they do to keep costs down I am ok with that. New version comes with 5 pin compatibility so you can literally use any switch without worry. This keyboard is easily better than a Cherry MX 3.0S Wireless ($150+)Pros:- Gives you a LOT for the price in a keyboard.- No lag/connectivity issues- No weird software issues and very responsive to lighting effects in software- Decent battery life with an easy USB-C plug in when needed.- Full size design for those who need the key pad- Volume scroll wheel and media buttonsCons:- No dedicated wrist rest for this model that actually attaches to the keyboard- Macro buttons are not assignable as a key mapping (not picked up as an actual key) and the software is limited with what you can assign

Nice keyboard. Has all the features needed. Wireless or wired. Nice font on the keys that has good RGB passthru and there isn't too much RGB color bleed between the keys. Volume wheel is always a must for me and this one is metal with a nice click feel to it. You can also change the function of the wheel to change brightness etc. I installed the software and it works well but almost everything can be controlled without software via keyboard inputs. Once you configure the software, your choices can be saved to the board and you can remove the software if you choose. You can easily change the keycaps and switches but I'm liking these pretty well so far. Red linear, good sound and actuation is just perfect for me so far.

This is my review for the K580 Pro version, 4 stars.This one has similar issues to the K580 in terms of software. However the software is much more usable AND you can rebind keys on the keyboard - so you can rebind the FN + XXX keys which do a factory reset of the keyboard to prevent pressing it, you can also block the keys which cycle color ( there is one which lets you program the colors without using the software but if you have the software then it overwrites that selection and just seems a bit clunky. If there was a way for the data to be shared with the software that would resolve some problems ).I don't know if the color profiles are saved when you backup a profile.The macro option lets you record keys, etc.. but for single keypresses it does not seem to let you press and hold a key like a normal keyboard button. If it is set as a macro it will tap the key and release it even if you don't release the key which is annoying.The software does NOT detect F13-F24 key presses so those can not be used for macro keys which is a shame because I used those keys frequently on my old keyboard. I already set up FN + F1-F12 to be F13-F24 by setting up a macro folder and new macros, but I haven't been able to add the key which is a shame. A software update will resolve that.Build quality is excellent, the hot swappable keys is a really good thing. Coming from the unreliable Romer G keys ( because of the multi-contact if a tiny piece of dust or whatever got in, each keypress could be actuated 1 to 3 times ), being able to easily swap them without having to desolder and resolder new keys is huge.If the software was up to paar, it would be a 5 star product.Below is my review for the K580 non pro version.. 3 stars..A few issues with this keyboard ( brown switch version ) is the software is like it was from the early 2000s. Skinned and super tiny on my 4k monitor. Hard to read. Setting up individual key-lighting means using the last lighting option to unlock the individual key colors and you have to click on each key to set a color. Not the most user-friendly.Next, the USB-C port is on the rear, meaning you can't push the keyboard up against a monitor stand without worrying about it breaking.Even if you disable all of the RGB ( you can press the RGB light button next to the multimedia keys -- poor placement -- and use the volume to adjust ), the "Pride" flag on the left and right can not be disabled. I e-mailed the company about this and I am still waiting on a response. The flag is way too bright and it may be the reason behind the return because they illuminate my hands and the rest of my desk in a dark room making it almost unusable.The macros option is not allowing me to do anything in the software. I can't click on anything to record macros, or really do anything to assign any of the keys. I wanted to set the G1-5 keys to F13-onward with the hope I could cycle through like I was able on my last keyboard but the entire macro system does not work at all for this keyboard. This might be another reason to return it as I use the F13 onward keys for various programs I use.Key-spacing is slightly different to my previous keyboard but that isn't a bad thing.The keys feel good, and the keyboard has weight. The cover does have a plasticky feel, not quite aluminum but it does absorb heat from your finger when you really press hard on it so it is probably a coated aluminum. The multimedia raised section does not feel the same so that is probably plastic.The anti-skid pads are useful. It does have feet to elevate in 2 different positions plus flat on the table.The RGB modes are annoying for the most part, but being able to set it per key is a nice feature. The light leakage displayed in the images of the listing aren't as bad in real-life. You can see some light leakage at the top of the keycaps through the other keys and by the arrows, spacebar, etc.. But even at maximum brightness, or lowest, it is bearable. I thought it was going to be much worse than it is.The keys feel great. The fact that the keys can be swapped without resoldering is fantastic. They provide you with a few replacement switches and a tool to remove the keycaps and switches which is nice.I do not want to have to open the keyboard up to disable the flags on either side and I don't want to put electrical tape on it. So that is one of my biggest gripes with this unit that there doesn't seem to be a way to turn off the flags, reduce their brightness, or change the color to something solid.I may look at some of their other offerings because I do like the feel of the keyboard itself, but the shortcomings from this model are enough to where I am on the fence.Update... So I set up my single color keys for the entire keyboard and I saved a backup of my profile in case anything happened.Well.. something happened. I was looking at the function key trying to turn off the pride flag and if you press the FN + PgUp key, it will cycle the pride flag to solid colors and off. If you use the other keys below it with FN then it will cycle through the presets but NOT YOUR PRESET. It will not select the last one. So I was pressing FN and some other keys, No clue what scroll-lock does, but I accidentally hit print-screen while holding function. This did a FACTORY RESET on the entire keyboard. All of my colors were gone.So I went into the software and I restored my profile. Nothing happened. It did not restore my profile at all.I do like the actual keyboard itself, but this is a huge flaw. The software itself doesn't work properly for macros, and the fact you can do a factory reset on the keyboard or switch out of your color profile and not be able to select it again without using their broken software seems like a huge mess.I may try a different keyboard from them because I do like the feel and the hot-swap capabilities to replace failing keys or try different cherry keys, but the software and other issues with this one are just not worth it.