Serious gamers and esports fiends punish their hands like no one else. So why don't more companies make split keyboards just for gamers? Gaming keyboards get every cosmetic and convenience feature you can dream up, so what about the save-your-wrists angle? In the newest version of its split gaming keyboard, the Freestyle Edge RGB, Kinesis Gaming powers up its original model with a bevy of improvements, including (of course!) customizable RGB lighting. Though it still doesn't quite achieve feature parity with other keyboards in its class—it's well-made but, at $219, a tad pricey—it does something that few other keyboards do. It makes gaming-board staples like customizable profiles, macro keys, and colorful lights accessible for players who want the support of an ergonomic keyboard—or need it because of existing injuries. A unique effort, it earns our Editors' Choice.
A Keyboard in Two Parts
The Freestyle Edge RGB improves a number of features on the first Freestyle Edge, but it is very much an upgrade of that original model. Like the original Freestyle, the split keyboard comprises two half-keyboards, made of hard, matte-gray plastic. The halves are connected by up to 20 inches of braided cable, giving you plenty of slack to configure the boards as you see fit.
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The keys are set in what's known in key-geek lingo as a "75 percent" layout, which has a similar number of keys as a tenkeyless board, but in a tighter configuration. Some of the keys found in a separate section on most standard keyboards, such as Page Up, Page Down, and Print Screen, have been pushed into the upper-right-hand corner. Packing in the keys this way cuts down on the layout's size, which is good because it can take up a lot of space, but it hikes up the learning curve for players who are new to ergo-keyboards.
If you are considering giving a split keyboard a try for the first time, you should know that transitioning to one takes time, patience, and practice. Even though the keys were in the same relative places, I found it takes extra time to get acquainted with the idea of using your two hands separately, and uniquely, on the two parts of the board. On top of that, Kinesis' optional lift kit, which adds adjustable feet to the inner sides of the board, creates an inverted-V "tent" angle that you obviously cannot experience on a standard keyboard. (More on that in a bit.) This is not a condemnation, but simply a warning: Split-keyboard novices should expect to spend a few weeks adjusting to the change.
All that said, the reward, a less physically stressful typing experience, may be worth the effort, especially if you've noticed wrist, shoulder or back pain while using your PC or after long gaming sessions. Ergonomic split keyboards, broadly speaking, help alleviate stress and pressure on your forearms, shoulders, and back by allowing you to keep your arms naturally at your sides rather than pulling them together in front of you. Even within a few short weeks using the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB instead of a standard keyboard, my arms and shoulders felt more relaxed, especially in the course of long play sessions.
When and if you get used to typing on a split board, the Freestyle Edge RGB feels great and uses reliable (and thankfully familiar) Cherry MX Red, MX Brown, or MX Blue key switches. You select the kind at the time of purchase. For those who aren't Cherry-key aficionados, the short guide: MX Red keys are hair-trigger-light and optimal for twitch-style gaming; MX Blue switches are highly clicky and generally preferred by heavy typists; and MX Browns, most folks find, are a good compromise between the two. (For a lot more on mechanical keyboards and their switch types, see our guide to the best.)
Back to the design. The Freestyle Edge RGB isn't exactly the same as other 75 percent boards in terms of layout. You get nine dedicated macro keys—up from eight on the original Freestyle Edge—which you can use to trigger custom actions. On the top edge of the board above the F8 key, you'll find a cluster of "programming" keys for swapping profiles and setting up the configuration app, which is known as SmartSet.
Despite its economical structure, at 15.5 inches wide by 10.25 inches long by 1.25 inches high, the keyboard takes up quite a bit of desk space because of the split design. (It takes more space, of course, the more you want to spread the two sides apart and set them at an angle, as you're supposed to.) What you get in exchange for your desktop real estate is absolutely worth your while, though. The Freestyle Edge RGB replaces the plastic wrist rest of the original model with a very comfortable plush model. It's the best wrist rest to come packed in with a keyboard that I've tried to date, bar none. Like the original, it is detachable, which is great if you really need to cut down on space, but why would you? If you are buying an ergonomic keyboard, sacrificing a little space for extra support seems like a no-brainer, especially since traditional wrist rests won't be able to accommodate whatever shape you create with the two halves.
And there are ways to save space. In some games, players might use only the left side of the keyboard (for the WASD control cluster and a handful of nearby keys), and thus could move the right half behind a monitor or somewhere else out of the way. As you get used to the split, you may also spread the keys apart to make room for a microphone or some other device to fit between them. Though the split is designed to be easier on your body, the form factor can enable other advantages, too.
One quibble about the design, though. The original Freestyle Edge did its users a disservice by forgoing built-in feet, which would put the keyboard up at an angle. With this new one, Kinesis solves that but charges extra for its customizable "lift kit" accessory. For an extra $25, the lift kit adds braces to the inner sides of the two keyboard halves, allowing you to set them at 5, 10, or 15 degree "tenting" angles, which bolsters the wrist support. It's definitely worth shelling out for the kit if you get the Freestyle Edge RGB, as it greatly enhances the experience. But Kinesis really shouldn't charge extra for a feature that I'd argue is core to the experience.
Also, given the starting price of $219 (and effective price of almost $250 once you factor in the lift kit), the Freestyle Edge RGB is missing some of the bells and whistles I'd expect in a top-of-the-line keyboard. There's no USB hub or passthrough ports, nor any dedicated media controls. (You can set your media-playback commands to the macro keys, but that, then, eats a few of them.) Even if these were excluded to keep costs down, they are common enough in much cheaper keyboards. They amount to conveniences you have to give up in the name of better wrist health.
Configuring Keys, With a Few Quirks
Kinesis has a unique configuration program to go with its unique keyboards. Unlike most configuration software, its SmartSet app is driverless, which means it does not sync the hardware and software automatically. To "turn on" configuring the keyboard, you need to press the gear-shaped button near the top of the keyboard, then hold the F8 key to connect "V-Drive" and start the software.
While Kinesis says this is what its consumers want, the driverless software feels like a hassle for anyone who likes to create game-specific profiles and/or customize their keyboard profiles regularly. While it isn't difficult, the process of booting up the software takes longer than loading other, driver-based config programs. It also creates other inconveniences, such as forcing you to save and close the app to apply your changes, making fine-tuning profiles (or even playing with the lighting scheme) a little more work than it should be.
SmartSet itself is a fine, albeit no-frills, configuration app. The app has gotten a bit of a scrubbing-up since we reviewed the original Freestyle Edge. It looks good, if basic, and it's easy to navigate and customize keys, lighting, and macros. The Freestyle Edge RGB can store up to nine keyboard profiles, all of which are stored on the keyboard. That's a solid number, but that may not be enough for players who are used to being able to save an infinite number of per-game profiles system-side. (Then again, considering the amount of work it takes to change profiles, you probably won't want to make that many.)
The RGB lighting, the new model's signature feature, has 11 different customizable color schemes and patterns. You can also create "freestyle" lighting schemes, setting different colors to each key...
Though the RGB is a namesake addition, this just brings Kinesis to par with what many gaming-keyboard makers have been offering for some time. Still, it's a solid addition, and it does make the Freestyle Edge feel more like a gaming product than a repurposed ergonomic one.
A Solid "Supporting" Character
Quirks of the software aside, the Kinesis Gaming Freestyle Edge RGB offers unique benefits to players who want or need extra support while playing. Switching to an ergonomic keyboard is a big leap—and I don't recommend taking it lightly—but the Freestyle Edge RGB is a very good device for finding out if a split keyboard will work for you. (Plus, if you buy the keyboard direct from Kinesis, the company offers a 60-day return guarantee, in the event it's not your thing; all you'll pay is the postage.)
For players already sold on the idea of an ergo keyboard, it's an investment at $219 plus the lift kit, but the Edge RGB makes some solid improvements to the original Freestyle Edge and stands as the best keyboard of its kind we have seen.
In the Freestyle Edge RGB, Kinesis brings best-in-class ergonomics to the gaming-keyboard scene for players serious about minding their wrists and hands in the course of their gaming endurathons.
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