Epomaker's RT98 is a wireless mechanical keyboard with a 98-key layout—close to full-size—and a clever differentiator: a numpad module that unscrews and remounts to either the left or right side of the board. A detachable screen styled like a retro CRT monitor sits atop the chassis as a visual accent. The Verge published a hands-on review on July 4, 2026, currently the most thorough assessment in circulation.

The prebuilt version sells for $119. At checkout, you choose whether the numpad arrives on the left or right; swapping it later requires unscrewing the module and remounting it on the opposite flank. The standard switches are Epomaker's own Creamy Jade linears or Sea Salt Silent V2 linears—both smooth, low-friction designs. The board is hot-swappable, meaning you can pop out switches without soldering, sits on an 8,000 mAh battery that will last most users several weeks between charges, and connects over a 2.4 GHz wireless protocol. It comes with PBT keycaps, which resist shine from finger oils better than cheaper plastics, and supports VIA—firmware remapping software that sidesteps the need to recompile code.

Hardware Construction

The chassis is ABS plastic. Underneath, Epomaker employed a gasket-mount system with foam layers sandwiched under the circuit board—a construction method designed to soften the keystroke feedback and dampen acoustics, which is now standard in mid-range boards. The switch plate is polycarbonate without flex cuts, which tends to feel stiffer than plates with intentional gaps or spring-loaded designs in aluminum or brass.

The Sea Salt Silent V2 switches feel smooth and quiet on letter keys. However, The Verge's reviewer noted a known weak point at this price tier: the stabilizers—the mechanical mounts that keep larger keys like spacebar and shift from tilting—were louder than the switches they stabilize. This defeats the "silent" premise on those frequently-hit keys. It's a trade-off that either happens at the factory or falls to the buyer to fix with lubrication and damping materials.

The detachable mini-screen is a cosmetic element playing to keyboard enthusiasts who treat their desks as curated spaces. From a practical standpoint, it serves no function—it's purely visual branding.

Competition and Real-World Use

The RT98 emerged from a Kickstarter campaign, following a pre-launch giveaway that ran from February 16 to March 16. At $119, it sits in a crowded band of the market where buyers have competent options across multiple categories.

The Verge's reviewer called out the Dry Studio ATM 98 as a stronger acoustic performer with better keycaps—a useful reference point for anyone who prioritizes how a board sounds and feels above all else. The ATM 98 sets a higher bar on refinement, and the RT98 doesn't quite meet it.

Where the RT98 solves a genuine problem is with the repositionable numpad. Left-handed users and right-handers who move their numpad out of the mouse's path have traditionally been forced into awkward compromises: buy a full-size board and waste desk space, go tenkeyless and sacrifice the numpad entirely, or own a separate unit. The RT98 compresses that choice into a single, mobile module—a straightforward engineering answer to a workflow question the keyboard industry has largely overlooked.

The gasket construction and foam damping signal that Epomaker built this to be a credible typing experience, not just a gimmick. The execution falls short of the ATM 98's acoustic ceiling, but it's mechanically competent for the price. A 1-year warranty and 30-day return window are reasonable for a crowdfunded product moving into wider retail. Retro White is a confirmed color option.

Whether the retro screen matters to you depends entirely on your desk aesthetic. Functionally, it's decoration. As a statement about who the product is for—enthusiasts who care as much about how a build looks as how it types—the positioning is clear.