Redragon Horus K618 review: Slim wireless mechanical keyboard with three ways to connect

Over the past few years, wireless gaming keyboards have become more popular. In addition, slimmer, quieter (depending on switch choice) mechanical gaming keyboards have also been gaining ground.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Our Redragon Horus K618 review looks at a slim wireless mechanical gaming keyboard that offers three ways to connect: 2.4Ghz dongle, Bluetooth, and wired. Read on for our full review!

Specifications

The Redragon Horus K618 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard we reviewed has the following features and specifications:

• Bluetooth/2.4Ghz/Wired Tri-Mode Ultra-Thin Low Profile Gaming Keyboard
• Low Profile Linear & Quiet Red Switches
• 30% Cutted Ultra-Thin with Dedicated Media Control
• Professional Software Support
• Low 4mm profile keycaps
• 5 macro keys
• 104-keys with full rollover
• RGB Backlit
• 1900 mAh battery (30 hours)
• 1.2mm actuation point
• 12mm switch height
• Dimensions: 437 x 147 x 17mm (18.62 x 5.78 x 0.67″)
• Weight: 725g (1.59 lbs)

What’s in the box

• Redragon Horus K618 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard
• USB-C to USB-A cable
• 2.4GHz USB-A dongle
• Keycap puller
• Switch puller
• Extra switches
• USer Manual
• Sticker

Design

While the Redragon Horus K618 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard is a full-sized keyboard, it is slim both in the chassis and the low-profile keys and mechanical switches. The chassis is black aluminum on the top face, top edge, and bottom edge. The left and right sides as well as the back are plastic. On the left side is a USB-C port for wired use, as well as an on/off switch for wireless use. On the bottom are two adjustable feet and two small pads near the front for grip. There is also a hollowed-out receptacle for the 2.4GHz USB-A dongle. The dongle snaps in easily and feels secure when in place.

With your typical six-row full-size keyboard layout, complete with a full-size number pad, there are also some extra keys. Along the top of the keyboard above the Fn key row are five rubber buttons labelled G1-G5, five similar buttons labelled M1-M4 and MR towards the right, your usual numlock, capslock, and scroll lock LED indicators with an additional indicator marked M, and a textured metal volume rocker. Above the number pad and below the volume rocker are four more buttons for media and LED brightness control.

Where the Redragon Horus K618 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard shines, however, is the low-profile keys. The keycaps themselves are 4mm in height, a full 7mm shorter than the traditional 11mm keycaps found on most other keyboards. In addition, the low-profile red switches have a 12mm switch height as opposed to the traditional 18mm, and a 1.2mm actuation distance versus the typical 2.0mm distance. They are also pretty quiet as far as mechanical switches go, making the keyboard acceptable for use not only for gaming but also in the office.

As for branding, the Redragon logo is centered above the main alphanumeric keys and lights up depending on what RGB lighting scheme you have selected. Speaking of RGB lighting, there are a total of 20 different backlight effects.

Overall, the Redragon Horuus K618 is nicely designed, ultra-slim, and solid feeling.

Ease of Use

The Redragon Horus K618 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard can be used in one of three ways: wired, through Bluetooth, or through the included 2.4GHz USB dongle. Wired mode is easiest, just plug the USB-C end of the included cable into the left side of the keyboard and the USB-A end into a free port on your computer. If you have been using it in wireless mode, however, you do have to press and hold Fn+5 (also marked USB) to get it to recognize wired mode.

To use the keyboard in 2.4GHz or Bluetooth mode, toggle the switch on the left edge of the keyboard to on. If you want to use the dongle, hold Fn+4 (marked 2.4G) for a few seconds until the M LED blinks green. Once it’s flashing, plug the USB receiver into a free port on your computer and after a few seconds, you should be good to go. For Bluetooth mode, hold FN+1, 2, or 3 until the M LED flashes blue, cyan, or magenta, then look for the keyboard on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

You can toggle the backlight effects by using various combinations of Fn and other keys to control the mode, colour, speed, brightness, and more. In addition, you can press the volume/brightness button above the number pad and when it lights up, you can use the volume rocker to adjust the brightness.

This keyboard supports macros as well. Programming them isn’t difficult, but is a bit of a process so you’ll want to keep the user manual handy. To do so, you need to press an M1-M4 key. This sets the profile group. Once it turns on, press the MR button. Once it’s on, press a G1-G5 button until it lights up. Once lit, record your desired keystrokes. When finished, press the MR button again and your macro will be saved. To use the macro, make sure the proper M profile is selected (lit up) then press the appropriate G1 through G5 button.

Software

The optional software can be downloaded from the Redragon website. In my case, I did receive a download warning that it may potentially be malicious. I did download and scan it and it came back clean, as I would expect. Once installed, the software is pretty simple. Each time you open it, it will tell you if there is a firmware update and prompt you to update if one is available. In the app itself, you can set three different profiles, including lighting, export/import profiles, restore profiles, and program macros. One thing to note: the app only works while the keyboard is plugged in with the USB cable.

Performance

During our testing time which included full use during the day for work purposes and gaming in the evenings from time to time, the Redragon Horus K618 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard performs pretty well. I did notice a minor issue in that every once in a while, I did notice a double character input, more often than not with the “s” key. It wasn’t often but was often enough to notice while working, but not so much while gaming. It is possible that this was an issue specific to our review unit as I didn’t see any mention of it in customer reviews when I looked into it.

Aside from that, regardless of being in wired or wireless mode, the keyboard was responsive and I didn’t notice any lag while gaming. As for typing accuracy, I was able to consistently hit between 105-110 wpm with the lower profile keycaps.

Reception

Being a wireless keyboard, reception can be an issue depending on what you are doing. In the case of the Redragon Horus K618, both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity seemed just fine. I was able to use the keyboard with a PC or my Android device with no issues wirelessly.

Battery Life

Redragon states that you can get up to 30 hours of battery life before needing to plug in and charge it. During testing, I was able to get about 22 hours with LEDs on and about 28 hours when using the 2.4GHz dongle. Depending on what you are using it for, you should get a few days of working or quite a few 2-3 hour gaming sessions before needing to plug it in.

Price/Value

With an MSRP of US$79.99, the full-sized Redragon Horus K618 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard offers great value for the price. Other more popular OEMs charge quite a bit more for similar devices. With three ways to connect, multiple Bluetooth profiles, no need for software, and decent performance, I can easily recommend this keyboard given the price point.

Photo Gallery

Wrap-up

If you’re looking for an ultra-slim wireless mechanical gaming keyboard with low-profile keycaps and switches, decent performance, and multiple connectivity options, the Redragon Horus K618 is a pretty good choice for the price.

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Last Updated on March 31, 2022.