In the test: Akko 5075S – wired RGB gaming keyboard with interchangeable keys

The area of ​​gaming accessories is not really my thing, as I actually only play in VR and don't need a keyboard or mouse. Nevertheless, I was happy about the request from Akko, who offered me a small test report on theirs Battery 5075S gaming keyboard to write.

Why? Because, on the one hand, I think mechanical keyboards are great and, on the other hand, because RGB effects somehow still delight me, even if the RGB LED technology is really getting a bit old.

Akko 5075S RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, ISO-UK 75% Layout with Knob, USB Wired Keyboard, 83 Keys...

• 🇬🇧【75% layout ISO-UK keyboard with rotary knob】: The AKKO 5075S Black Gold has the popular 75 percent ...
• ⌨【Gasket Mount & 4 layers of noise reduction】: The AKKO 5075S keyboard consists of a combination of ...
• 🏆【5 Pin Hotswap Kailh Gaming Socket】In order to offer users more choice and fun, the AKKO 5075S is with ...

119,99 EUR

Buy it at Amazon Price includes VAT, plus shipping costs (updated: 28.11.2023 at 20: 48 clock)

What are the special features of the Akko 5075S?

The Akko keyboard, on which I am also writing this report, has a few technical features that distinguish it from the typical Mac Bluetooth keyboards.

This might not be news to gamers, but most of my readers aren't gamers, so I'd like to briefly address it here.

• The Akko 5075S is loud. My wife just said, “At first I thought you were desperately trying to get chewing gum out of a can, but then I saw you were typing!” Wow, that’s loud!” So ​​much for typing in the bedroom at night… don’t do it if you have roommates.
• The keyboard only works wired via USB. Unfortunately, the scope of delivery only includes a USB-C to USB-A cable, so you don't have to go without your own USB-C cable can be connected to new Macs.
• The keyboard layout is ISO-DE. That means it has German umlauts and a large return key. Angled brackets can also be found at the bottom left, as seen on other keyboards in Germany.
• At the top right of the keyboard there is a rotary button that you can also press. Something similar is known from the Logitech Craft keyboard, which I have here in the test would have.
• The layout is quite compact and is called a 75% keyboard because we don't have a number pad on the right.
• The F keys and the page up and down keys as well as home and end are all arranged vertically on the right. You can find the details in the photos that I have included here in the article.
• The RGB lighting can produce any color for each key. The lighting patterns, which then run like an effect across the entire keyboard, can be changed.
• There are transparent plastic elements on the right and left sides, through which the LED backlight shines onto the table top, thus creating indirect lighting.
• You can change the LED effects of the keyboard using the FN + Pageup or Pagedown keys
• The boa
• rd with the switches is attached to the housing using a gasket mount (silicone dampers) to prevent rattling.
• In addition to the buttons, you can also remove the switches from the board and swap them.
• Two different spacers can be folded out on the bottom, which tilt the keyboard in two stages.
• Linear switches are built into the keyboard. Linear switches are a type of mechanism that provides consistent resistance across the entire key travel, without tactile feedback or particularly loud clicks, as in “clicky switches,” resulting in a quiet and consistent key press.
• The keys are labeled using the double-shot process (double-shot injection molding). This means that the two colors are actually made from materials with two different colors and you can still read the labeling even after years because it basically goes through the entire top of the key. It is the highest quality way in which you can add the legends to the keycaps.
• The keys are made of PBT (and not ABS), which feels a little smoother, but doesn't get as greasy as ABS after years of use.
• The housing is made entirely of plastic and is therefore not quite as torsion-resistant as a metal housing.
• You can open the keyboard (separate the lid from the base), but the plastic clips probably won't allow you to do that very often.

Mysterious switch on the bottom

At the bottom of the keyboard you will find a switch labeled “Win”, “USB” and “Mac”. I can still understand Mac and Win, but USB doesn't make sense to me because the keyboard only works via USB.

As one YouTuber explained it, Akko uses the switch in multiple keyboards. And while it makes sense in wireless keyboards that also allow USB operation, on the Akko 5075S it shows three options, but there are actually only 2x Win and 1x Mac.

Configuration for macOS

If you want to use the keyboard under macOS or Windows, you can do this without a special driver.

The Mac doesn't recognize which keyboard it has exactly in front of it, but if you set the keyboard as the keyboard type "ISO (Europe, Latin America, Middle East and other regions) ISO/IEC 9995 standard keyboard" in the system settings and at the bottom of the If I push the switch on the keyboard on the Mac, then all the buttons work for me.

Rotary knob functions on Mac

The rotary knob at the top right is a rarity given the size of the keyboard. However, the function cannot be adjusted with the Akko Mac app. The rotary knob controls the volume on the Mac and pressing the knob didn't work for me. That's a bit of a shame, as a mute function would have been quite practical.

The workmanship of the rotary knob is also not the best. When I wiggle the button on the Logitech Craft, there is no noticeable play. On the Akko 5075S, however, the button wobbles quite generously - and that wasn't meant in a positive way. Despite the game, it works perfectly.

Akko 5075S keyboard firmware update

If you want to give the Akko keyboard a firmware update or set the macros, you have to install software from Akko, which is available for both Windows and macOS. Both versions and also the manuals for the various keyboards can be found on the download page at Akko.

For the Mac, download the “Akko Cloud Driver” and then put the app in the Applications folder. A proper installation is not necessary. In the “Help” area you will then find a button to check whether the firmware installed on the keyboard is the latest version.

I briefly tried around with the macros, but unfortunately I was only able to record one macro, which I couldn't then retrieve. I then read in a technical description of the Akko 5075S that it apparently does not support the macro function. If this is the case, perhaps they should have hidden the Macros section in the app to prevent possible confusion.

My conclusion about the Akko 5075S

I think when I give my conclusion here, you have to keep in mind that I actually have no comparison and no real idea about the topic of “mechanical gaming keyboards”.

Nevertheless, Akko seems to have preferred to use more expensive but also higher quality production methods and materials. At least that's what I found out when researching the technical terms in this product area.

I also really like the typing experience and after a short period of getting used to it, as some of the keys on the Akko keyboard are in a different place than on my Logitech Craft, typing was easy.

What I'm missing is an indication of whether I currently have the CapsLock button active or not. An LED in or next to the button would be helpful here.

But even though the linear switches appear to be the “quiet” type of switches, the keyboard still makes significantly more noise than a normal Apple keyboard. And since I don't sit alone in the office most of the time, I'll probably go back to my old "boring" keyboard without mechanical switches most of the time.

For people who want to get into the topic of mechanical keyboards, the seems Akko 5075S but it seems to be a reasonably cheap way to get started - at least that's what I've read in other reports from real gamers.

Do you have any other tips for good gaming keyboards that you can recommend? Then feel free to leave a comment!

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He acts as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with technical problems. In his spare time he rides electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with the iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions to current bugs.

The page contains affiliate links / images: Amazon.de