Epomaker recently announced their latest Shadow-S gaming keyboard, featuring an 85-key design with a gasket structure, a smart screen, and more. We got an opportunity to review the keyboard, and here are our thoughts about the device.
Coming from the roots of the previous Shadow-X mechanical keyboard, the new Shadow-S is designed to enhance the user’s gaming experience and productivity, thanks to its upgraded design. It features a total of 85 keys, along with a control knob and a small programmable LCD screen that is located on the right side. The keyboard has a dimension of 368 x 143 x 45mm and weighs around 1 kg. The Shadow-S comes in two different colors: The White Brown and Pink White models. As you can see, Epomaker was kind enough to send us both models.
The White Brown model features a cream-white chassis that is made of ABS plastic. It also comes equipped with a combination of cream-white, brown, and grey keys. The brown keys with black-colored lettering are used for keys such as Tab, Shift, Control, Windows, menu, backspace, and more. The gray keys are used for Escape and directional keys. The control knob and the island surrounding the smart screen feature a metallic gray finish.
The Pink White, on the other hand, features pure white alphanumeric keys. The other keys such as Tab, Shift, Control, Windows, menu, backspace, Delete, Print screen, and even the directional keys, are colored in pink. Even the main ABS plastic chassis features a pink color.
The control knob and the island surrounding the smart screen come in metallic silver. There is also an LED light on the right side, above the directional buttons. While the Shadow-S is a gasket-mounted mechanical keyboard, the device also features a five-layer damping material design to deliver excellent tactile sounds while typing and gaming.
The damping materials include a sandwich form, an IXPE switch pad, an acoustic pad, a bottom sponge, and a base silicone layer. Additionally, the keyboard comes with hot-swappable sockets for custom switches. Epomaker provides pre-lubed mechanical switches for the Shadow-S, and the switch options include Epomaker Flamingo switches, Epomaker Mulan switches, Epomaker Wisteria linear switches, and Epomaker Sea Salt silent switches.
We should also mention that the keyboards come with a pre-lubed plate-mounted stabilizer. Our Shadow-S White Brown keyboard came with the Epomaker Wisteria linear switches, and the Pink White color model came with Epomaker Flamingo switches. While I like the typing sounds of the White Brown with Wisteria switches, the typing experience of the Pink White model felt better. Here is an audio test of the Shadow-S keyboards in action.
Epomaker Shadow-S (White Brown with Wisteria linear switches)
Epomaker Shadow-S (Pink White with Flamingo switches)
Epomaker Shadow-S (Comparison)
In terms of RGB lighting capability, the hot-swappable sockets feature south-facing LEDs. The connectivity ports and switches are located on the front side. There is a switch for Mac or Windows, and another switch for 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, and USB modes. Speaking of which, the keyboard uses a USB-C port for wired connectivity, and the included cable length is 1.8m. When it comes to input lag, the keyboard is capable of a 500Hz polling rate for both wired and 2.4GHz modes, and a 125Hz polling rate for Bluetooth mode.
Apart from the pleasant keyboard typing experience, one of the main selling points of the Shadow-S is the built-in 1.14-inch LCD screen that showcases information such as date, battery capacity, time, connectivity mode, and more. Users will also be able to personalize the display, use their custom images, or choose different image patterns to express their creativity.
As for the contents of the package, there is the Shadow-S keyboard, a handy keycap/switch combo puller, a 2.4G dongle (which is mounted next to the keyboard’s control switches), and a Type-C cable. The keyboard also includes a 2-step kickstand, so users will be able to adjust their typing preferences with the device.
Here is how the keyboard looks from the sides and rear sides. Since the keyboard has wireless capabilities, the device also houses a 4000 mAh battery, which offers decent performance.
Verdict
We recommend the Epomaker Shadow-S keyboards for those looking for a fully-featured TKL keyboard. The keyboard features a total of 85 keys and a control knob. The device comes in two different colors, which include Pink White, and White Brown. Epomaker offers the Shadow-S with a series of switch options, which include Epomaker’s Flamingo switches, Mulan switches, Wisteria linear switches, and Sea Salt silent switches.
The Shadow-S also features a small, 1.14-inch LCD screen that is located next to the knob. Users will be able to personalize the images on the screen to their liking. Apart from USB-C connectivity, the keyboard also offers wireless connectivity for 2.4G and Bluetooth. The dongle sits in a dedicated slot, next to the USB-C port. There is also a dedicated switch for Windows and Mac users. Additionally, the keyboard also comes with a 4000 mAh battery under its hood.
