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DARKBEACON GUIDE

Use PS5 keyboard mode

Find the PS5 shortcut and Flux 68 Fn key, confirm keyboard input, and troubleshoot without clearing saved settings.

On this page

Applies to: Supported Blade, Flux, Devil Breaker, and Steampunk keyboards with PS5 mode

What you will accomplish

Enter and leave PS5 mode (A supported keyboard compatibility mode used for keyboard input on a PS5 and exited before DarkBeacon App configuration) on a supported keyboard without clearing compatible saved settings.

For keyboard input on PS5, use the physical shortcut below. Selecting XBox Input / Native XInput or Classic DirectInput in Gamepad settings does not enable PS5 keyboard mode. You do not need to enable Gamepad Mode or change its controller type to enter PS5 mode.

Applies to

Find Fn and the shortcut keys

On the standard Flux 68 layout, the physical Fn key is in the bottom row between right Alt and right Ctrl. Insert, sometimes labeled Ins, is at the top right, immediately to the right of Backspace. Fn may have a Logo marking instead of the letters Fn; use the physical position for this model rather than relying on the keycap text or color.

These positions are specific to Flux 68. For another model or a different-looking layout, check Factory Fn shortcut reference or send support the exact model and a photo of the whole keyboard. Do not guess a shortcut from the key count. Ordinary remapping does not move the physical PS5 shortcut keys.

Steps

Steps
  1. While the keyboard is in PC mode, record its marketing name, save important profiles, and finish any calibration, configuration save, or firmware update.
  2. Identify the keep-settings shortcut before switching. Supported Blade 68/84/87/100 and Flux 68/84/87/100 keyboards use Fn + Insert. Blade 61, Devil Breaker, and Steampunk use Fn + Esc + Left Ctrl. Wait for the keyboard to finish starting and release all keys before beginning.
  3. For Fn + Insert, hold Fn first, then press Insert and keep both keys held continuously for 5 seconds. Insert must be a new press after Fn is already down.
  4. For Fn + Esc + Left Ctrl, hold Fn and Esc first, then press Left Ctrl and keep all three keys held continuously for 5 seconds. Left Ctrl must be a new press after Fn and Esc are already down.
  5. Releasing any required key early cancels the switch. Release the complete shortcut before trying again; do not change the order or repeatedly tap it.
  6. Release the keys after the 5-second hold and wait for the keyboard to reconnect. With lighting enabled, check that the shortcut's trigger key remains white after you have released Fn: Insert for Fn + Insert products or Left Ctrl for Fn + Esc + Left Ctrl products. If lighting is off, the indicator may not be visible.
  7. DarkBeacon App shows an informational PS5 mode card instead of configuration controls. When the exact model is known, the card shows its marketing name and return shortcut. A generic card intentionally omits a shortcut rather than guessing.
  8. Connect the keyboard by USB to the PS5. First test letters in a text field that accepts an external keyboard, then test the intended game. PS5 mode supports up to six ordinary keyboard keys at the same time, in addition to modifier keys.
  9. To configure or update the keyboard again, repeat the same product-specific shortcut in the same order for 5 seconds. Wait for PC mode to reconnect before opening device settings in DarkBeacon App.

Confirm success

The keyboard reconnects in the selected mode. With lighting enabled, Insert or Left Ctrl stays white after releasing all keys, according to the product shortcut, and supported keyboard input works. White Fn-layer hints shown only while holding Fn are not confirmation of PS5 mode. If lighting is off, check the App's PS5 mode card on a computer rather than relying on the light alone. After returning to PC mode, DarkBeacon App shows the normal configuration pages again.

The shortcut is a toggle, not an "enable again" command. Repeating it while PS5 mode is active returns to PC mode. Unplugging and reconnecting does not turn PS5 mode off.

Save result

The selected PC or PS5 mode remains after unplugging or restarting the keyboard. Compatible mappings, Rapid Trigger, and supported advanced-key behaviors saved in PC mode remain available when they produce ordinary keyboard input. Switching modes does not erase saved Gamepad settings. If you temporarily disable Gamepad Mode using the troubleshooting steps below, it stays disabled until you enable and save it again in PC mode.

Limits and cautions

Mouse, media, Gamepad, and other actions that are not ordinary keyboard input may not produce output in PS5 mode. Macro support is not advertised. Console menus and individual games can also differ in keyboard support. Do not infer PS5 availability from keyboard size or from another product in the same family.

On supported Blade and Flux keyboards that switch with Fn + Insert, the App reserves the physical Insert key on the Fn layer. It cannot be assigned another action, disabled, or used as an advanced-key source. This protects the mode-switching shortcut; ordinary Main-layer Insert remains configurable.

Recovery

Only Ctrl or Alt works, or there is no input on PS5

This symptom alone does not identify the cause. First confirm the correct physical shortcut, key order, and selected mode above. If PS5 mode is already confirmed, do not repeat the shortcut as an attempt to enable it again. Test a text field that accepts external keyboard input; failure in one game alone does not confirm a keyboard fault.

On some firmware, including reviewed Flux 68 firmware v293.0.0, an enabled Gamepad configuration with assigned controls can still suppress some or all ordinary keyboard input in PS5 mode. If Gamepad was enabled, try this temporary workaround:

  1. Connect to a computer. If the App shows the PS5 mode card, use the model's shortcut once to return to PC mode and wait for normal configuration pages.
  2. Open Gamepad, turn Gamepad Mode off, and Save to device. Wait for saving and any reconnection to finish. Keep the mappings; there is no need to delete them or select another controller type.
  3. Use the physical shortcut to enter PS5 mode again, reconnect to the PS5, and retest keyboard input.

If Gamepad is already off, leave it off and skip this workaround. Its controller type selection alone does not explain the failure. If input still fails after PS5 mode is confirmed, contact support with the model, firmware version if available, a photo showing the shortcut keys, whether the white indicator remains after releasing all keys, and where you tested input. See Contact support and send diagnostics.

Return to PC mode without clearing settings

When PS5 mode is active, use the same product-specific shortcut in the documented order for 5 seconds, release the keys, and wait for reconnection. If the hold was interrupted, release every required key before retrying.

Do not use the three-key keyboard reset as a substitute for the PS5 toggle: it can clear settings and does not exit PS5 mode. A factory reset is not required to enable PS5 mode or to locate Fn.