With so many options from Razer keyboard models, finding the right one for your gaming style can be tricky. This guide will help you determine which keyboard is correctly built for you and your MMO or single-player gaming habits. Choosing the best possible Razer keyboard can take serious time and effort.
Most individuals interested in the Razer brand are looking for a high-quality keyboard that can stand up to intense gaming sessions. The actual gaming rig is essential, but the peripherals can turn a great gaming experience into an unforgettable one. The right keyboard will increase your effectiveness and streamline your gameplay while looking amazing as it does so.
What to Consider When Buying Your Gaming Keyboard
You can buy a mechanical keyboard from numerous brands, but if it doesn’t adhere to your needs and preferences, then it isn’t the right choice for you.
Mechanical Switches
Firstly, consider the mechanical switches. This is a hugely beneficial feature as the buttons are more responsive than a membrane keypad.
With or Without a Rest Wrist?
If you intend on using your keyboard for long periods of time, invest in one with a wrist rest for a comfortable experience. Sometimes, a keyboard rest wrist comes separately, but you can easily pick one up. Consider how organized you are, and if you’re new to gaming, it might be best to purchase a keyboard with a rest wrist included.
Appearance of the Keypad
Also, consider the keypad’s appearance. A backlit mechanical isn’t integral to its actuation, for example, but the lighting gives the keyboard a standout appearance. You shouldn’t solely purchase a keyboard based on its appearance, but the backlit mechanical provides a stunning touch.
Control Actuation System
Finally, a control actuation system is one of the most critical factors to consider when purchasing a keyboard. Actuation refers to a keystroke’s speed registering to the system. Ideally, you’ll want a quick actuation point – especially if your actions per minute are essential to the game. But, this feature comes at a price, so consider how essential this is to your experience.
Top 5 Best Razer Keyboards
The keyboards are the Razer Ornata Chroma, Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2, Razer Cynosa Chroma, Razer DeathStalker Essential, and Razer BlackWidow X Tournament Edition Chroma. We looked at other models such as the Razer Deathstalker Ultimate and the Ryos MK Pro, but these didn’t meet our requirements for a high-quality keyboard. Let’s take a look at what these five new peripherals have to offer and what you can expect if you purchase one of them!
Razer Ornata Chroma
It incorporates an innovative system ideal for gaming and typing so that you don’t need to switch between work and play. This is called Mecha-Membrane. Each key is in part a mechanical switch and part a silicone dome. When you press down on a key, it strikes the switch, which then depresses the dome and registers the keystroke.
You won’t see this happening. Instead, you will feel the keycap updated roughly half the size of a traditional one. This means you only need to move less weight in when pressing and your actions will still register much quicker. This size increase is a huge advantage both in competitive gaming as well as when you’re typing up a report or memo at work.
Otherwise, the style of the keyboard is pretty straightforward. It’s entirely black except for the backlighting, which allows for over 16 million colors. It comes with a comfortable padded wrist rest that connects to the front of the keyboard to rest your hands while moving.
Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2
If you’re looking for an original gaming keyboard, the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 might be your new best friend.
The first of those is the introduction of a third-key switch color for Razer: yellow. Oranges are known for being tactile, while greens are more clicky. Yellows are a smooth and linear switch that incorporates short actuation points. With a linear switch being a favorite for gaming, this bumps the keyboard up for competitive gamers. You can compare these keys to something like a Cherry MX Silver speed switch for a point of reference.
Customizable Backlight
Besides that, the BlackWidow Chroma board is robust and durable, which is a must for a keyboard of this caliber. It also includes five macro keys to build custom profiles for specific programs and games. The macros are saved in the cloud using Razer Synapse so you have access no matter what computer you’re on. The keyboard also comes with a sweet wrist rest that almost looks like leather. It also features customizable backlighting, a standard for Razer at this point.
That said, if you plan on typing with the keyboard, it isn’t optimal for that. But, the LED backlights help with accessing the keypad, and it has numerous comfortable features. Another thing that users aren’t feeling with the BlackWidow Chroma V2 is the cable included. It offers audio and USB pass-through, but the cable is enormous and can get in the way if you aren’t careful.
The BlackWidow Chroma uses a software solution called Razer Synapse 2.0. This gaming software is easy to use and quick to load. This feature enables users to control the LED backlights too.
Razer Cynosa Chroma
The Razer Cynosa Chroma offers is a mesh-keyboard with an incorporated spill-resistant design. It has programmable keys, support for backlighting customization, and 1000Hz ultra polling. This package also includes anti-ghosting and a 10-key rollover.
This Razer keyboard is easy to use and comfortable for several hours of play. All you have to do is plug it into a USB port and you’re ready to get to your favorite game. The Cynosa Chroma offers macro recording, which can be tricky to use at first but quickly becomes second nature. Another cool feature is that non-function keys dim when you press the function key itself. That makes it simple to determine what keys offer extra functionality.
An all-around Razer keyboard
The keys on this board are soft-cushioned; they aren’t as tactile as the ones on a mechanical keyboard. Despite that, they’re very responsive and you’ll miss fewer keystrokes in the middle of a game. Typing is also compatible with the peripheral, which makes it an excellent all-around keyboard, no matter what you’re doing. Although this keyboard misses buttons that are dedicated to gaming, you can customize your keyboard experience to suit your play.
If you upgrade to the Pro model, you get extra features like a wrist rest and under-keyboard lighting, which will cost you some extra dough. This may be worth it for some, but it’s negligible at best for most users. If what you want are a soft touch and decent gaming performance, the Cynosa Chroma fits the bill. A gamer with experience might notice that this Razer keyboard has mesh-membrane key switches, but this isn’t a huge flaw for a beginner-intermediate gamer.
Razer DeathStalker Essential
The DeathStalker is a keyboard worth considering. It’s known for having an attractive design, premium Razer software, and responsive keys that will get through any game you throw at it. With the help of Synapse software, a gamer can enjoy hours of fun. The actuation is consistent with 65 grams to actuate between caps. This is a generous feature given that this keyboard already boasts high-end software.
The DeathStalker is average in size and features a built-in wrist rest that provides a touch more desk space than you might expect. It has green backlighting on the keys which is customizable between three levels. It looks appealing, and the option to choose a steady or a pulsing light allows for further personalization. The keyboard itself is subtle compared to other Razer keyboard models and has a sleek feel to it.
Razer BlackWidow X Tournament Edition Chroma
The last keyboard on our list is none other than the Razer BlackWidow. It’s a mouthful, but that seems fitting because it’s also a pretty unique keyboard in the world of gaming. Its military-grade construction and clicky keys alone make it a valuable option.
The Tournament Edition refers to the fact that it’s a compact keyboard, and the standard ten-key. Like the standard BlackWidow, it has a flat deck, and the keys pop out on top. It also has programmable lighting, which is the case for most Razer keyboards in 2018. The basic design is standard for a Razer board but it has an industrial, angular aesthetic. Featuring the gaming software Synapse, this creates an impressive gaming experience throughout its lifetime. Make full use of this gaming software and make sure you spend some time setting up a full profile before using it.
It’s a Fun Gaming Experience
The switches for the keys are green, which means they’re both tactile and clicky. They’re like the Cherry MX blue in terms of reset distance, actuation force, actuation point, and travel distance. They performed well with 80 million actuations, while MX blue is at 50 million. This modest actuation level reduces the overall sound too.
Some of the superfluous features aren’t included as this is a tournament-style keyboard. You won’t find a pass-through for audio or USB, and there aren’t dedicated buttons for features. However, the function key allows for most of the things that would have dedicated keys, so that isn’t a huge problem. The buttons respond quickly and efficiently, so a gamer doesn’t have to wait for the buttons to return to the surface before inputting again.
The function key allows for most of the things that would normally have dedicated keys, so that isn’t a huge problem.
Razer Huntsman V2
One of the newest and most innovative mechanical keyboards out there is the Huntsman V2 from Razer. This stunning piece of tech includes a lot of options that gamers and even regular users will find useful in one way or another.
For example, most people’s basic gripe with mechanical keyboards is the sound. If you live with a roommate, then you know how uncomfortable it can be for you to type during the night when they’re sleeping. Well, the Razer Huntsman V2 tackles this issue with sound-dampening foam that greatly reduces the noise you’re going to make when typing.
Another satisfying addition is the multi-function digital dial with four multimedia keys to boot. With this dial, you can configure the keys to pause, play, skip, and tweak everything from brightness to volume. You can also save presets and macros to access and switch between them a lot easier on the fly. Furthermore, the double-shot PBT keycaps are harder and more durable than ABS plastic. They won’t wear down to a shiny finish and have labels that will never fade thanks to their double-shot molding process.
Razer Tartarus V2
It’s not your typical keyboard at all – and we don’t recommend it for anything other than gaming, and even then you shouldn’t use it by itself. However, paired with another trustworthy Razer keyboard, the Tartarus V2 brings an amazing experience. It’s like a keyboard, mouse, and controller all built into a single piece of flawless hardware.
With 32 fully programmable buttons, a scroll wheel, and a handy 8-way directional thumbpad, the Razer Tartarus V2 allows you to take your MMOs and other fast-paced games to the next level. You’ll never have to reach out too far to cast that pesky spell ever again, as it will be at your fingertips – quite literally.
Buyer’s Guide
Membrane or Mechanical Keyboard?
Numerous features make a great gaming keyboard, and some are more important than others. Another thing that matters is the option of membrane vs. mechanical keyboards. With membrane keyboards, an electrical current runs through two plastic membranes. Mechanical keyboards are more like typewriters, with a switch underneath each keycap.
Backlighting Options
Keyboards typically come with either full RGB backlighting, single-color backlighting, or no backlighting at all. This feature is more of a personal preference rather than a hard and fast rule as far as what’s best. However, if you plan to game in the dark, having at least a single color for illumination is a good choice.
How to Customize Your Razer Chroma Keyboard
There are numerous ways to enhance your Razer Chroma keyboard and adapt the tactile technology to suit you.
First, download the Razer Chroma Synapse software. Once downloaded, you can create multiple profiles to customize the keyboard, such as lighting. Choose an effect for the backlit mechanical gaming keyboard and play around with the brightness and light timing.
After this step, you can customize even further by adjusting the patterns, color layers, and timing. In total, there are 16.8 million colors to choose from, which is more than enough to keep you busy for a while.
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