We take a look at the Razer wireless keyboard, one of the company’s strongest pieces with a variety of wireless connection options.
Razer used to be the RGB company, the one that PC accessory beginners turned to, attracted by colorful designs and cool product names like “Black Shark” or “Ultimate Viper.” Razer has apparently gotten tired of focusing on this first-time audience and has started to release more elegant, austere and practical products a while ago. With the Blackwidow v3 Pro, Razer attacks the market that is looking for the most complete keyboard possible: wireless, capable of controlling our entertainment, full of keys and with high-end switches. Have they succeeded?
Sky-high functionality
If this keyboard stands out in something, it is in the amount of things it can do, starting with how it connects to our computer. With a switch on the left side of the keyboard we can comfortably switch between Bluetooth or 2.4 Ghz, allowing us to easily switch between using our keyboard with our work laptop and our personal computer, something more than useful in this period of teleworking. To achieve the most precise connection and the lowest latency we will use the 2.4 Ghz mode through the USB connector that we can comfortably store in the lower part of the keyboard. In our personal experience wireless playability thanks to Razer Hyperspeed Wireless technology is virtually indistinguishable from playability when connected by USB-C, having tested the keyboard extensively in games like Counter Strike or DjMax Respec V.
The Blackwidow v3 pro also has four multimedia buttons to control all our entertainment, an upper row of keys with which we can activate various functionalities such as macros or gaming mode and a full numeric keyboard. We find it difficult to think of missing functions that are not superfluous, making this keyboard an excellent companion for our productivity. To this we must add a series of additional possibilities such as configuring our RGB at will (which now benefits from transparent switches under each key) or creating even more complex macros thanks to Razer Synapse. Fortunately, Razer no longer forces us to keep this program installed to use our profiles, which allows more discerning users to uninstall it to prevent compatibility issues.
Good design, aspects that could be improved
Our specimen is equipped with green switches that “click” when pressed so this will be the variant that we will analyze. In the future we would like to test the yellow switches to be able to test the quality of the typing experience, but in the meantime let’s talk about these green ones. First of all say that the aforementioned “click” we like. Compared to other keyboards that we have tested, this “click” is somewhat more pronounced without being exaggeratedly loud. The force needed to press the switches all the way along with the little touch of tactility experienced before releasing the key makes the experience somewhat rough to play and our fingers tire quickly in more active keyboard games.
This would perhaps make you think that the keyboard would be optimal for working or typing but unfortunately there are still some aspects to be polished in this regard. The stabilizers in particular leave a lot to be desired, for example, when pressing the space bar like crazy, we not only hear the wanted “click” but also a background sound similar to frantically shaken maracas. This affects all keys that have more than one space on the keyboard and is the main problem that Razer should solve without increasing the price of the keyboard too much. We’d also like to see some kind of fix for the excessive “ping” that is heard every time we press a key. There will be those who bring nostalgia remembering the old IBM keyboards but in our opinion the keyboard would sound better with some type of material inside to reduce this effect.
Finally, we would like to commend that the upper part of the keyboard is made of aluminum and it represents an important step towards the legitimacy of Razer in the market for premium keyboards. It helps a solid typing experience, decreases typing errors, and increases the resonance of pleasant keyboard sounds. We are a bit disappointed that the base is made of plastic given the price of the keyboard but we can say that it is practically impossible to bend and in our experience the plastic used by the company is usually quite durable. The wrist rest is another aspect that could be improved, being somewhat less wide and thick than what we personally prefer, which makes it conform too much to our wrists.
In short, the Blackwidow v3 Pro is a pretty good keyboard if we need something complete and round with which to work and play, especially if we need the best wireless technology. Its range of features and functionality keep it on par with the competition, although the experience of the green switches for gaming is not ideal. A couple of tweaks here and there and perhaps a slightly more expensive price would make Razer really start to enter the premium market but in the meantime what we have here is perfectly adequate and one of the best options if we want a good wireless keyboard.
THE BEST
- Excellent wireless technology
- Bluetooth and 2.4 Ghz
- Aluminum top
- Multimedia buttons
WORST
- The typing experience leaves something to be desired
- Green switches are too heavy to play
