Razer Huntsman V2 Analog – Premium Gaming Keyboard
Razer Huntsman V2 Analog – Premium Gaming Keyboard with Analog Optical Switches (Ergonomic Wrist Rest, Digital Rotary Control, 4 Media Keys, RGB Chroma) UK Layout | Black
CALIBRATE. CONTROL. CONQUER.
Razer Huntsman V2 Analog
Enter a higher dimension of control with the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog—our first analog optical gaming keyboard. Armed with every feature you’d expect from a top-of-the-line design, you’ll want for nothing in your pursuit of victory.
Doubleshot PBT Keycaps – Sturdy, Textured Finish
Harder and more durable than ABS, these tough keycaps won’t wear down to a shiny finish and have labels which will never fade thanks to their doubleshot molding process.
Razer Chroma RGB – Per-Key Lighting and Underglow
With 16.8 million colors and a suite of effects, sync its keys and underglow with the rest of your battlestation, and enjoy greater immersion as it dynamically reacts with over 150 integrated games.
Magnetic Plush Leatherette Wrist Rest
Featuring Razer Chroma RGB underglow, the soft, cushioned wrist support magnetically snaps to the keyboard to relieve pressure on your wrists, so you feel less fatigued when gaming over long periods.
Multi-Function Digital Dial and 4 Media Keys
Configure them to pause, play, skip and tweak everything from brightness to volume—the ultimate convenience as you enjoy your entertainment.
USB 3.0 Passthrough
Instead of reaching over to your rig to plug in a device, you can connect it conveniently to your PC via a USB port in the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog.
A NEW DIMENSION OF CONTROL
Razer Analog Optical Switch
With the ability to measure the exact amount of light that goes through the switch stem, Razer Analog Optical Switches can detect how far a key is pressed instead of being restricted to a traditional binary input.
Adjustable Actuation – Choose How You Play
With an actuation range of 1.5 to 3.6 mm, Razer Analog Optical Switches can be adjusted via Razer Synapse to meet your preference—offering different kinds of benefits at every height.
Analog Input – Finer Movement Control
If you’ve ever used an analog thumbstick, you’ll know how intuitive and nuanced in-game movement feels —the more the stick is pushed, the faster you go or steeper the turn, and vice versa.
Dual-Step Actuation – Streamline Your Actions
Razer Analog Optical Switches can register two actions in one keypress, cutting down on the number of inputs you need to make so that your precision is cleaner and quicker.
| Weight: | 2.27 kg |
| Dimensions: | 48.6 x 19.9 x 9.1 cm; 2.27 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Razer |
| Model: | RZ03-03610300-R3W1 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Razer |
| Dimensions: | 48.6 x 19.9 x 9.1 cm; 2.27 Kilograms |
This is a beautiful keyboard whichever way you look at it. It doesn’t have that gamer look like other razer products or other brands for which it is appreciated. The palm rest is very comfortable, and if you don’t want it, you can take it off. The multimedia keys are great, and the volume wheel is metallic which feels really nice.
The touch of the keys is extremely soft, “buttery smooth”. It has stabilizers on each of the keys, and it shows. You can also notice the speed with respect to MX, the reaction is very good, and for FPS, these are the best you can buy.
Pros:
1. Modern and compact design.
2. Removable USB-C cable
3. PBT keycaps are really high quality
4. Linear switches offer more travel than mechanical switches.
5. Ultra fast Response
Cons:
1. They’re so loud.
2. Sensitive implementation which leads to too many typos
In summary, I recommend this keyboard only for playing games, I do not recommend it to people who write a lot, who do not know how to get used to a linear switch or who live with other people because of excessive noise.
Pro gamers keyboard
This keyboard is fantastic, the build quality is second to none. It stands out for both style and reliability with its illuminated keys and many lighting options to complement any computer system. The keyboard is perfect for typing and gaming, it’s ultra-responsive, smooth and comfortable to use, especially with the palm rest. You can customise and optimise the gaming experience to suit your playstyle, It can mirror the movement of a joystick. Overall this is a premium gaming keyboard, although expensive, it’s worth every penny.
I’m a touch typist as well as a gamer; the keys on this unit are up there in terms of touch typing, and defo top of the tree for gaming.
The keyboard doesn’t come with a wrist-rest that it really needs in my opinion, luckily the Glorious Gaming GSW-75 COMPACT SLIM KEYBOARD WRIST REST suits and fits this keyboard perfectly.
If you want the best touch-typing keyboard, then the Razer Ornata V2 is the best there is. (I can sustain 120 WPM and can only do it on the Ornata).
Overall though, Razer Synaps (version 2 and 3) are really really unrealisable, badly designed and their USB drivers will regularly blue screen your windows machine. So yea, while the keyboard is great, the software greatly lets it down, I’d still recommend the keyboard because no other brand comes close, but yea, it’s annoying using unreliable software, and Razer’s tech-support is next to useless. They always just tell you to reinstall their software every time, then ignore you, they refuse to acknowledge any bugs what-so-eve. For example, the Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition is completely technically faulty – all the keys get double-strikes, so they just dumped them on the market and then ignored any complaints.
Many Pros, Some Cons
Lets try to unpack my experience with this incredible keyboard which I have been using in the last couple of weeks.
Pros:
– The overall design of this Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is amazing, there is colour cohesion and all components are well-integrated to create a solid look.
– The RGB features along with the software support are top-notch. Several customizability features to play with and different colour configurations to meet different game profiles or workflows.
– Analog is the future. Switches are very sensitive as they are no longer made solely for clicks, but rather to account for the type of the click initiated (soft click would result in slower action compared to a medium press or full press). So far it worked for games that support Analog, and yes it does work for CS GO.
– The next pro would be the result of analogue. This feature gives huge advantage in competitive multiplayer games, as you can adjust the curve to achieve higher speeds in ‘shift mode’ (CS GO) with or without weapon. This feature means that you would reach places faster compared to another player who uses a digital keyboard. It also means that you can maintain good aim and low recoil at higher speeds.
– The cushion is simply amazing. Probably the best I ever tried. The ability to attach it to the keyboard and the RGB features that come with it makes it far better than any other cushion in the market as far as what I know.
– Incredible software support, sturdy design and build quality, and impressive customization features for macros and profiles.
Cons:
– Switches are small. I don’t have the biggest fingers out there. In terms of size I would say I wear size M gloves. So my hands aren’t that big. Still I feel the switches are small compared to many other keyboards I tried in the past two years. I feel that the keyboard’s size is so big but the switches are small. It requires some getting used to.
– The keyboard is heavy, thick, and bulky. I understand that the analogue technology might have added to this bulkiness but it is considerably heavier than other keyboards, so if weight and portability are an issue for you please consider this.
– Cables are a pain. They are thick and just ugly. They affect the overall look of the keyboard and the look of my desk. This packs two cables which need to be attached to two ports, quite a pain.
– Loud, Loud, Loud. Does it make someone in the same room lose sleep? Yes, based on experience.
Verdict: This is a gaming keyboard par excellence. Performance and RGB features are favoured over other things. If you don’t mind the cons mentioned above then this keyboard will be the best option to go for. A lot to offer, and nothing to complain about in terms of performance.
best typing and gaming experience we've had in a long time
I really love Razer products; they are a well-known brand now for gaming gadgets. I’ve a Razer headphone and mouse, they have the same design as this keyboard, and they look like all was bought in a set.
Love the modern stylish design with UK layout. The connectivity is sorted via a single USB-C or USB 3.0 connection, both connections were built in via two corded wires. Was easy to set it up, I just had to plug it into my computer and it’s ready to use The RGB coloured backlit with 16.8 million colours and a suite of effects is so cool. For a full customisation needed to download the Razer synapse software which allows to customise the colours many other things. I had not played too much for this software as I think is a bit overcomplicated, but this might be just me. In the top right corner, you have the same media controls as the last few top-of-the-line Razer keyboards: A set of rounded, dedicated media buttons, and a clickable volume wheel with an exposed edge for easy turning. One of the best features is the magnetically detachable wrist rest pad. It has the same RGB led rim around just like the keyboard and when it’s attached to the keyboard the rim around the pad also turns on.
Overall, I’m happy with this keyboard, it’s a great addition to my gaming set, feels great to type and play game with it, the only negative part I’ve found is that the space between the keys is a little bit bigger than I’m used to it and so many dirt and dust trapped between the keys all the time
It is not entirely perfect keyboard, they still have to improve on the Synapse software to be a bit more user friendly, but I do like it, perfect for any gamers. Its not a cheap keyboard at all, but you get what you pay for: quality, modern design, functionality and lots of customisation trough the dedicated software, once you’ve figured out how to do.
Before you order this keyboard: Read this review Best on the market!
I’m not too much of a gaming fan but my son definitely is, and he was over the moon when I told him that I had ordered this keyboard for him. This Razer Huntsman V2 Analog keyboard is pretty popular, and I have seen many people using it, so I was sure it was going to be great. For a professional gaming keyboard, it is a bit pricier than others, but the quality is definitely amazing and totally worth it.
It was delivered the next day and the packaging was really great. It comes in very long and quite wide packaging so make sure you have enough room for it. Before even plugging it in it looked amazing and it is quite big. I love the fact that there is a wrist rest built-in on the keyboard and it is quite large actually and is almost the same size as the keyboard itself. I love the fact that this is magnetic and removable as well so it can be used by different people to suit their likings. It is also leather meaning it is very comfortable and nice to use.
The RGB lighting is SO nice and I really love it. It makes it more of a gaming keyboard and it makes it look much more professional and worth the price. They are quite bright, and the keys also light up as well which helps make it easier to see. I ordered the black colour and I personally like that the most, but there is a selection of different colours you can order this keyboard in, as well as different sizes and styles so you can really order this keyboard in whatever style, size and colour you prefer since there are a lot of choices.
The keys are quite clicky which I and my son personally like. The keys are very sturdy, and they are a good size each as well. At the top right corner, there are 4 media keys that I haven’t seen in other gaming keyboards. What they do is you can configure them to play, pause, skip and more to things like the brightness and the volume, which is a clever and quick way of doing what you want.
The overall performance is really great, and you really can’t go wrong with this keyboard. I love everything about it, there are so many colours, different settings, and a nice wrist rest as well. My son said that this keyboard is definitely an upgrade to the keyboard he used to use before, and I agree with that 100%.
Overall, a really fantastic keyboard that my son loved using, it is great in every aspect and the quality is brilliant. Definitely worth the price. If you are looking for a gaming keyboard then I highly recommend this one.
Razer Huntsman an outstanding keyboard that is worth the price
Razer Huntsman an outstanding keyboard that is worth the price, the quality does just the price tag. If you like a clicky keyboard, this is right up your street. Its not for a quiet workspace, but for your home gamer its perfect. The wrist rest along with the rest of the keyboard is very good
Is the Huntsman V2 Analog really worth it??
There are so many factors that determine a high quality keyboard and I’m hoping this review will help you determine whether or not you should buy it…
Firstly, the leather wrist pad is absolutely incredible. The (artificial) leather is very smooth to the touch and has the razer logo imprinted in the centre; a beautifully done aesthetic touch. The padding is very comfortable and plush, providing both comfort and support for those longer gaming (or general use) hours. I love that it has a magnetic clip that allows you to remove it if you don’t require it; but also, it allows the LED lights to continue to flow around the wrist pad too!
The keys have a nice sounding clicking sound, thanks to the use of Razer Analog Optical Switches. I have included a video of the noise it makes, it isn’t load like other gaming keyboards in the market, yet it is ultra responsive. I will say that the lighting is fantastic and can be adjusted from 0-100% brightness at any time and the rate of the animations you select can be altered too all directly from the Razer Synapse application (free on PC/Mac).
You can also customise each individual key as well as its animation, everything you would expect from a premium keyboard. The keys have a lovely curve that makes typing feel so much more comfortable and natural. I love the music control feature on the top right of the keyboard, which allows you to alter volume of music with a roll of the wheel. You also have the option of pausing, skipping tracks or going back/repeating tracks. All at a click of a button which are easily accessible and also illuminated.
I wish that this keyboard had a wireless feature as it requires a USB type C (or) USB 3.0 plug to be able to use. Unless you have excellent cable management, these wires will occupy some space on your desk/workspace so do keep this in mind.
Overall, this is an excellent performing Keyboard and truly pushes boundaries for what a keyboard is capable of. Would recommend for both gamers and anyone who fancies some lights on their keyboard. 5 stars.
Thank you for reading my honest review, I hope you found it helpful! 🙂
Great for my gaming set up
I got this to use with my new gaming set up, I currently play a number of PC games and suffer from wrist problems with the current keyboard I am using.
This one comes with comfy wrist support which since using I have seen a big improvement in the pain I would get after a session of gaming.
The LED lights are really bright and look fantastic when being used along with the under glow lights across the front of the wrist support, This is very easy to connect being magnetic itself.
The keys are very easy to use and are not loud like some I have used in the past, there is also multi function digital dials which is perfect for when listening to music and much more.
The wiring is durable and would not be easily damaged if accidently trapped or caught thanks to its protective braided cable.
Overall I am very happy with this.
Joy to use
This keyboard really is the rolls Royce of gaming keyboards. I love everything about it. It looks great- the coloured lights add a great effect and it has a very plush wrist rest which helps stop fatigue. The keys are very responsive and it is a joy to use. It also has a multi function digital dial and 4 media keys which is really convenient. I found it very easy to set up with my windows computer.
Amazing keyboard with anaolgue mechanical keys and brilliant oftware suppo
It’s hard to tell you how good this keybaord is. When you look at the price you might dismiss spending this kind of money but this is a very premium keyboard and one of the best on the market and until you have used it, you won’t understand why.
For me, although I play some games on my computer, was the mechanical keyboard. It’s the tactle feeling of using a mechanical keybaord which makes me enjoy typing on these type rather than spongey cheaper ones. A lof of thought has gone into the switching system, when you press a key, you know you have pressed it. The keys are pressure sensitive so ideal for gaming and you don’t have to worry about latency. These keys are anaolgue so they have infinite levels of sensitivity unlike digital where its either on or off.
The LED lights are impressive however I have a cheaper chinese keyboard that does this but I prefer the software on this because it allows you to customise the settings. You can set effects or colours to individual keys, and the deck and wrist rest carry 40 individual lighting zones total.Razer’s Synapse software is easy to use and you can map your keyboard like you can with a gaming controller. Some of the analogue keybord features requires games that support it, unfortunately I don’t play that many games so I did not have any that supported it.
Build quality is brillaint , its has thick, braided fiber cable for connections and has a USB passthrough port too. Being USB-C it includes a USB-C to USB-A adapter in the box for older gaming rigs. I love the media buttons where you can rewind, play/pause, fast forward and chnage the volume using the volume wheel/mute button. The keys are nicely spaced out as well.
This is truely the best gaming keybaord on the market. If you are a true gamer then it’s a great investment for your gaming rig, if you are just the oaccasional gamer then this is overkill. It looks and performs amazingly and until you have used it it’s hard to explain why but I can see why the price tag is high now I have used it.
Best gaming keyboard around
As always razer are my go to when it comes to gaming essentials! And this keyboard if your looking for that click sound then this is the one for you.
This is a well build keyboard. Looks good feels good. Make work an play so much fun. The wrist rest is very comfortable. Customizable keys are fantastic. Takes a little bit of getting use to bit the UIO is very friendly. Yes it carries a large price tag, but if you are a gamer and can afford it you should by it. The proof is in the pudding as they say and ohhhhh boy what a pudding this is….. Buy Buy Buy
best on market ummmmm?
azer huntsman t.e – great keyboard, keys require little actuation in order to respond, i moved from corsair and i hands down think this keyboard is better than corsair range of keyboard and logitechs flagship g-romer keys.. it’s astonishingly quick
con – they are so sensitive you accidentally press some keys
Very comfortable to use - looks/feels amazing.
I bought this keyboard as an upgrade to my RAZER Blackwidow V1.
Pros
-Very ergonomic, very comfortable to use, especially with the wrist rest.
-Nice subtle clicky sound when typing – its not as loud as the Blackwidow, seems to have a more refined clicking noise which I prefer.
– Very responsive .
– Underglow feature is very good.
– Build quality.
Cons
– Would’ve liked the height to be more adjustable.
– Wrist rest could be a little bit deeper in my opinion.
– Light leakage between the ‘lock’ keys
But overall a very good keyboard, keys feel much nicer to type with and the build quality being mostly metal, and high quality plastics is amazing – I love this keyboard, and would recommend to others looking to upgrade their keyboard.
This keyboard is my very first keyboard which is mechanical. I am switching from a standard business keyboard, the Logitech k120.
As soon as I started using it i had noticed that the keyboard was extremely sensitive as even the slightest of brushes against another key as I type a different key would also activate this. Since I came from a keyboard which was more stiff and required more pressure to activate, this is a big change.
I had noticed that the lighting does not fully go through some of the keys, especially on the enter key. Visually this is annoying however the brightness is more than enough to see the keys. I found setting up the keyboard and setting the RGB lighting very easy along with figuring out how to use the functions of the keyboard which is extensive compared to my old keyboard.
the build and feel of the keyboard is good when typing however it does make quite a loud ‘clickity clack’ sound when in use which does not bother me much but may bother other. comfortable to use when typing and fast responses when in games.
This keyboard is great!
I love this keyboard for gaming and typing i recommend it fully as I think it is the best keyboard in the world. I have used many other high end keyboards and this has been the most enjoyable one to use by far! I cannot give my opinion for other keyboards like the Ducky 1 two mini because I havent used it yet but from other reviews online the Ducky 1 two mini is no match for this keyboard. Also, I purchased a Steelseries Apex Series 7 for around 150 and it was worth the price tag but the Razer Huntsman Mini is cheaper and it is better in my personal opinion. If you are thinking about purchasing this keyboard for yourself or for someone else as a gift, I highly recommend doing it because this keyboard is perfect for gaming and even for typing.
This keyboard gets 5 stars for me!!
Great keyboard, check carefully if you buy from Amazon warehouse
1st one of these I received from Amazon warehouse was meant to be a return with some packaging damage. Keyboard had seen heavy usage, with clearly visible wear to the keys and spacebar. Red LED had failed on the Z & X keys, so unless pure blue or green those keys were not coloured properly and if red, no light at all… Amazon were as usual, good at arranging return. Ordered a second which was described “As new” (less expensive than the 1st curiously) initially did not have high hopes as the rigid clear plastic cover which covers the keyboard in the pack and allows testing of the arrows keys was not there, with the keyboard in clear plastic bag and USB covers missing. No worries however, immaculate unused keyboard with all keys lighting up as they should came out of the box. Happy to have saved a not insignificant sum on an expensive item, I use Amazon Warehouse often and this is the 1st time I have received something which was so clearly used and defective, decent customer service and a fresh replacement means I am happy in the end, typing this review on it.
Very Impressive
I have been gaming since I was little and never have I used a product so tailored to my needs, they may be better keyboards out there that I have not experienced, but compared to other keyboards I have used in the past, this is by far the most premium and well designed.
Stylish, comfortable, practical and expensive
I upgraded from the cynosa v2 because I didn’t like the membrane style keys and I am not disappointed, this is such a beautiful keyboard with an amazing typing feel. The spacing between the keys is quite a big deal for me because my hands are big and I can’t get on with small peripherals because of this, I won’t be having this issue with the optomechanical switches. Its a bit pricey but the chroma rgb along the sides is basically what made me pick this over the blackwidow elite
Should have mentioned it earlier on, but the built quality is good, nice heavy board with a good quality wrist wres
Worth i
I went for the US linear huntsman mini and it’s beautiful. The RGB looks beautiful and hasn’t failed me yet. Personal preference for the size but it’s perfect for a smaller compact set up or even a large set up if you just want to have a cleaner set up. Very nice feel to the switches and made to a very good standard. Not a single complaint about it ye
Excellent keyboard but can cause audio issues with USB headphones
Excellent keyboard, quite loud but not in a negative way, if you’re looking to buy this keyboard then you’re probably after a mechanical keyboard with a nice click sound. The typing experience is very nice, there is a definite responsiveness advantage over my old razer deathstalker. The lighting is bright and vivid and creates a lovely underglow, the inclusion of a wrist rest is nice too which is very plush and the lighting on it is a very nice feature over other keyboards. The only issue I have with this keyboard is the requirement of 2 USB plugs. The keyboard uses quite of a lot of power with the lights on max brightness, especially when set to brighter colours. This shouldn’t be an issue for most people but I did find it caused a slight buzz in my headphones due to the amount if high powered USB devices I use. A simple solution was to reduce my power usage by turning my DAC to a low gain setting. However this issue does seem common with a quick google search. I also own an x570 ASUS strix Gaming motherboard which is quite a high quality motherboard so to overcome the USB hardware seems quite poor. I only have a mouse keyboard, mic and small DAC/AMP for my headphones plugged into my computer which seems quite average for any gamer with a half decent setup.
I’d definitely be aware of this issue if you have a lower quality motherboard or already use high power USB devices but for most people it should be a non issue.
Excellent product.
Bought as a Christmas gift for my 18 year old son. He loves the razer products and had been wanting a new keyboard for a while. He kept looking at the blackwidow range as they were a cheaper option, but he had let slip that the hunstman elite was the top of the range so we surprised him. He is not disappointed. The keyboard is fantastic in his words! Its expensive but worth the money and even better if can be bought on sale.
WOW
So I’ve been a tight Yorkshire man with keyboards all my life. And finally stretched out to get a decent keyboard, both for gaming and work.
I love clickey keyboards, and this is no exception. The keys are super light too, so, If like me, you type reports at 80wpm AND game for hours, it’s the perfect option.
The chroma interface is amazing, when I’m listening to music you can control using the hot keys for play/skip and change volume, but you can also have the keyboard colours adapting to the sound. I’ve got a keyboard, mouse and headset stand that all sync up.
Would defiantly buy agai
Good mechanical keyboard for playing games
I bought this keyboard after my Razer Cynosa Chroma broke. I decided I wanted a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard (keyboard without number pad) so I bought this. This keyboard has Razer’s opto-mechanical switches which leads to a faster key press response time, you can program macros into the keyboard using the Razer synapse and it has full RGB too. If you have heavy fingers like I do then you will find that you will accidentally make key presses you weren’t intending on making which can be highly frustrating during a game. Overall, I would highly recommend this keyboard to anyone looking to buy a pre-made mechanical keyboard.
Decent overall
So overall the keyboard is very good and has been performing to my expectations. It is easy to set custom macro’s and so on with razer synapse which also makes it easy to pair to games so you don’t have to keep swapping profiles.
My gripes with it are as following;
-The click of the keys are fairly loud (however it doesn’t bother me much).
-The wrist rest could have a bit more cushion in it.
-it is hard to see the secondary key function markings most of the time.
-I do not know if this is a problem only I have but the sleep function key stops working and I have to keep resetting the settings.
Worth buying if it fits your budge
Excellent keyboard, worth the price. use it daily and it met my expectations. Great for gaming as well as daily use.
The included wrist wrest is a nice feature for ergonomic use. It has RGB under lighting so that’s a nice touch.
Media Controls are great, love the volume control dial.
If you happen to be using a mac, please note that on board memory does not include the light effects however you can still use lighting effects using the 3rd party software RazerMacOS
Fantastic keyboard, but needs two USB ports
Amazing keyboard, love the click of the keys. very precise. The Chroma lighting is exceptional and I like the fact the wrist rest also lights up (which is why you need 2 x USB ports to connect it). A breeze to configure in Synapse and really like the function keys also. I was going to get the Blackwidow V3 pro, but having watched and read some reviews, I didnt want to worry about the battery life. This is my new favourite keyboard.
Excellent keyboard; arrived unpackaged
Amazing keyboard. feels expensive, looks expensive, sounds expensive. Lighting is amazing and so is the software. The keyboard arrived in its original packaging, not in cardboard or covered at all (could’ve been easily stolen.) box was slightly damaged. I don’t know if this is because I was with premium delivery or not.
HONEST & DETAILED FULL REVIEW (POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES)
TL;DL : I would buy this keyboard but it does come at a hefty price. I have not tested alternatives around the price range or just cheaper but I can assume that they would offer very similar quality and ergonomic comfort for cheaper.
Main Review:
I’ve been reading many positive and negative reviews on this keyboard and I want to solve some of the comments stated about this keyboard.
Firstly, the keyboard is amazing. The comfort, ergonomics, key response, and RGB are beautiful and definitely live up to expectations for a premium keyboard.
There are three slight negatives with this keyboard that are a little inconvenient but don’t render the keyboard unusable and therefore needing replacement.
Firstly, the mechanical keys are very loud. Especially if you are an evening or all-nighter gamer you may get some complaints from sleeping family members Futhermore, with a decent noise cancelling headset I can’t seem to hear the keys and if I can it is ever so slightly and wouldn’t be enough to disrupt my music, voice comms, or game sound (just my opinion) Saying that, it is a mechanical keyboard so this loudness from the keys should be expected; don’t buy any mechanical keyboard if this is an issue for you.
Secondly, the wrist support is really comfortable and the RGB border around it is a very nice touch. It is detachable and connects to the main keyboard via magnetic pins (similar to the ones used for charging Bluetooth earphones). I’ve never had an issue with the pins failing in two years. What I will say is that the wrist rest can slightly dislodge from these pins and therefore looses connectively to the main keyboard (shown by the RBG lighting switching off). This is very rare and also causes a very complained about issue in the native comments for this keyboard. The key repeating issue where the key clicked lags and then repeats around 5-10 times (e.g. “hiiiiiiii”) is caused by the wrist rest being slightly connected to the keyboard but not ‘properly’ connected. to the point where the RGB lighting is ON. Hopefully I have explained that clearly, if you disconnect the wrist rest and reconnect it properly this keyboard repeating will disappear. Saying all this, the disconnecting of the wrist rest happens so rarely that I don’t find it an issue at all but yet again I’m not too fussy. I can definitely imagine that this could annoy people out there especially when buying a premium keyboard.
To conclude, it is an amazing mechanical keyboard that has so much potential if these small defects are fixed. Doesn’t seem like a newly fixed model is going to be released which is disappointing because if it was I’d properly say it was the best out there!
Thanks for reading. Hope this review helped you to fix any issues or make up your mind on this keyboard.
It is not wireless!!!
I am writing this review right now to warn anyone like me who forgot that the most important thing you might want to know is, this a WIRED keyboard.
I have Anne Pro 2 which made me think that all 60% keyboards are also wireless. I need all usb ports in my laptop so this will not be my go to when going out with laptop.
FASTEST KEYBOARD IN THE WORLD
This keyboard right here is probably one of the best keyboards the actuation of it is 1.00mm very fast the keycaps are nice and YOU CAN CUSTOMISE IT! i also bought Tai-Hao pink rubber keycaps and it is very nice with it.
Had the Logitech G15 full length Keyboard with 16 G macro keys down the side for many years then decided to get a new keyboard. Decided to get this keyboard as it caught my attention as I quite like the small form factor and obviously the clickiness of the switch keys.
First impression, It’s small and really good built quality, It has some weight due to the amount of tech inside and the material used.
For Gaming, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m a casual gamer but do play hours on end and I have to admit that it’s fast and accurate keypresses. the clickiness makes gaming experience better in a physiological way, doesn’t improve gaming but it’s choir for your ears.
The Function keys are still there hidden along the number keys, the dedicated FN keys disables the number keys and unlocks your F keys. when you press FN, it will disable the RBG lighting and turn the other keys white which basically means you can use the arrow keys and F keys and other keys like Del, Print Screen, Media controls and Volume but unfortunately that you need to keep it pressed down if you use it all the time but I’m sure there is a way to make it stick by using the Synapse software.
I adore this product and has made so much room on my table that I can put more stuff on the table.
Where do I start, this keyboard is a 60 percent Razer keyboard with Double Shot PBT keycaps for a sturdy and durable gaming experience. They feel really nice whilst playing and are oil resistant so if your having a snack or something at your desk there will be no oil shining on the keycaps so it’s really durable. It comes with a detachable type C cable to type A USB and if you have your own type c cables that you’d prefer to use then you have that option but otherwise it comes with a nice and luxurious cable on stock.
Let’s talk about those switches… It’s a Purple Opto-mechanical keyboard switch with an actuation at 1.5 mm with 45 grams of force for actuation but it’s an optical switch so it’s a lot faster and durable than a traditional mechanical switch as it has a durability of up to 100million keystrokes for each key and it’s actuated by a light beam that has 0ms denounce delay so it’s extremely fast! Overall the switches sound amazing for me it has a little bit of a pinging noise but it does not affect be in game and it isn’t that loud and disturbing up to where I know from the one that I got.
Overall this keyboard is a great keyboard to the touch and I highly recommend this keyboard for anybody and it’s a lot cheaper than what is really is in Razer’s actual website and store. Hope you enjoyed the review and have a good day/evening/night 🙂
The best mechanical keyboard
I didn’t see the allure of mechanical keyboards until this arrived as a present for my gamer grandson. He loves it, and now I want one. He told me all the benefits and after testing it extensively and he said it was the best. It’s not just the clicky lack of the keys, it’s the action, response and straight action (no pivot or rocking). But it sounds old school.
Another Great KB from Raze
Was a little on the fence about buying this as its was quite expensive for a keyboard and it had different lights to my old razer KB, But the main LED’s are bright and can been seen clearly at night and daytime, only gripe is the sub characters like !”$%^&*( are not lit up with the rest of the keys, the under glow effect is cool and all but only adds to the unicorn puke that is RGB adds noting extra to the overall functionality of it. If you don’t mind loosing the multi media keys ,the RGB under glow and the wrist rest get the standard huntsman. The switches are very responsive as well (imo) but that could just be a placebo effec
Great keyboard love i
Perfect keyboard. I play on low sensitivity so needed to have a compact keyboard so I don’t bop my mouse into my board. 10/10. LEDs are also great really can’t promise the design enough. Also relatively quiet.
I Love i
I have purchased this keyboard reluctantly, as I wanted Razer Chroma V2 due to RGB instead. I couldn’t make a better decision. Razer Huntsman Elite was a bit overpriced but totally worth it.
Not only RGB live up to any standard I had, but also once I have replaced the keys on the Keyboard for about 20, the RGB is so intense, I am very very happy with the purchase.
I never had a mechanical keyboard but I fell in love instantly, each click is music for my ears. Totally recommend it to anybody who wants a good mechanical keyboard, just change the keys as you may be disappointed how much the black keys absorb RGB.
Like i
Solid keyboard from Razer. I don’t know how much the light switcher matter, I can’t really tell any difference. The keyboard is slightly less clicky, but not by much. The spacebar is the worse offender, it is very loud compared to the keys. I like the build quality and form factor better than the black widow. Laptop like media keys are accessible via Fn key, and get special lighting to guide you. RGB lighting is as you would expected from Razer, fully customizable effects via the software. As is with other Razer products, effects are not stored and controlled by the keyboard itself. It all done by the software, and you need it installed, otherwise you get boring 1 color changes. This is probably my biggest gripe with Razer products. I would like to see at least some simple effect customization is on keyboard only for when you don’t have the software.
Far better than I could have expected.
Bought this after my beloved SteelSeries Apex M800 died after 5 years and finding a replacement was not happening, and I’m really glad I made the jump to Razer.
Pros
+ The feeling and the click of a keypress is the most satisfying on any keyboard I have ever used. Really a delight to feel and hear.
+The response time is incredible, one of the fastest I’ve used.
+The build quality is solid and doesn’t seem to mark.
+Very easy to clean, even getting cat hair out is a quick half a second job.
+Keyboard itself looks really nice.
+RGB appearance and high amount of customisation is top-notch and nothing else comes close.
+Incredibly comfortable to type on, and the wrist rest is also one of the comfiest I’ve ever used.
+Dedicated media switches have been really useful, not just for listening to music on Spotify, but been using in games like Warcraft and Starcraft 2.
+Razer Synapse software has come a long way and is much easier to use, and has a lot of built in functions.
Cons
-No media or USB passthrough like on the Blackwidow Elite, though it’s definitely not a dealbreaker as I wouldn’t really have used it personally.
-No Macro keys, the only thing that for me stops it being a perfect keyboard, though it’s again not a dealbreaker as it just means a short bit of tweaking in the Synapse software to use key combinations to swap macros rather than a dedicated button.
All in all, it’s been a really nice keyboard to use so far, definitely a worthwhile investment and far better than I was expecting.
Perfect for any set up
If you love mechanical, LED lights and Razer as a brand then you honestly cant go wrong with this keyboard. The keys are very loud so bare that in mind if you havnt had a mechanical keyboard before. The LED lights are so customization that if you can think of how youd want the lights, then youll be able to make them do it.
I do seem to have an odd sounding space button every now and then when i use it but it doesnt happen often and isnt off putting so i wont affect the score for this as i know its not a common thing. The arm rest is great, it also lights up along with the keyboard making your desk light up as well.
The volume control is great and works super smoothly. It does feel slightly like its unfinished in the build due to there being no surrounding (the keys are just placed ontop of a flat piece of metal) as its not something im used to. But after a couple of days i now love this design style and wouldnt change it. It also gives a VERY premium feel.
100% without a doubt recommend this keyboard.
Best keyboard I ever brought, upgraded from the hyper x alloy elite I didnt like the app it uses the mechanical keys were good tho, but this razer huntman TE is next level quality, feels great great to type even better for gaming so fast an feels an sounds great to press, lot of ppl not keen on the sound me an the other half really like it, it feels satisfying to press an hear and I’m an enthusiast and usually fairly picky but I can’t fault this keyboard, and the app is amazing, it looks very smart clean and expensive, the rgb doesn’t pop out the sides as the other keyboards cause pf the key caps which r the best I ever used, but its still pretty bright thru the letters itself, and the app is awesome very easy to use, it automatically went to the razer app installation when detecting the keyboard just by starting it up to Windows very clean fast crisp 100% winner for me an not to small but small enough for plenty of room for my mouse
Best keyboard i've had the pleasure of using.
Okay so i’ve always been into PC gaming and chop and change up bits all the time, but damn as keyboards go this is ridiculous. Yes it is expensive, overpriced, definitely. But you do pay for what you get, the colours are gorgeous and that wrist rest is the best one i’ve ever used.
The keys are excellent and man definitely the crispest click you can get, as well as the optic switches, i haven’t noticed an drastic different but i don’t play at pro level when something like that is probably really efficient.
The build quality is perfect a nice metal body and the keys feel perfectly sized and positioned.
For gamers
100% best keyboard on the market right now totally recommend if you are willing to spend a lot of money on a keyboard that does improve your performance in game and gaming experience. I have had the keyboard for a good few months now and as i am typing the review on it the sound is perfect and I can genuinely never get bored of it. The speed is super fast for gaming, although if you are just gonna be typing on it a lot or a fast typer i do mess up a lot since i feel like its just so fast and moving to other keys i can miss click a lot, but apart from that would seriously recommend this keyboard!
Nice looking keyboard
Very sleek, love the compact look of the keyboard! The rgb lights are ok, not the best but they do the job quite well, but not the brightest rgb lights out there ! Very quick, did take some time to get used to the fast response time, volume control also took a while to get used to as my previous keyboard had a volume scroll but I’ll get there
The switches are absolutely perfect for gaming with the 1mm actuation point.
Highly recommended for FPS gamers.
However the keys are loud and some keys you will find difficult to put your own keycap set on due to the stabilisers on some keys (e.g. spacebar). However, this is easily overcome by using the very good existing keycaps as an accent colour and just changing the letter keys out.
10/10 for gaming.
Great that this keyboard comes with PBT keycaps as standard. Only complaints are that this is noisier than Cherry MX Reds, and International ISO layout is still not UK ISO. Easy fix but purchasing the Razer PBT keycaps aftermarket but that adds to the cost and you lose printouts for secondary keys. Apart from that the RGB is great, and actuation/response being similar to MX Speed switches is perfect for gaming. Benefit for me over MX Speed switches is that I felt the Cherry MX were too mushy and focused only on gaming as a result. This however feels more like MX Reds hence better for general typing and usage. Detachable USB-C keyboard is also convenient for travelling. This plus my wrist rest fits perfectly with my keyboard travel case alongside my Razer Viper Ultimate 😀
This keyboard is very minimalist in appearance with a very subtle Razer logo. Perfect if you don’t want huge logos in your face and just want something that works and does what you need.
One thing I found odd at first with the keyboard was the amount of travel required to actuated each key. This is extremely minimal and I often found I’d be jumping in apex without meaning to, simply because my thumb was resting (very gently) against the space bar and triggering it with the weight of my thumb. This is definitely not a deal breaker though as after a day or two I readjusting my hand placement slightly and alleviated the issue entirely.
I love the size as I no longer bash my mouse into my keyboard which used to be an issue before. It’s compact enough to not get in the way, but large enough to type effectively without any discomfort. I still find the keys slightly odd as I want to press them down fully but really they require minimal travel to actuate and they are very accurate at registering each key press at the lightest of touches.
The software has been flawless for me and I love how the LED’s match perfectly with the LED’s on my Razer Viper. This is something that is often not the case between different products and something that can so often be overlooked.
The detachable USB C cable is great, especially if you are transporting the keyboard as you don’t need to worry about the cable being damaged where it enters the keyboard frame. The body is super solid and the keys almost feel like they have a little antislip coating on them which I personally love and I think feels great under your fingers.
Overall I think it’s a fantastic keyboard for the money and hope it will gives me a few years of blissful use for gaming, writing essays and anything else my fingers need to type. Treat yourself 😉
Its a must, gives you great advantage in game!
I recently bought this keyboard for myself to use for gaming and i am truly impressed. The new Razer purple switches are super fast and could even say the give me an advantage over others in FPS games. I am a big fan of razer gear and this is a great addition to my collection to make the ultimate gaming setup. The RGB is amazing when partnered up with its software with lots of customisation and effects and i love RGB so is the perfect keyboard for me. It is really ergenomic and fits all hand sizes comfortably. I highly recommend this keyboard to anyone looking for a full sized, RGB packed gaming keyboard as this truly is the Ultimate Gaming keyboard there is in my opinion.
Fantastic.
Fantastic! I got this keyboard a few weeks back and am amazed by how great this keyboard truly is. It’s a perfect size for a TKL keyboard, great sound, quick switch and all in all amazing. Looks nice and professional along with its gamerish appearance. Best keyboard made by razer by far.
Product was listed as US layout which I much prefer, received a UK layout board, so that was disappointing straight out of the box, dropping a star for that. Other than that it’s a great a board. It’s pretty loud though but for me that’s not a problem. Switches feel great, pbt keycaps and I like the software that comes bundled.
Using a detachable magnetic usb-c cable with this too which lets me swap between boards easily, so thanks for making that possible Razer.
Standard bottom layer, finally glad to see companies doing this on gaming keyboards.
I’ve had a few mechanical keyboards in the past but when my most recent decided to become a bit unresponsive i looked around for a while for a new keyboard. I eventually found the Huntsman TE and started to look at reviews. I’d always been a bit hesitant to go for Razer products as I had seen a few bad reviews in the past but everywhere I looked this keyboard was smashing reviews so I placed an order. I can definitely see why, The response and the feel of the keys is fantastic. Theres multiple heights to the adjust the keyboard to so you can feel comfortable during long sessions. I really enjoy the simple design its just the parts of the keyboard I need without any extra so its nice and compact which was a huge thing for me as well as I like a lot of space for my mouse on a slightly smaller desk. The build quality feels great to, the keys feel nice to touch and the frame feels heavy and good quality. I’m really enjoying this keyboard so far its definitely worth a try !
Sounds Great, Looks Super Sleak
Just love the sound, have typed on those 300+ keyboards the one made by Taeka types and such and can say it does sound pretty okay compared, however, there is a noticeable difference. For games, this thing is just pure lighting. I have found that I am no longer bottoming out any more and just touch gaming if that makes sense. Lighting is bright and it feels really solid. One could say very premium-like.
Update: 03/11/2020
I have had the keyboard for around 6 months not, I have to say I am still very impressed with it, however, the only gripe I have is that the factory lubing they do on their switches wears off and the keys can become quite pingy. To fix this you need to lube them yourself, there is plenty of youtube videos on how to do this, and it’s very cheap as well. The result you get is a keyboard that sounds like those 300 – 400 euro ones.
Great Keyboard in every apart from one drawback
he whole keyboard itself is great. It can be used for all tasks and the multimedia keys work very well
It’s only drawback is a glitch with the keyboard when the ergonomic wrist rest isn’t properly attached. It can cause multiple characters of a single pressed key to show, making it impossible to type.
Apart from this, the keyboard is amazing to use and I do recommend it even for its price
Very impressive, super responsive amazing for gaming
I ordered this as an upgrade from my razer blackwidow chroma v2 elite and its definitely a much better keyboard both build wise and performance, it’s definitely without question one of the best keywords I’ve ever used and I’ve been cleaning up on siege against plat3s so easy I was quite shocked..
Unfortunately I’m probably going to return it for a refund due to the angle it’s very flat compared to the chroma and using it hurts my wrist after a while and I ordered the elite only to find your paying almost 60 more for 3 extra buttons and a palm rest that glows ho it’s also got zero padding and it’s quite painful after an hour or two!! Take away the few extra button’s play pause, stop, volume an the nasty palm rest and it’s a huntsman standard edition so I may as well save myself 60 and buy that instead for 100 pick up a soft padded palm rest from amazon
If you want the best gaming keyboard available then this is it but I strongly recommend buying the standard version because I can’t see anything absolutely nothing that justifys all the extra money you’re going to pay for the elite, nothing elite about it ok the price hehe but seriously save yourself some money buy the standard or tournament edition on sale or amazon warehouse deal..
It’s a god k board
His keyboard is one of the best I’ve ever used as it’s more than Netanyahu when I press it.
It basically fits with any type of game your playing.
I recommend this keyboard to anyone who wants a good experience with gaming and should definitely go with Razer if you wanna game.
Incredible buy for gaming and work
Pro’s: Best 100% keyboard on the market
-Incredibly comfy magnetic wrist rest
-Great multi-media controls
-Tactile and clicky mechanical switches
-Underglow and RGB are addressable through the great razer synapse
-Macro’s aren’t included but any key can be rebound to one via synapse
-Synapse allows for your whole razer AND asus aura products to sync up
-Extremely easy to activate switches with low pressure needed to activate
-Thick Braided cable (Two USB’s needed to power board and underglow)
-Back feet have three levels (including flat)
-Included gaming function and recording function is a good bonus
-Easy to clean/ dust as the key caps are easy to remove
-The letters on the caps allow the RGB to come through whilst a glow below the keys add extra RGB
-With additional software things such as sound visualisers can be utilised
Con’s:
-When volume is on zero the lighting on the sound dial is stuck on red
-The three media keys are wobbly but this might just be my model but this is only when the keyboard is nudged
-The shift options on the keys, for example, the question mark are not shown by the RGB
-Slight twang on larger keys but not audible whilst typing or whilst speakers or headphones are o
This will ruin all other keyboards for you
Went from my Corsair K55 membrane keyboard to this and all I can say is…. wow.
This keyboard is pricey, you dont need me to tell you that, but it’s so well made, the build quality on the board is exceptional, the wrist rest is comfortable, well made and durable, the key switches feel precise, with satisfying, but not invasive clicks. Input delay is all but non existent thanks to the opto mechanical switches.
This is by far one of, if not the best keyboard on the market, and the price is a reflection of that. The only criticism I feel totally justified levelling at it is that it has ruined all other keyboards for me, any other keyboard I use feels spongy and unresponsive by comparison.
Abslutely worth the price
The wrist rest alone is the most comfortable I’ve ever used , remarkable as I’ve never used one that felt proper.
Lovely key strokes, not as loud as cherry blues but feel quite good, maybe a bit more resistance so certainly can use and not bother people around the house too much (maybe still a bit clacky for an office)
Volume rocker works really well and is configurable , as initially its to me done in a reverse of what it should be.
Overall excellent so far ! And again the wrist rest ……sooo comfy !
Great keyboard with some slight issues
The best keyboard I’ve ever used compared to a standard keyboard you really feel the difference in response time the multi media keys actually came in quite useful and the lighting features are really great nice and bright and many options
However nothings perfect:
I didnt find myself liking the wrist rest as much as I though i would it is made of nice material but i felt it got in the way while typing or gaming
But my biggest problem with the keyboard is that I kept on hearing a loud pinging noise on top of the standard mechanical switch noise everytime a key was pressed and it became quite annoying but if you have headphones in the issue is not a problem
Hope this helps
Lovely gaming keyboard
Great keyboard, can’t truly say it’s any quicker than my old Razer black widow keyboard, but with the rgb lighting and the lovely wrist pad it’s a lovely replacement. Only downside and the reason I only gave it 4 stars is the cost, very expensive!
Great gaming keyboard with customisable RGB
The Razer Huntsman Elite is an incredible gaming keyboard. The look of the keyboard is sleek with great RBG lighting that is fully customisable in the Razer Synapse software. The one thing to say about the Razer Synapse software is that it can be a little temperamental like others have mentioned but for the most it does work. The new optic switches that are employed here work a treat and have a good feel to them. The inclusion of a wrist/palm rest is a nice addition and especially with the inclusion of RGB lighting. All in all this a great gaming keyboard that more than meets expectation.
Perfect Keyboard!
This is by far the best keyboard I have ever used, the switches feel amazing and responsive when gaming, the switches sound amazing and the mult-media controls are unbelievably convenient. I personally have had no problems with razer synapse and the customisability is astonishing. The lights are vibrant and don’t disappoint me at all. On top of this, it falls into my razer eco-system, which is another plus for me! Highly recommended to people, especially if you already have razer products.
The greatest keyboard of all time.
Hands down, the greatest piece of gaming gear I’ve ever purchased. Tactile, clicky and swift keys; amazing aesthetics and lighting, and very good extra functionality and media controls. A USB passthrough would have been appreciated, but it works wonders without it too. Brilliantly done.
Top gaming keyboard and good lighting
Pros
RGB lighting Is very very good with loads of optional ways to play around with them
The rest pad is nice as well ( very comfortable )
Neg
Quite loud to type on but Manageable and you don’t notice it after a while.
Would definitely buy another 100%
Very clicky and lots of chroma!
I know its overpriced but it’s worth the peep. It feels like an expensive keyboard despite its weight, look & quality. The razor synapse software works really well with all razor products but with the razor huntsman. There’s no looking back!
Best keyboard I've ever owned
Being a gamer myself, I love a good quality keyboard. Razer know quality! I love the customization options for the razer chroma patters and you get a huge spectrum of colours to pick from to make a pattern unique to you. One of the biggest improvements is also comfort, the wrist rest is perfect as it stops your wrists from bruising after long hours of gaming.
It can get a bit flimsy plugging the wrist rest into the main keyboard to light up, but its nice when its in sync with your main keyboard. The mechanical keys are a huge improvement over the original chroma keyboard, easy to re-program and satisfying to click. With Amazons payed monthly option it was also affordable in my eyes.
If like me your a gamer and love Razer products you’ll enjoy this keyboard.
Happy gaming!
Great quality
The keyboard is really well built and the quality is great. I haven’t had these feeling about a keyboard since the old IBM thinkpad keyboards.
The keys look very small though and I am not sure how an adult would feel after working with the keyboard for 6 hours, but for my kid it’s perfect and he is really happy with the keyboard. The 4 starts in ergonomic is just because of the first impression I had with the size of the keys, but I believe after a few hours I would adjust to it.
Expensive but worth i
My son is a Razer fanboy and has loads of their kit so I thought I would give this a go. I love it.
I am at my PC most days and do a lot of typing. I find the keyboard comfortable to use and the wrist pad is soft but supportive. I believe I am making a lot less mistakes because of it.
I am also a gamer (FPS) and find the keys to be responsive and they have a satisfying click to them which give a subtle confirmation that the letter has been pressed. It is all down to the individual but I like it. The response times are great.
The whole unit exudes quality and coupled with the software on the PC, I have been able to set the lighting to something I am happy with and which add to my enjoyment of the keyboard.
If I could make one improvement it would be to have the other characters such as; !”$% light up too as they cannot be seen if the lighting is low.
Excellent keyboard
The actual keyboard is excellent BUT Razer synapse 3 simply sucks and every time the RGB decides to not turn on or synapse is updating i have to reinstall the entire program and reprogram all of the macro’s which is annoying but bearable considering the quality of this keyboard. I love these switches and typing on other keyboards feels dreadful compared to the huntsman elite.
Very satisfying
This is the most satisfying keyboard i have ever used, the build quality is solid, the rgb is very bright and very customisable. The key switches are loud, clicky and easily picked up by a microphone, i personaly love the clicky sounds so it doesnt bother me at all. If your gonna buy this i recommend picking up a razer firefly mouse mat, youll thank me later.
Comfortable and tactile keyboard
As I like the tacitly of these keyboards. it was easy to adjust. The response time is great for quick responsive games and especially nice to type with. Customisable colours come pre programmed (can make your own versions) with certain qualified games which is a nice touch. adjustable brightness so it is useful in day and poorly lit situations.
I have Razer the last try after having been disappointment by three previous products of theirs. The keyboard did not disappoint. So let’s get to it:
Overall: 4/5
The mechanical clicking sounds are rather nice, I used to have a silent-keyboard, I do miss the silence but I got used to the clicking sound again, as my IBM mechanical keyboard from back then in 1992. Ergonomics is good but not excellent. The wristpad is OK for normal hand size (mine), for small hands it must be excellent, for big hands it will be bad. The wristpad is harder than I expected, although it being of a softer material and the it is also not as wide, and the plastic surrounding the wristpad is too thick, meaning, as I type this I feel comfort while resting my hand on it, but I feel the hard plastic (the wristpad mount part which is between your body and the cushion) on my veins, this is a clear discomfort. They should have extended the width of the cushion/soft-part more. This is not good for longer gaming and typing, it is actually a bit annoying, so for people with big hands, trust me when I say this, you will not cope well with this keyboard.
Other than that, only one electrical flaw. When connecting the wristpad with the main-keyboard, at times there can be flickering due to not ideal connection between the two components, but the flickering is on the wristpad and not the keyboard! This is annoying at times when playing in a darker environment, as you clearly notice it. It is a mere connection issue.
Overall, very good keyboard but not for this price. I know there must be a lot of fanboys disagreeing with me, but from me you will have an honest review.
You’d be stupid not to buy.
This keyboard is simply amazing. The design is sleek and looks beautiful on an oak desk going though it’s save of colours. No onboard USB to plug mouse in is a slight downside but not a proper issue. Recommend to all if you want the most ultimate gaming experience.
simply Stunning Keyboard..
Well, what can I say? it’s as beautiful and feels as high quality as you imagine when looking at the picture. It’s an absolute pleasure to use the keys have a beautiful mechanical feel to them with perfect and laser fast reactions the lighting effects are out of this world and the rest bar is top quality and for me was worth the extra money to have included as it allowed extended comfortable game time. 10/10 must buy for PC gamers looking for the ultimate upgrade.
( One of the best keyboards)
All the hype around the ”best gaming keyboards” such as ducky one mini and the k65 rapid fire. I decided to try this keyboard out which is a bit pricey at 200 ( approximately ) i can easily say im not regretting, worth every penny and didn’t have the thought about the price using this keyboard. The wrist rest is very comfortable and has a RGB around the whole keyboard. I’ve been using this for around 6 months and its still just as fresh. This keyboard is very high up there with its competitiors, i would flatly say this is one of the strongest competitors when it comes to gaming.
I would recommend this to any person for just gaming on-the-go or competitive.
Perfect quality keyboard.
This is certainly the best keyboard I have ever bought. The response time is perfect and the ability to alter the volume ingame is brilliant. I love it and doubt there is a better one on the market. Yes it is expensive but then you get what you pay for and this is worth the cost.
Almost perfect......so so close
The keystrokes are amazing and light, I love the lighting as it is bright but not overpowering. The sound it gives off its amazing and the optical cherry keys work superbly! The only problem I found was that they could of made the width of the palm wrest a bit bigger as part of my wrist goes onto the aluminium body.
I think it is completely over-rated and over priced. The rattling of the keys is simply too much for my taste and also, I don’t like tactile clicky performance which is why I returned this keyboard and went for the new Corsair K70 Low Profile MX Speed Switches which are an absolute delight.
This opto-mechanical switches are just selling lies. I am a mechatronics engineer and I can tell you that the debouncing problem present in normal mechanical switches would only affect your performance IF AND ONLY IF you were to click the switch repeadetly in less than 2 ms, as in 500 clicks per second… which is impossible. The reason for this is because switches work by interrupts not polling and it is straight forward to “ignore” everything that happens after the first change is detected on the key… but this doesn’t mean that the key takes longer to be registered… it means if the key was to really really change its state in less than 5 ms which is just about the normal debouncing time, theeeeen it would be delayed… but the initial key stroke would be immediately registered.
Upgraded from my trusty Turtle Beach keyboard...
I decided to upgrade to the Razer Huntsman Elite from my trusty old Turtle Beach keyboard. I already have the Razer Death Adder Elite mouse so I wanted to pair them. Having not used a legit mechanical keyboard before I didn’t really know what to expect. But I am extremely happy with the purchase! My girlfriend is not a fan of the noise it makes, but it doesn’t bother me and I LOVE the responsiveness of the keys and the RGB functionality. My friends and I have been playing Apex Legends and the latest update integrates with Razer Chroma comaptible devices. Glorious stuff.
Fantastic keyboard with one minor drawback
I think this is a really good keyboard, it’s not flashy or out to show off, but is quietly understated. You can tailor the lighting scheme and colours to suit your needs.
It is however quite noisy when typing. Doesn’t bother me personally, but worth a consideration if you don’t want to keep people awake with your typing.
Beyond the slight noise issue, the only other drawback I’ve found so far is that the media keys aren’t particularly good, which is a bit of a shame. I came from a Corsair K70 which had really good media keys. The media keys aren’t properly backlit on this, so I am still learning which buttons do what.
So all in all I still think it’s worth 5 stars, but the media keys remain a slight disappointment.
Decided I wanted to upgrade my Corsair K70 as I was bored with just red LEDs. As I already have a Razer Mamba TE, and the Hue lights in my room are synced up to the Chroma software, I decided to go for a Razer keyboard. Media keys were a must so that left me with the Elite versions of the Black Widow and Huntsman, and as my primary reason was for the RGB I figured I may as well go all the way with the Huntsman Elite.
Build quality is superb (ask expected at this price point), the aluminium top case gives it a really nice solid and durable feel and the wrist rest is comfortable. If you’re a quiet typer you’ll want to avoid this one, certainly the loudest keyboard I’ve used and much clickier than my Corsair. Thankfully my set up is in my gaming room so this doesn’t bother me personally. I’m not a competitive gamer so I couldn’t say whether the Optomechanical switches are an advantage but they definitely feel responsive. In one review I saw the guy was saying how the volume wheel span freely and had no resistance which concerned me, mine though clicks and has resistance and it has a nice tactile feel so that’s not an issue.
So for the main reason I bought this, RGB. Some people will hate it but personally I love the lighting on this keyboard, it’s vibrant and colourful and there’s a lot of effects that can be added. Synapse 3 is now pretty stable and a nice interface for setting this all up. I’m glad I went for this over the Black Widow as the under lighting on the keyboard and wrist rest is fantastic and really adds to the effect. My one criticism is that if I have the keyboard feet at the back at their tallest position, the wrist rest loses lighting whenever I rest on it. This problem doesn’t happen when the feet are at the lower height so I figure the angle at full is making the pogo pins not connect properly, which seems like a bit of a design flaw.
Overall I am very happy with this keyboard.
Love it but has one major problem
Comfortable for long periods and great to game on, but a major problem is the secondary functions are NOT backlit which ruins the experience when you cannot find a key when ur gaming (everyone games in a darker room, especially when they have RGB). I really hope razers next iteration has backlit secondary functions.
The best mechanical gaming keyboard out there!
Absolutely love this keyboard. It feels great. Its great for gaming, great for typing and just all round what you would expect.
In the beginning you will need to get used to how quickly it reacts in inputs, if you used a standard keyboard or even like me another gaming keyboard before, but once you got you used to it, it’s all you could ask for.
Nifty, little feature: if you have a razer mouse it syncs its ever changing colours with that product, as long as you have razer synapse installed.
Excellent Buy
Excellent keyboard. Always been against Razer products and granted, their headsets / mice are junk.. But this keyboard is amazing. Responsive and very comfortable. Sounds and feels great. Disappointed that there’s no USB pass through but that’s not a major issue. Very happy I took the chance with Razer on this one.
A Luxurious Gaming Keyboard.
I owned the Razer Black Widow Ultimate 2016, and the W, T and A keys were on their way out and though I’ve enjoyed using it immensely, I had been looking for a keyboard that offered a bit more in the way of comfort while long gaming and work sessions. My desk isn’t really roomy and the Huntsman Elite is smaller then the the Black Widow, so I find the wrist rest quite essential. There’s a bit to cover in regards to the Huntsman Elite so I’ll break it down it.
Pros
* Sleek modern design, solid build with minimal Razer branding.
* If you own other Razer Chroma peripherals, then you’re in for a real treat, but looks stunning on it’s own.
* The wrist rest is extremely comfy and keys are fairly small which is perfect for small hands.
* The dedicated Multimedia keys are personally a welcomed addition.
* Gaming and general typing with Razer’s new switches are a complete pleasure. Take very little to actuate.
Cons
* No macros or usb passthrough on a gaming keyboard is a difficult sell at 200.
* Some have reported issues with side RBGs not working upon first time use due to software issues. I had but fixed it.
* There’s better gaming keyboards out there if you prioritize functionality.
* I feel the wrist rest really does sell the Huntsman, it isn’t worth 200 or even 150 without it.
* The quality of the Multimedia keys feel a little cheap comparing the rest of the keyboard.
All in all the Razer Huntsman Elite is a visually stunning keyboard that offers up comfort and a very satifying gaming experience thanks to the new switches, but as mentioned it lacks on what you’d expect in functionality. Sure you could buy the Blackwidow Chroma V2 if you wanted more substance with the wrist rest included. However that’s why I didn’t buy the Razer Huntsman and opted of the Elite version as dedicated macros aren’t an issue for me, and the Multimedia keys are put to better use. It is a different keyboard that offers less of what you’d expect from Razer and other things you would. It is as if Razer have finally realised that being minimalistic is a good thing and just let your product shine on it’s simplicity. That design philosophy is clear throughout sporting smoother corners, subtle branding and even right down to the font used on the keys.
So if you’re looking for a luxurious gaming experience with a little less emphasis on certain gaming elements and more comfort this is what you’re after.
It's not perfect... but what is really ?
Keyboard is very nice although I find myself usually laying my hand on the metal edge of the puff while gaming.
I’ve been using gaming laptops before so it may be my own experience but pushing those buttons back and on half the way don’t responds as I would like it to be.
That’s all of the cons I did found with the keyboard now for the pros :
– very comfortable for long period of play.
– mechanical keyboard
– stylish design
– fun to play with rgb lighting
– The additional volume button feels very nice in touch and really useful during games.
– Most expensive keyboard I could find.
Bought this to replace a Razer Ornata
Bought this keyboard to replace my razer ornata because I hated that you had to put so much force on the keys to stop yourself from doing simple actions in video games, particularly FPS games. Overall I’m very happy, the keys have a nice feel to them, remind me of my razer blackwidow I owned once with green switches. If I’m being honest I can’t tell any difference in speed from the blackwidow and the ornata that I used to own. I will say however to me this keyboard is quieter than my blackwidow, which is interesting because I’ve seen people say it’s louder. The RGB is nice and bright, brighter than my ornata anyway and In my opinion the ornata would be one of the best in terms of RGB. The ergonomic wrist rest is lovely and comfy, and perfect for me because my wrist tends to hurt from time to time after a few hours of gaming. Media keys and buttons are a nice touch, easy to access and use with Spotify if you’re into that. The only two cons I have for this keyboard but not enough to lower the score as they’re minor things and haven’t annoyed me that much to the point where I got frustrated are: 1. To power both the wrist rest and keyboard you need TWO yes two free USB ports on your computer, no idea why they did this, from a design point of view I guess it made sense but to me it seems like it’s rather pointless, could just have the one usb used to power everything. And 2. The Razer Synapse 3 software which in my opinion is terrible compared to the classic razer synapse software. Thankfully you’re not forced to use it so I just reinstalled the older version of razer synapse. Overall If you’re a gamer like myself and you love RGB but you want a nice and comfy keyboard for those long gaming sessions, I would buy this. In my opinion as far as razer products go, you’re not gonna do much better than this in terms of gaming keyboards.
The Razor Huntsman Elite is an outstanding keyboard to put it simply. Almost everything on it is up to the standard of the price associated with it, but for the price you pay, it does come with some gripes. The media control buttons are definitely not worth the price you pay and the keyboard does not come with a USB passthrough. I mean for 200.00 I expect the holy grail of keyboards and if these aspects (media controls & USB Passthrough) of a keyboard are incredibly important to you will be thoroughly disappointed especially when you consider the price. But, for me, I could look past that, to see an outstand keyboard. From its simply sleek and modern design to the gorgeous sound of the keys, this is a great keyboard.
Appearance:
It’s not the typical Razor, balls to the wall deign that we are used to, it’s a more subdued version that I really appreciate. But I can understand the desire to make your desk look like a centre console from the Millennium Falcon. This however is not the keyboard to do that. The media control buttons are the usual disappointment on this keyboard, they have markings on them to indicate pause, forward and backwards, which you can’t see, as they are not backlit and drowned out by the incredible luminosity of the keyboard. Now, this keyboards backlit keys and RGB lights are amazing you can see every single colour this keyboard has to offer, even during the day. The volume control scroll wheel on the top right of the keyboard is a great addition, not just visually, but in functionality too, it acts as a multi-media dial, which can be programmed for an assortment of roles, such as control mouse DPI, zoom in and out, scroll, control mic volume and many more. Overall the appearance for the keyboard is absolutely amazing, people might feel it lacks pizazz. The crme dela crme of the keyboard has to be the wrist wrest, simple design, with the razer logo tastefully put right into the centre. The RGB light strip running along the length of the wrist rest is beautiful. I absolutely love it.
Visually, 09/10
Durability:
The build of the keyboard is as you’d expect for the price, sturdy, rigid and tough. The keyboard itself has very little play, even when in extreme battle and a 12 Years old is talking about your mother’s large posterior or how you’re undeniably a homosexual. When you fill with anger and need to take it out on your keys, the trusty work horse that is your keyboard takes it like a champ with very little flex. Which is impressive when you consider that the keyboard is mostly plastic, but the plastic itself is extremely impressive, tough and cold to the touch, reminds me of a heavy metal. The keys themselves are light and plastic, but they feel very well made and seem like they will last, only time can tell. Razer say that these Opto-Mechanical keys can last 100 million strokes. I’ve only had the keyboard for about a week, so I’ll get back to you on that.
Durability, 10/10
Feel:
By far my favourite part of this keyboard are the keys, the satisfying tactile click makes this keyboard a dream to type on and use for gaming. They feel similar to Razer’s green switches, with the same specification: 45 grams actuation force, 1.5mm to actuate and 3.5mm travel distance. These keys in my book feel absolutely amazing. But, it’s all up to personal taste, the best way to find out whether you like the feedback from a keyboard is for you to your local store and test out the keyboards on display.
They feel like mechanical keyboards, with the exception of using lights to register the keystroke, I did feel a slight change in speed, but nothing to scream about, I was rubbish at FPS games before the Huntsman Elite, I’m still bad now. If you’re an intense gamer, you might feel a greater difference to me, as you’re more experienced and a much more consistent player.
The Wrist rest is incredibly comfortable, best wrist rest on the market in my opinion.
The software that is used to programme and interact with the keyboard ‘synapse’ I thought was great. I found it easy to use and navigate, as well as reprogram the keys.
Feel: 09/10
Overall, if you have the cash and wish to have the state of the art hardware to game comfortably with. I would definitely recommend the Huntsman Elite. Especially is you can look over the dedicated media buttons. If you wish to save some cash and have just as great of an experience I would recommend getting the regular Razer Huntsman.
Hopefully you found this review helpful.
– Doria
This is hands down my favourite keyboard ever. The keys feel absolutely fantastic, and type brilliantly. The wrist rest is the first I have ever used that actually adds comfort instead of just being annoying. Typing is a joy and although it took a bit of time to get used to such a slim edge, I’m really happy with the extra space it affords.
Having used Cherry MX Blue’s for years, my initial impression was that I hated the keys. They make a much more annoying high-pitched click, and are much lighter to actuate. However, having gotten used to it, the Opto-Mechanical switches really are a dream to use. While I can’t tell any difference with their “speed of light” actuation, I have certainly found myself typing faster – they are a great hybrid between Cherry MX Blues and Cherry MX Speed switches, making them perfect for typing and gaming alike. The keyboard feels extremely high quality, the wrist rest is supreme, and it looks stunning in the dark (although the underglow is more like LED strips on the side). My only complaint in terms of quality is the scroll wheel, as it feels like it is just cheaply scraping against plastic. Other than that, this is by far one of the best keyboards I have used – and if you have the budget I would highly recommend it.
An industrial gaming keyboard.
I gave this to my son who recently built his own top spec gaming pc, and so I knew he would be able to justify the high end specs on this keyboard. Not being a gamer, I was taken aback at how weighty this keyboard is – 2.2kgs. This is down to its high end metallic construction. He’s been using it every night in to the early hours and is more than impressed. My apologies if this review doesn’t expand on the abilities of the keyboard, but my son assures me that anyone considering buying one will be more than aware of its performance, and his recommendation is, “just buy it – it’s the best…”…
This is the Ferrari of keyboards
I am not a gamer myself but my sons are both keen gamers and when they saw this keyboard their eyes lit up. It is something extraordinary. The keyboard itself has the reliable click of a mechanical keyboard although this might irritate some after a while. I personally do not like the layout as much as my non-gaming keyboard as I cannot touch type as fast. I keep hitting “/” when I want ” . “. I just need to adjust my hand position over the keyboard.
For comfort it has a wrist rest which is comfortable and even this rest has a lighting effect built in. This attaches to the keyboard using a very strong magnetic link to make sure that it has power. Because of all of the effects it uses 2 USB connections to your PC and not the 1 that most keyboards use. You plug-in and play as the software needed to manage the keyboard installs when you first use it. This allows you to chose from thousands of lighting effects. You can even have different effects on different parts of the keyboard as well as effects that respond to your typing and static background effects. My sons really love it.
I was asked if I’d like to review Razer RZ03-01870300-R3W1 Huntsman Elite, Gaming Keyboard, Multi Media Keys, Opto-Mechanical Switches, UK-Layout, RGB Chroma, and I said yes.
Let’s be honest – most keyboards are like Vanilla ice cream – unexciting. Not the Razor Huntsman Elite. Oh deary me no. This thing is choc mint, raspberry ripple and strawberries and cream sprinkled with hundreds and thousands and ….. well, you get the idea. I like it.
I’m a fan of mechanical keyboards and a long time user. I don’t think you can beat the tactile feedback and the satisfaction of that mechanical click. So what’s so special about the Huntsman?
Picking up the box, this is no lightweight. There’s a cut out in the top of the box over the cursor keys so that you can try the feel of the keys without opening it up.
Taking it out of the box, the keyboard looks fresh and uncluttered with good spacing between the keys and a nice clear key font. All the standard keys are present and at the top right you have three media keys together with what looks like a volume wheel (more on that later).
All keys are RGB backlit and a light strip runs around the edge of the keyboard. Add the included detachable wrist rest and the light strip extends around the wrist rest edge (easier to read than say). This is a really nice touch and makes the wrist rest compliment the keyboard perfectly.
The wrist rest itself is soft and comfortable with a leather effect, which didn’t cause my wrists to sweat with extended use, and some previous rests have done.
The software to control the Huntsman is easy to use and gives you exacting control over all the keyboard functions with a mind boggling array of options.
Remember that volume control I mentioned earlier? Well that’s just one function you can assigned to it. It can control microphone volume, scroll up/down, windows zoom, switch apps and much MUCH more.
Move to the RGB control section and again there are many options for the tinkerer in you. Options include the standard rainbow wave, breathing and colour cycle effects together with more interesting effects. These include ripple (press a key and the lights ripple out to the other keys), starlight (making your keys twinkle different colours individually), fire (makes it look like your keyboard is on fire under the keys). And most effects have lots of different options to customise them further. If you get one of these for Christmas then you could stick it in the window as a Christmas decoration ;-).
OK – so with all that raspberry ripple goodness – what’s it actually like to type and game on. The blurb on the box says the keys are designed “for a superior speed and instant gaming response”. Well, I didn’t notice my kill score averages go up – but then that’s more likely to be limited by my gaming prowess than they keyboard. More importantly by averages didn’t drop.
As for the day job of typing? The keyboard gives an excellent mechanical clicky feedback with a nice feel on the downward travel. The 6 rubber pads on the underside help to keep the keyboard from slipping and there are two sets of nested rubber feet to angle your keyboard. This allows you to pick your preferred position, from flat to slightly angled to – er more angled.
As with my gaming experience, my word count neither increased nor dropped but then my current keyboard is an excellent mechanical model. If you’re coming from a cheaper keyboard then I’m almost certain you’ll notice the difference – and that’s without all the RGB and programmable goodness.
Yes it is expensive, but Huntsman Elite does look and feel like a premium product.
I can highly recommend this product. 🙂
There are keyboards -- and then there is the Raze
I have been using a Logitech mechanical keyboard retailing at 100 quid. Excellent. But the Razer takes keyboard design to a much higher level, fully justifying the price. Absolutely lightning fast, wonderful to use. And yes, a choice of pretty coloured lights. Get this for general use, but absolutely get it for gaming. You can’t do better than this keyboard.
Great gaming keyboard
This is another great keyboard from razer. It’s mainly targeted at gamers with all the RGB lighting and mechanical switches which makes the keyboard fairly loud and clicky. If you’re prefer a quiet keyboard for gaming this is probably not for you. The keys are very easy to press and they bounce back very quickly. I’m not sure I could type on this keyboard for a long period of time but for gaming it’s perfect. RBG lighting is easily customizable using the razer software that you can install on your pc.
5 star keyboard, 3 star software (beta July/August 2018)
Review of Razer Huntsman Elite
We have had the chance to try a variety of mechanical keyboards from various manufacturers now. We think this is a 5 star keyboard hampered by 3 star software (beta at time of launch – July 2018). Luckily they have a good support via online web chat and email: 4 stars for support. Once the software niggles were sorted out (half a day on live web chat), I really started to enjoy my keyboard.
The wrist rest is very comfy and typing is very responsive on clicky (high pitch) keys with Razer’s own opto-mechanical switches which have RGB addressable LEDs so some great effects can be had. The clicky nature of the keyboard is not to everyone’s taste but I find it OK.
Gaming is good and with the RGB set up, games such as FPS can have just the keys you use highlighted and the others set dark. There are some built in profiles too, for quite a variety of games which is a bonus if you have those.
Another bonus is the integration of Phillips Hue lighting. Now when I start linked games my lighting goes dim and when I finish they go bright again, good quality of life choices there. Other QOL choices include up to 5 profiles and cloud storage of the profiles, so if move onto a new computer everything follows.
One niggle is that the symbols on the keyboard don’t light up, and the dedicated media keys as well, how am I meant to see these as they are tiny to start off with? As for the volume wheel, it feels great but when I dial it up the volume goes down and vice-versa which seems counter-intuitive, although it can be changed via software if desired.
Final niggle, this is an expensive keyboard but there is no key puller for cleaning! Come on, such a thing to miss out! No dedicated gaming WASD keys either. Don’t forget the little things gamers expect when calling this a GAMING keyboard. Still, it is a 5 star experience and very comfy to use.
A very sturdy, colourful, light and clicky keyboard. Needs two powered USB ports for the lighting effects.
The Razer Huntsman Elite is a sturdy keyboard with detachable wrist rest. It’s also expensive for a keyboard, so what makes it special? The main advantage for typists or gamers alike, is said to be the speed of response to key presses. Unlike most keyboards which send an electrical signal, the Huntsman uses light to indicate the key press and this is supposedly faster to provide an advantage over your adversary in a game. A lot of that also depends on the comfort and key action of course, and this is a very comfortable keyboard, with the leather padded wrist rest providing support. The keys are full sized rather than low profile and have a light and clicky action that (if you’re of a certain age like me) remind me very much of the IBM keyboards that came with early PCs. It even sounds the same, which might be annoying to anyone else in the vicinity. The action is quick although it may take a little while to adjust of you’ve come from a lower profile keyboard with less of an action. Initially I didn’t think I would be able to type as fast as I could on my previous Microsoft ergonomic keyboard but within a couple of hours I found myself typing away rapidly and accurately.
The other main feature that will attract gamers or custom PC builders is the lighting effects. The exterior edge of the keyboard and the wrist rest (which is detachable and links through magnets) light up as do the keys themselves. A number of effects are available through the app, such as Wave which continuously wipes colours from side to side with a ripple effect, or Fire which fades in and out with reds, oranges and yellows to give the effect of burning embers. All of these are impressive for showing your friends but a distraction while using the keyboard so they are completely customisable. Static is the preset I used although I changed it from default green to a paler blue. You can also use a variety of tools to choose any of 16 million colours for each key.
Besides standard keyboard functionality, there are dedicated media buttons and a dial on the top right edge that turns to control volume by default but can be configured for other functions. Macros (memorised key sequences) can be recorded and stored and user presets for colour are also stored in the keyboard so if you take it to a friend’s house or gaming convention you won’t have to reconfigure it.
I like the fact that the keys sit above the base, leaving room to clean underneath them quite easily (they are removable too if something does get stuck underneath). I also like the weight and sturdiness (it should last for 10 million key presses) plus the non-slip strips underneath to stop movement during frantic gaming. There are only two downsides that I can see:
1. The cost, this is a lot to pay for a keyboard. Cherry mechanical keyboards are as good for typing on and a lot cheaper although they don’t have the lighting effects, which leads me to to:
2. All this lighting requirement takes a fair amount of power so TWO USB ports are required to power it. Besides using two slots for a single peripheral, they also need to be either from your PC itself or via a powered USB switch – an unpowered USB extension isn’t enough. The cable is also quite chunky and stiff and mine is still not laying flat from where it was coiled in the box.
A KIckAss Keyboard making gaming a joy and it types too! but this level of gear is expensive.
Flagship Huntsman Elite
Razer is best known for its gaming gear and of course keyboards are an important tool to any gamers arsenal. Mechanical gameboards seem to be the go to genre for top end players. This type of keyboard tends to be very high quality with precision mechanical keys being the benchmark and they are not cheap. Cherry MX keys seem to have held the high ground for years with their superb positive ‘feel’ and the solid click gained from pressing the keys. Mechanical keys are just that — mechanical spring-loaded contact points bringing together two electrodes and making a connection. Razer have designed and made the “Opto-Mechanical” switch, combining laser technology with a mechanical switch and bypassing the need for the contact points using light to actuate the switch instead of contacts. This results in a clean and shorter movement to actuate but gives the same click and feel. The actual movement required is 1.5mm
I can’t say that my typing is fast enough to warrant light speed, but it certainly makes for more accurate typing and there is no difference where you hit any particular key, they all actuate with the minimum 45 gm weight no matter which part of the key is hit and probably what makes my typing more accurate?
The keyboard itself is a very robust affair — I am assuming it is a one-piece aluminium frame machined to take the various keys: a full qwerty with F1 to F 12 Function keys; the usual Prt Scrn; Scr Lck and Pause keys; a set of arrow keys with ins, home, page up/down end and del; a full number pad and multi media keys with a multi-use volume/mute spinner which very handily hangs over the edge of the board. The whole is very similar to the Logitech G513 boards, I reviewed that back in April and I loved it. The Logitech is also made of similar material, is mechanical, easier to set lights and almost 50 cheaper. Both have nice long braided USB connections, although the Logitech has a pass through USB port, the Razer uses the extra USB lead for power with no pass through which is a shame.
There is a wrist rest with both keyboards, although the Razer has a magnetic grab securing the wrist rest which is absent from the Logitech. The Logitech however wins on comfort with the padded faux-leather going all the way to the edge. The Razer has a sharp-edged finish which, after a couple of hours hard gaming tends to leave marks on my wrists. The Razer also sports a ring of light all the way around the keyboard and wrist rest, (there is a connector midway along the board and rest for power). This can be programmed – as can all the lighting effects. It also supports 5 users profiles activated with key presses — again programmable. There is a 10 key rollover, (the Logitech supports Nkey rollover although I feel that a 10 key rollover is within my capabilities whereas what am I going to do with a 26 key rollover?) and the whole thing is reportedly good for 100 million keystrokes.
What’s not to like?
Well the price for starters, R&D have obviously pushed this price to the top of the ladder, it is probably well worth the Logitech G513 price, but this — little change from 200 is very steep and probably out of the way for a lot of us. I think a pass-through USB port would be a welcome addition.
I also think the chroma light programming is okay, but it seems complicated and fussy, I just want to hit a few keys on an app to sort out the lights — although having said that it appears to be able to connect itself to my Philips lighting system which I might just try if the wife allows it! The printing of characters on the dual function keys is reversed, so if you normally expect the @ to be below the ‘and the / to be above the ?. it might be confusing if you type by looking at the keys although they are quite normal in operation and the illuminated portion is the ‘live’ character. This is consistent through the whole keyboard including the number pad where the characters are printed side by side ignoring convention.
Apart from that I haven’t found anything else to dislike, there are even a couple of Razer stickers included for my desktop case.
JC
I’ve had the luck to be no stranger to mechanical keyboards, so was pretty excited to get my hands on the Razer Huntsman Elite. At first pass — and as you’d expect at this price tag — it’s a very nice piece of kit.
It sounds ridiculous, but the unboxing was a pleasure. It’s a big box, and the easy-open seals on the front make the ritual of unboxing much easier. There’s a small flap with instructions in it and the box inside simply says ‘Welcome to the Cult of Razer’ which implies a kind of fanatical dedication to the construction of the keyboard, again, which is kind of what you want for this price tag. You also get a wrist-rest and, oh yeah, the keyboard.
The wrist-rest is definitely the nicest I’ve ever used; it’s ‘leatherette’ and is basically a big comfy cushion. It — like the rest of the keyboard — lights up underneath around the outside. This is essentially a waste of engineering and I don’t really thing it adds anything to the set.
I wanted to love the keyboard, but honestly it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Yes; there is a spin dial volume control — although (despite being a wheel) you kind of have to just use it at the side, rather than the ‘spinner’ of other models. It has music track control, which is great.
But unlike the other ‘boards I’ve tried — including the HyperX Elite and the Corsair K70 — there’s no one-touch lighting control. The instructions claim that you can do this via holding down function and pressing another key, but it didn’t really seem to work for me in a predictable fashion. It sounds daft, but if I want to turn the lighting off and change the colour, I want to do it simply.
Also — and loads of reviews have said this — there’s no USB passthrough. Instead, the second USB cable is used to power the wrist-rest lighting; again, a functional fail and a bit of a waste in my mind.
The keyboard is topped with smooth, matt black aluminium, which lends a fairly sophisticated look and feel to the board, but it doesn’t have the rugged aircraft-grade feel of the Corsair. When I got the K70, I felt like I could basically defend myself from muggers with it; the Huntsman Elite feels pleasingly solid but it’s sophisticated rather than sturdy.
There are — rather to my disappointment — no replaceable keys supplied, when many boards give you at least WASD to replace if you wish. The entire keyboard is untextured, leaving you to mess around with lighting configurations if you want to have zonal lighting to help you navigate.
But thankfully, the keyboard is a joy to use. My typing feels accurate; the key travel feels just right and — again, as you’d expect with a keyboard of this price — every keystroke registers exceptionally well. It’s a noisy, light, clickly feel, rather than the slightly thuddy sound of Cherry MX Red or Brown. I tried dampening the sound with o-rings, but — for some quirk of engineering that I don’t really understand — it doesn’t work, so it’s clicky or nothing.
In gaming, it’s responsive; you know when you’ve hit a key and the travel is just right. I’m sure the marketing spiel is right — the keystrokes are measured by light beams just under the ‘stub’ of the switch. It’s a fairly effortless thing to type; your fingers feel like you’re just drifting over the keyboard, but with a satisfying click when you do tap them. I completely understand what other reviewers mean when they say that their error rates really go down when typing with this, and it holds up just as well for gaming as well.
The software — synapse — is pretty decent. I didn’t delve too deeply; other packages have left me cold. But it’s easily as usable as Corsair’s and better than HyperX’s software package. You can set all kinds of effects, and per-key lighting, as well as syncing with Philips Hue devices to make sure your entire room reflects your gaming priorities, which is kind of cool. There are a lot of per-game presets, which is a nice touch — something that HyperX also does, and it’s pretty handy.
I’m not quite sure where this leaves me — in terms of actual typing and gaming, it’s a hands-down winner; I love gaming and typing on this thing. But the lack of USB passthrough, the unnecessary rim lighting, the untextured keyboard, the sleek rather than sturdy construction, the lack of one-touch lighting controls — all of this adds up to a keyboard which certainly makes the top ten of mechanical keyboards, but maybe not top five — and doesn’t quite earn its 199 price tag.