Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2
BlackWidow Chroma V2
Razer BlackWidow mechanical keyboards have been around for a few years now, with multiple spinoff iterations including Ultimate, Tournament and Stealth editions. This year, Razer released a sequel to the Chroma edition, appropriately called the Chroma V2.
The Chroma V2 looks much like the original, with similar dimensions and a matte black plastic body that covers a metal interior frame. The V2 has a smudgeproof finish on the plastic, which helps keep it free from unsightly fingerprints. The full-sized keyboard has five macro keys on the left, and function keys that double up as media controls. One improvement is the LED indicators above the number pad. Unlike previous BlackWidows where LEDs were concealed under the plastic housing, the V2 has a cutout with a dedicated glossy black plastic panel that makes the indicators more distinct and visible. Like the original Chroma, there’s a USB 2.0 port on the right side and a pass-through audio jack. Unfortunately, the dedicated microphone port has been removed.
The V2 comes supplied with a new cushiony wrist rest that attaches magnetically to the bottom of the keyboard. We first saw this on Razer’s Ornata keyboard, but the magnets on the V2 are much stronger, which helps keep it in place better. The rest is very plushy, with a soft faux leather finish that is comfortable to type on.
The keys on the V2 are nicely contoured and use Razer’s new minimalist font, which was originally introduced on the BlackWidow X. It’s easy to read, but not as interesting as the original.
Razer is offering the V2 in three switch configurations, Razer’s existing Green and Orange switches, and a new Yellow switch. Razer’s Yellow switch is its first linear switch designed with FPS gamers in mind. It has a short actuation distance of just 1.2mm and a lightweight actuation force of just 45g. Interestingly, this makes it identical in spec to Cherry’s MX Silver (Speed) switches, which are currently exclusive to Corsair. Going back and forth between a Corsair K65 RGB with MX Silvers and the Chroma V2 with its Razer Yellows, I couldn’t actually tell the difference. It’s worth noting though that Razer switches are rated for up to 80 million keystrokes, while MX switches are only rated for up to 50 million.
A worthy successor to the original BlackWidow Chroma with some thoughtful design improvements and a great new switch.