Razer Blackwidow Chroma V2
As expensive as it is exclusive.
Razer has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of gaming peripherals, excelling in gaudy designs, edgy product titles and overthe-top specs, but does the latest iteration of the Blackwidow Chroma live up to the brand’s hype?
Aesthetically, there isn’t all that much to this device. The glossy plastic areas spoil an otherwise tidy appearance, but thankfully, you can cover up one of these patches with the magnetically-attached palm rest. This rest sports a mega plush cushion with seriously soft pleather and was by far the most comfortable we’ve tried.
The keyboard itself is a chunky affair, although the heft does lend to the unit’s sturdy feel. Razer has developed its own flavour of switch, foregoing the Cherry MX standard, and we found the actuation of the Green (tactile and clicky) switch we tested to be excellent, but the ‘clicky’ descriptor is an understatement.
The Synapse software from Razer works for both Windows and Mac and is at once user-friendly and full of fine-tuning possibilities, but you’ll need to sign up to use it.
The BlackWidow Chroma has two USB plugs if you want to run it from USB 2.0, along with a 3.5mm cable which, in combination, allows for USB and audio passthrough to the keyboard, which is a great accessibility option for a headset and mouse. There are some clever and useful features on the BlackWidow Chroma V2, but we don’t think they’re enough to justify the incredible asking price of $249.
Verdict
While the BlackWidow is packed with features, its aesthetic is dull and it’s simply too expensive.