Razer is known for innovative improvements seemingly around every corner, and this month, Razer has refreshed the ultra-popular king of keyboards, the BlackWidow V3 Pro. The BlackWidow V3 Pro features its new HyperSpeed 2.4Ghz wireless technology bringing the freedom of wireless to players around the world without sacrificing the features fans just simply love. It features Razer’s Mechanical Switches for unmatched durability and up to 192 hours of battery life. It looks beautiful and dangerous, but with a cost of $229.99, can it justify the cost?
Specifications
- MSRP $229.99 (Razer Store)
- Razer™ HyperSpeed Wireless Technology
- Razer™ Mechanical Switches designed for gaming
- 80 million keystroke lifespan
- Razer Chroma™ RGB customizable backlighting with 16.8 million color options
- Ergonomic wrist rest
- Multi-function digital dial
- 4 dedicated media keys
- Hybrid On-Board Memory and Cloud Storage – up to 5 profiles
- Razer Synapse 3 enabled
- N-key roll-over
- Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
- Gaming mode option
- 1000 Hz Ultrapolling
- Aluminum construction
Wireless keyboards have been around for years, but for ages cutting the cord meant sacrifice. Razer recently released its latest version of the BlackWidow. What sets the BlackWidow V3 Pro apart from these boards is its proprietary wireless technology. Razer has revamped one of the original kings of the desk by including several options for wireless connectivity. The Blackwidow V3 Pro features Razer’s HyperSpeed 2.4Ghz wireless technology that provides ultra-low latency and is 25% faster than other wireless technology on the market. This means that you won’t feel any perceptible latency while gaming. Additionally, Razer has included the ability to connect via Bluetooth to just about any device that supports it. Last but certainly not least, you can connect directly to your pc using the provided USB type a to USB Type-C cable for a wired experience while charging the internal battery.
Speaking of batteries, the Blackwidow features an internal battery that can provide up to 192 hours of use. That number may seem insanely high and you are right! This of course is noted to be without the use of any RGB Lighting to conserve power. If you’re like me and prefer to keep your LEDs bright, you’ll have a much lower battery expectancy with 25 hours at 50% brightness and 13 hours at 100%. Located on the left side of the keyboard is a single indicator that will flash a red LED when the keyboard is low on power. This is a great visual key however I would have liked to see it in a location that would be a bit more apparent in that dire need during that all-important raid.
Quality and Features
Let's set aside the impressive wireless technology for a moment and recognize some of the equally important features that make this keyboard a “Pro.” The Blackwidow V3 Pro features Razer’s award-winning clicky green switches that provide an almost seductive tactile feedback, not to mention a snappy click. If you prefer a more silent approach you can order the Blackwidow V3 Pro with Razer Yellow Switches for a liner and silent experience. Durability has also been improved with an aluminum top plate and improved keycaps. Each cap is doubleshot ABS, and are made by molding the legends from a separate piece of plastic so they’ll never fade.
Carried over from the Huntsman is the digital volume wheel, this allows users the ability to adjust the volume on the fly while in-game with more granular control. This wheel can also be programmed for in-game functions like swapping weapons. Adjacent are the three additional media controls for rewind, play/pause, and fast forward. Having dedicated media buttons simplifies and makes them much easier to use.
Depending on how you sit and use the keyboard it may be wise to use a wrist rest. The good news is that Razer has you covered this time! The included wrist rest is made out of a durable plastic and trimmed in leatherette to provide a plush and comfortable way to reduce fatigue during long hours of gameplay. Unlike previous versions, this one does not include magnetic attachment points to keep it securely in place, however, which is disappointing as it sometimes moved out of place.
One of the most important aspects of the board is, of course, RGB Lighting. The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro features the vibrant Chroma lighting and looks perfect coupled with the transparent housing of the razer switches. The transparent housing allows the LEDs to shine through with exceptional brightness while illuminating the legends to see clear as day no matter the ambient lighting in the room. I love nothing better than to turn off all the lights in my office and let the keyboard become the highlight of my desk. Of course, I think everything should have RGB, so if you don’t like it, you can also disable the lighting entirely or set it to a static backlight.
Impression
Going into this review I'll be honest, my experience with wireless devices has been a mixed bag. Generally, wireless keyboards have been more for office use with limited features and limited lighting, if any. I was impressed with the overall build quality as the shell/chassis was rigid with no excessive flexing. The ultra-low-profile combined with full height keys provided a delightful experience which in-turn allowed me to keep focused during exhilarating gameplay. The wireless experience was a pleasure throughout as connectivity with the 2.4Ghz HyperSpeed technology was seamless and ready to go once the dongle was inserted. Transmission speed is everything when it comes to gaming, if the keyboard input is too slow it can be the difference between staying alive in a first-person shooter or losing the match. Currently, my favorite is Doom Eternal, naturally, I took to this first for my testing. The experience was on point with all of Razer's claims — at least from the human perspective (some responsiveness is just too fast to perceive). There is no doubt that at this point we have reached an equilibrium where wireless is just as fast as wired if not quicker.
A wired keyboard has been my most trusted PC companion for so long that I never thought I would personally replace it with a wireless one. To my surprise, I have officially replaced my Blackwidow Elite with the Pro as my primary gaming keyboard. The reduction of cables has cleaned up my desk significantly allowing for a more streamlined setup. Combining this with the Razer Deathadder V3 Pro, which is also wireless, was a significant change and allowed more freedom to move around my desktop. And let's face it, looks great next to the Blackwidow V3 Pro.
Synapse
The piece de resistance that is the BlackWidow V3 Pro would not be complete without RGB lights and was compatible with Razer's Synapse 3 application. With an amazing amount of granular control, players can customize and can have independent effects and lighting ranging from selected groups of keys to one single key. In my opinion, competitors’ apps don’t even come close to reaching the level of accessibility and customization that Synapse provides.
Additionally, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro can store up to five profiles to its onboard memory. This allows players to switch between configurations with a simple key combination or utilize synapses built-in customization options to remap and apply macros to any single key. With onboard memory, your customizations and lighting are ensured to never be lost when transitioning from one computer to the next. To switch to another PC, players need only to download the Razer Synapse 3 application and sign in. Once players sign in, Synapse will automatically download your configurations and sync with the cloud to be ready for battle.
Conclusion
With the BlackWidow V3 Pro, Razer didn’t just knock the ball out of the park, it knocked it out of the game. It offers every feature that players come to expect from a top tier keyboard with the bonus of HyperSpeed Wireless technology, and is a substantial improvement over last year’s Blackwidow in every way. The Blackwidow V3 Pro has been a pleasure to use from the very start. The only thing I miss is the USB passthrough port, but with what gain, it’s a trade-off I’m willing to let go. This is absolutely a keyboard worth upgrading to.
