Hello! This is my first review ever, so I apologise if I ramble on a bit or if the structure of the review is all over the place. This will focus on the more practical parts of the keyboard, as opposed to the usual gamer crap, like N-KRO, response time, etc. You can assume this gaming keyboard is perfectly-suited to just that - with light linear switches, a small form factor to allow for bigger mouse movements and a rollover count high enough to allow for multiple keypresses at the same time.
The design of the board is not as garish or in-your-face as other gaming keyboards I've seen. I prefer the appearance of the full-size Blackwidow V2, as I like bigger bezels on my keyboards, especially with a closed-case design like this. I do find the angular trim at the front of the case an attractive feature, giving it a "dangerous" look, if you catch my drift. The illuminated Razer logo, as overhyped and pricey as it is, is always a nice touch. The case is made of a textured matte plastic, so it should be resistant to scratches and oils. It feels taut and well-made; it barely flexes and makes no creaking noises when handling. Another physical aspect I like is the detachable USB - mini USB braided cable, as I could replace it with a coiled Model F XT-like cable! A soft-touch faux leather wrist-rest is included, which elevates my wrists much higher than I'd like. It's held in place with light magnets - a much more elegant solution to Corsair's wrist rests, which must be clipped into place and often damage the case when removing them. The keyboard also features non-slip rubber pads on the base, as well as rubber-tipped flip-out feet. The keyboard looks and feels more natural with the stands down, however. Overall, the Blackwidows (at least the V2 and the Tournament Edition) are my favourite modern keyboards in terms of appearance.
The normal keycap font has been a welcome change with Razer keyboards since the Blackwidow X in 2016, which was the first to use this simple and far more elegant font, as opposed to the ugly sci-fi font before this. The small legends will also hide the "sloping" effect better, where the lighting is dimmer towards the bottom of the legends. I believe this is why the secondary legends are printed in grey, rather than transparent like the primary ones. Speaking of which, these legends have been laser-engraved into thin painted ABS, which tend to shine quickly and show finger oils. I personally like the delicate slick feeling to these cheap keycaps, but they're not very durable, and the typing noise tends to be hollow with these. The layout is also non-standard, as the bottom row uses different-sized keys, which are almost impossible to replace with higher quality alternatives. This, in my opinion, is the single biggest disadvantage to this keyboard, as I think it would be perfect with some black SA keycaps.
The lighting is definitely an improvement over the earlier Blackwidows, as the colour transitions are much smoother and not nearly as jerky. That said, some colours do not work with the look of the keyboard at all, as the white mounting plate washes out the colours. Red looks especially bad, as does yellow. Despite this, the reflective mounting plate gives a unique effect which I really, really like. It distributes the lighting nicely, which glows between the keycaps. It reminds me of gaps in molten rock, although that's probably just due to my strange mind. Purple looks especially good on this keyboard, giving it a dark and poisonous look. Light blue also looks very pretty in my opinion. The lighting is controlled by the dreadful Razer Synapse software, which I won't talk about, as this isn't the focus of my review.
Now for the most important part: key feel and sound! Razer's Yellow switches are essentially clones of Cherry MX Speed Silver, with the same shorter travel and higher-up actuation. These are better, as they are noticeably smoother than their Cherry MX counterparts. They're obviously not as smooth as the Flaretech Optical switches in my Zowie Celeritas II, but there's very little abrasion. I do not have a Gateron Red keyboard to compare it to, so I'm not sure how it would compare to other clones. I do really like these switches - the shorter travel seems to feel more natural than the full travel of Cherry MX Reds, but the higher-up actuation means accidental keypresses are more likely to occur. This doesn't help, as the switches are naturally light and sensitive to the weight of your fingers. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I think they feel pretty decent.
The sound is nothing special, it's about what you'd expect of an MX-type switch. They're fairly clacky and high-pitched, although I still find it pleasant to listen to. The thin keycaps won't do the sound much justice, although I'm sure the closed-case design helps to bring out the sound more. Razer's well-stabilised bigger keys do not rattle like that of Corsair keyboards. I think this takes the typing experience a long way, as the stabilisers feel and sound solid. I would MUCH rather use this than my Zowie, as the stabilisers on that are disgusting, and the sound is rather rattly. Rattling spacebars just kill the typing experience for me, which is what made me hate typing on the three Corsair K70s I used to own.
Would I recommend this to someone looking for a solid typing experience in a flashy modern keyboard? Yes! if you don't mind the keycaps and the price tag that comes with Razer products, it's a nice keyboard with unique styling that makes it stand out from the tackier gamer boards out there. I think you have to want the styling above all, which I did. I find the cheaper keyboards quite tacky, and often have rattling stabilisers. Apart from that, this keyboard doesn't offer much more in terms of functionality. The Yellow switches are definitely better than Cherry MX Reds or Speeds, and the extra "speed" feels good. If you can get a good deal on Amazon or Ebay and like the look of this keyboard, then you should definitely try it!
Sound test:
