Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 Keyboard Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. Testing4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

To test the BlackWidow Chroma V2, I used it as my daily driver for over a week. During this time, I used it to play games, edit photos and type my reviews. All-the-while, I factored in its practicality, features and performance to write about here.

Firstly, let's take a look at the Razer Synapse software.

Above you can see a gallery of Razer's Synapse software and all the available options for the BW V2.

While Synapse includes excellent RGB lighting control, macro support and key re-mapping tools, I am most interested in the ‘stats' tab. As you can see above, Synapse can actually track your activity in different games and tell you how many clicks/key-presses you make in each session. It can even create a heatmap of the keyboard to show you which keys you press the most.

All-in-all, I really like the Synapse software. It is annoying that you have to create an online account to use it, but it offers excellent control over all the important areas, while it is also easy-to-use and a good-looking piece of software.

The V2's lighting is also excellent. Razer have added a white baseplate under the keys, just like Cooler Master has done previously, and this really allows the light to spread out and cover the whole of the keyboard, not just the keycaps themselves.

Colours are also very accurate, with the exception of white, though this is simply due to the nature of RGB LEDs – it is not a negative point specific to the V2. I also love the Chroma sync feature which allows you to synchronise the lighting between other Razer Chroma-compatible peripherals.

Listen to an audio comparison of the Razer Green switch vs the Cherry MX Blue switch using the file above.

In terms of physical testing, I enjoyed using the V2 on a daily basis. Starting with Razer's own Green switches, I do think Razer have done a great job here. I love the tactile and clicky response, while – compared to my own keyboard that uses MX Blues – I do feel that the Razer switches are a bit faster, which can definitely help in-game.

There is also the option of the new Razer Yellow switch – however, this new switch is only available in keyboards that use a US key layout, so that is definitely worth noting.

My gaming performance with the V2 was absolutely fine, though. There is a handy ‘Gaming mode' which can be enabled via Fn+F10, and you can configure what this does using the Synapse software. Elsewhere, the V2 features 10-key roll-over which is more than enough for the FPS games I like to play, though maybe some hardcore gamers out there would like to see NKRO (n-key roll-over) instead.

I do have to mention the new wrist rest as well. It attaches magnetically, so it is very easy to clip on or off, while the rest itself is padded with a faux-leather finish. Unfortunately, I found using it to be slightly uncomfortable as the padded area of the rest is quite tall, which forced my wrist to sit higher than I would have liked. If the wrist rest had more of an angle to it – like the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum's wrist rest – it would not have been a problem, but it is actually quite flat. Maybe over time the padding would depress slightly, but for the week I used it, I was not too happy with the wrist rest.

Elsewhere, I was also disappointed by the lack of the dedicated multimedia controls. I would really expect a keyboard of this size (and price) to have dedicated media controls. My suggestion to Razer would be to ditch the LED indicator panel in the top right-hand corner of the board and replace it with dedicated media keys. I think this panel is unnecessarily large and that space could be better used with some play/pause/skip buttons and a volume wheel.

Furthermore, while the build-quality is very good thanks to the internal metal frame that Razer have used, I do think the matte-black plastic outershell lacks the premium look and feel of an all-aluminium keyboard. Given HyperX were able to manufacture a steel keyboard for £99 with their Alloy FPS, I really feel the V2 should have a metallic frame, especially when you consider Razer are charging £164.99 for this keyboard.

My final complaint is perhaps the most significant – while Razer have changed a few minor areas of the keyboard, when compared it to the original, I do not really think the changes can justify the increased cost. For example, Razer have changed the font, the plastic outershell is now textured, and the LED housing is more rectangular – but these changes are far from revolutionary. In my opinion, the only major difference is the addition of the magnetic wrist rest, and even that is a bit disappointing. Considering the V2 costs £164.99, while the original can be found on Amazon for £123, I am not sure Razer have done enough to justify the extra cost.

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