Razer BlackWidow V4 evaluation

Making a one-size-fits-all efficiency and gaming keyboard appears nearly too lofty of a objective, however Razer determined to provide it a go anyway. The BlackWidow V4 Professional is billed as the final word battlestation mechanical keyboard, and I had the possibility to go hands-on with it over the previous few weeks. Whereas there are many apps and programs that may improve your expertise, some new, shiny {hardware} is difficult to beat. A keyboard designed for work and play appeared proper up my alley as an avid and a work-from-home enterprise proprietor, and I wished to share my impressions on this evaluation.

Beneficial

Razer BlackWidow V4 Professional

The BlackWidow V4 Professional is Razer’s is a piece arduous, play arduous keyboard, designed to carry the perfect of each worlds collectively in a properly rounded mechanical keyboard.

Professionals

• Extremely customizable
• Three distinct mechanical swap sorts to select from
• Loads of macro keys

Cons

• Actuation ranges can’t be custom-made

Value, availability, and specs

The complete-sized Razer BlackWidow V4 Professional is the highest-end model within the BlackWidow lineup and configuration that I’ve examined. It retails for $230 and is obtainable from Amazon, BestBuy, and immediately from Razer on-line.

The BlackWidow V4 Professional is a totally mechanical keyboard with doubleshot ABS keycaps, per-key RGB lighting, and a slew of customizable macro keys. Consumers have the selection of three completely different switches that supply various ranges of journey distance, actuation factors, and swap sound profiles. The keyboard connects to your PC by way of USB-C and includes a second USB-C connection by which customers can allow USB pass-through.

Utilizing Razer Synapse, in addition to onboard shortcuts, customers can cycle by various preset profiles and arrange customized profiles that may be saved within the onboard storage. Razer has introduced the keyboard into the polling fee dialog, and the BlackWidow V4 Professional might be set to a variety of polling charges from 125Hz to 8000Hz, although why I would wish my keyboard to speak with my PC 8,000 occasions per second is a bit misplaced on me.

The BlackWidow V4 Professional carries RGB in spades. On prime of the per-key lighting, which is extremely customizable by Razer Synapse, the keyboard has underglow RGB beneath the principle chassis, in addition to extra underglow within the included wrist relaxation.

What I appreciated in regards to the BlackWidow V4 Professional

Extraordinarily well-rounded efficiency

The BlackWidow V4 Professional is an incredibly well-rounded keyboard, and I used to be totally impressed when utilizing it for each work and productiveness, in addition to throughout lengthy gaming periods throughout completely different genres. The mannequin I examined featured the inexperienced switches, which Razer describes as “tactile and clicky.”

Regardless that the inexperienced switches have the longest journey distance and loudest clicks of the three switches, every keystroke was nonetheless easy and responsive with out feeling exhausting to make use of over lengthy intervals, in contrast to a few of Razer’s gaming-specific keyboards with deeper switches. The keys are delicate sufficient for exact gaming, but not so delicate that productiveness duties are affected by misinputs.

Then there have been macros on macros. Razer’s BlackWidow V4 Professional options 5 devoted macro buttons that run alongside the left aspect of the keyboard, in addition to three macro aspect buttons on the left aspect of the BlackWidow chassis. The abundance gave me ample alternatives to create them for each in-game use and work. I set the aspect macro buttons to shortcuts for Nvidia’s Overlay, Home windows Activity Supervisor, and the Home windows display screen seize instrument. The 5 macro buttons had been excellent for remapping necessary talents in Future 2 or keybinds in FPS video games.

What I did not like in regards to the BlackWidow V4 Professional

Lack of customizable attributes

For a keyboard that prices over $200, and one with the phrase “Professional” proper within the identify, I discovered that the BlackWidow V4 Professional was sorely missing in customizable features and consumer expertise. Essentially the most customizable characteristic on the keyboard inside Synapse is the command dial, which might be set to manage or alter a number of completely different features, like lighting brightness, switching apps, zoom, scrolling, and switching browser tabs.

Except for that, and altering the polling fee, there aren’t any different substantial options to fine-tune. Whereas I perceive this line is just not supposed to cannibalize market share from Razer’s extra gaming-focused keyboards just like the Huntsman, I’d have appreciated a richer consumer expertise for such an expensive peripheral, notably when gaming.

Do you have to purchase the BlackWidow V4 Professional?

The decision is…

The BlackWidow V4 Professional is a really stellar workhorse keyboard. Each time I used to be gaming, whether or not enjoying FPS or RPG video games, I discovered myself considering that it was an incredible keyboard that carried out very well. It isn’t the best gaming keyboard I’ve ever used, however in fact, that is not the intention. After I was utilizing the BlackWidow for work, notably for writing emails or articles, I used to be totally impressed. Its straightforward key presses, easy operation, and full dimension, together with the NUM pad and multimedia controls made it an especially well-rounded instrument for productiveness duties.

It is actually the closest I’ve seen a keyboard come to a profitable jack-of-all-trades. In the event you’re a distant employee, author, programmer, or every other keyboard-heavy consumer to your day job, however an avid gamer in your free time, you may discover the BlackWidow V4 Professional gives top-tier efficiency in each worlds.

Beneficial

Razer BlackWidow V4 Professional

The BlackWidow V4 Professional is Razer’s is a piece arduous, play arduous keyboard, designed to carry the perfect of each worlds collectively in a properly rounded mechanical keyboard.