I spend a lot of time with keyboards. Between writing my articles and playing all manner of games on PC, my fingers are usually hitting keys. As such, I like making sure that I have a solid keyboard that I can use. While I have yet to find the perfect keyboard for me, Razer’s Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 did happen upon my desk. So I did what any sane person would do. I took the keyboard for a while and played any and everything that I could to really get a feel for the keyboard.
To start with, let’s talk about the look of the keyboard. Since it’s one of the largest things that’s going to be sitting on your desk, you want to make sure it looks good. The Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 is all black. Every element on this board, from the case to the keys are all black. This works out as it lets Razer’s Chroma Technology shine. For those unaware, Razer’s Chroma Technology gives users over 16 million different color options. This means that your keyboard while being all black, can glow with so many different color combinations. Aside from that, there isn’t much else to talk about the Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 and its appearance. Included with the keyboard, is an ergonomic wrist rest. Normally I’m not a big fan of extra things being where my hands on a keyboard, but this time, I enjoyed it. The wrist rest sits snug with the keyboard thanks to some low powered magnets and never shifted while I was typing. The material it is made of is soft enough that I don’t feel uncomfortable using it.
Now that we’ve talked about the outside of the keyboard, let’s discuss the inner workings. Razer has their own brand of keyboard switches that they use for their keyboards. They have three different varieties of switches; Green, Orange, Yellow. The Green switches are the most tactile having both an audible click and tactile click. This means that you both feel and hear the switches when they are engaged. Orange switches only feature the tactile click and are much more silent then the Green switches. Finally, the Yellow switches feature neither and audible or tactile click. This means that they are the quietist switches but also the least responsive as they lack the feedback of the other varieties.
The Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 that I was sent came with Yellow switches. Most keyboards I use have Cherry MX Blue switches as I prefer the click. This equates to Razer’s Green switches. The Razer Yellow switches I used were closest in comparison to Cherry MX Red switches. The good news is that the Razer Yellow switches held up to everything I threw at them. Playing everything from RTS games likes StarCraft, to FPS games like Overwatch and Lawbreakers, to even MOBAs like SMTIE, the switches handled it all very well. The keys were always responsive and I never felt like my inputs went missing or weren’t registered.
The keyboard has a smaller size factor and with that the keys are spaced just a bit closer together then a standard keyboard. What this means is that for gaming, this wouldn’t be very noticeable as your fingers rest primarily on the keys that you are going to be using. However, once you try typing something, the minor shifts in spacing are noticeable. A few time I would find myself being one key away or accidentally hitting an extra key while I was trying to type something. Once you become used to the layout of the Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 I’m sure this problem will alleviate itself but it is something worth mentioning.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a smaller more portable keyboard, the Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 should definitely be on your short list. Featuring fantastic switches and some amazing RBG lighting, this keyboard provides a luxury feeling to your mobile experience. Available for only $179.99 CDN, this keyboard is on the upper end of what I would feel comfortable spending on a strictly portable tournament keyboard. However, if you expect to use this keyboard for both tournaments and everyday use, then that price is worth it.
Liked this article and want to read more like it? Check out more of Jesse Cabral’s reviews such as Absolver and Castle Story!
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