The Razer BlackWidow V4 Tenkeyless (TKL) HyperSpeed Wireless continues Razer’s tradition of creating highly customizable keyboard experiences. Featuring the latest Razer HyperSpeed and Bluetooth connectivity, a smart hot-swappable design and long battery life, the BlackWidow V4 TKL HyperSpeed is a well-constructed gaming keyboard. As part of the larger BlackWidow V4 lineup, the TKL carries the same pedigree I’ve come to expect from the rest of the series.
A variation on the excellent (and currently personal favourite) Blackwidow v4 Pro 75%, the TKL HyperSpeed brings much of the same exceptional quality and quality of life in a streamlined form factor. While it strips away some of the Pro 75% flourish, with a lack of LCD, magnetic wrist rest and slower overall polling rate, the TKL HyperSpeed provides an excellent, customizable keyboard experience for gamers.
Constructed with customization and acoustic treatment in mind, there is a lot to appreciate in the TKL HyperSpeed’s design. For starters, Razer has included a hot-swappable PCB that supports most three- and five-pin mechanical switches. This gives gamers and keyboard enthusiasts the freedom to install their preferred switches into the TKL chassis.
“The Razer BlackWidow V4 Tenkeyless HyperSpeed Wireless continues Razer’s tradition of creating highly customizable keyboard experiences.”
For keyboard modders, the TKL HyperSpeed also comes with pre-installed tape on the back of the PCB, saving money on painter’s tape while delivering an effective acoustic solution for enthusiasts. If you know, you know. Additionally, the BlackWidow V4 TKL HyperSpeed includes a stainless steel plate, painted white, that provides both additional acoustic management and an aesthetic reflection surface for the keyboard’s per-key RGB.
The underside of the board contains two layers of foam — one under the PCB and another on the bottom of the case — that further reduce reverb while typing. For even greater noise reduction, the TKL HyperSpeed can accommodate many aftermarket stabilizer plates, giving you more freedom to customize your experience. As with the other boards in the BlackWidow V4 lineup, the TKL HyperSpeed offers premium construction and design.
Razer has included its Orange Tactile Mechanical Switches (Gen 3) in the BlackWidow V4 TKL HyperSpeed, and like the Pro 75%, they perform well. Some of my favourite switches of this generation, the Orange provide a blend of tactile feedback and acoustic response, feeling satisfying with every keystroke.
For those who prefer linear switches, Razer also offers optional Yellow Linear Mechanical Switches that can be hot-swapped into the TKL HyperSpeed. Razer provided a full set of Yellow Linear Mechanical Switches for testing, and while I’m not historically a linear switch fan, these feel smooth to use and are ones I would recommend for anyone inclined toward this type of switch.
To complement the Orange Tactile Mechanical Switches, Razer has opted for doubleshot ABS keycaps that provide a solid typing experience. With RGB on full display through Razer Chroma, the TKL HyperSpeed offers a per-key customizable lighting setup, with the doubleshot keycaps allowing light to shine through clearly.
On the topic of keycaps, Razer also included a set of its Phantom Keycaps for testing along with the switches mentioned above. After a couple of weeks of use, I have to say I am enjoying their white translucent design. If you like white keycaps, the Phantoms are on par with the SteelSeries PrismCaps and provide a unique look for the BlackWidow V4.
“Response time is exceptional, with no noticeable lag — as I’ve come to expect from the BlackWidow lineup.”
While the TKL HyperSpeed features the standard 87 keys, Razer has also included three additional control buttons and a customizable multi-functional roller. The control buttons provide quick access to audio, media and battery settings, while the roller acts as a dial for the selected function. Located in the upper-right corner of the BlackWidow V4 TKL HyperSpeed, this control centre provides fast access to these settings without leaving your current task.
While the design and construction of the BlackWidow V4 TKL HyperSpeed are impressive in their own right, Razer has worked to include key features that distinguish the BlackWidow series. As the name suggests, the TKL HyperSpeed features Razer HyperSpeed wireless technology, giving it a 1000 Hz polling rate. While not quite matching the Pro 75%’s polling rate, the TKL HyperSpeed offers significantly better battery life — a point of critique I had with the Pro.
A quick note on polling rate differences: while the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% has a wireless polling rate of 4000 Hz compared to the Tenkeyless HyperSpeed’s 1000 Hz, in everyday use and even gaming I found little practical difference in the overall experience. While I can see scenarios where a 4000 Hz polling rate is preferred for esports-level competition, it had little impact in my daily testing.
As with many of Razer’s HyperSpeed devices, the BlackWidow V4 TKL offers HyperSpeed multi-device support. This reduces the number of dongles connected to the PC by allowing compatible mice and the keyboard to connect through one centralized dongle. Thanks to Synapse 4, the process is simple and can be set up in under a minute.
The TKL HyperSpeed also supports Bluetooth mode, which can be toggled via the Fn key plus 1, 2 or 3 on the keyboard. As this suggests, the BlackWidow can store up to three Bluetooth profiles, allowing for quick switching between devices.
In terms of response and performance, the BlackWidow TKL HyperSpeed excelled in testing. Response time is exceptional, with no noticeable lag — as I’ve come to expect from the BlackWidow lineup. The Orange Tactile Switches, with their 2.0 mm actuation point and 50 g actuation force, feel great for both gaming and typing. As mentioned, these switches have become a personal favourite of this generation. While some prefer a shorter 1.4 mm actuation point, as a fast typist, I find the extra 0.6 mm reduces the number of unintentional keystrokes while working or gaming.
“Rated for up to 980 hours in idle when running in power-saving mode, the battery life is impressive.”
On the topic of keystrokes, Razer’s signature Snap Tap is back and works well. For those new to the feature, Snap Tap allows for more precise and reactive strafing. On traditional boards, pressing two movement keys simultaneously cancels the action, locking the player in place.
Snap Tap, by contrast, lets gamers press both strafe keys at once, registering the order the inputs are received and giving priority to the most recent. This allows for a faster change in strafe direction by simply lifting a finger off one of the keys. It’s a system used in many of Razer’s newer boards and works just as well here.
Battery life is another area Razer has improved in this latest iteration of the BlackWidow. Rated for up to 980 hours in idle when running in power-saving mode, in testing, I used it for a few hours a day over the past two weeks and still had 40 per cent battery life remaining from the initial charge. This was with full RGB lighting on (with energy-saving mode enabled when not in use) and a 1000 Hz polling rate — an impressive result.
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Tenkeyless HyperSpeed Wireless is an excellent gaming keyboard that balances premium features with a competitive price. Offering many of the core features of the BlackWidow V4 while sacrificing only a few is a smart move, making the BlackWidow V4 Tenkeyless HyperSpeed Wireless a strong choice for gamers seeking a premium mechanical keyboard below the $200 price point.
