The world has been constantly working on computers, tablets and other digital devices to work virtually through a pandemic. And one of the key components is a good keyboard that can keep up with rigorous work sessions or marathons of gaming time with the squad. The DeathStalker V2 line is meant to be Razer’s new line of ultra-slim optical keyboards. From my personal experience with the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard, I never felt a single discomforting moment from this highly ergonomic design.
For Razer, I am accustomed to their membrane keyboards with the Cynosa series keyboards. While I liked the squishy membrane keys, I knew I was lacking with the elements to prevent wrist strain. The Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard surprised me as it did not have an included wrist rest like some of the newer Huntsman boards but the flat, low-profile optical switches were still very comfortable—slightly borrowed from its predecessors.
Razer claimed they put in the time and research for their switches offered on the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro: red linear switches and purple clicky switches. The clicky purple switches were said to have the balance of low enough actuation to prevent hand fatigue but still give the classic tactile clicks. The red linear switches (what I used) were made with the intention to have built-in silicon dampeners designed to give the user a perfect blend of quiet acoustics with a satisfying key bottom-out.
“The Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard looks like it is a refined piece of technology…”
As far as the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard’s chassis is concerned, it has a solidly strengthened aircraft-grade aluminum alloy top plate. This means this keyboard can go through a Call of Duty: Warzone match, get shot at and still be easily alive to tell the tale. The sturdiness is something I have not found in other keyboards of this calibre and certainly not in the original DeathStalker.
Speaking on the OG DeathStalker, the original design looked like it was going for a futuristic space console vibe. Whereas the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard looks like it is a refined piece of technology that will keep me gaming for hours on MultiVersus. I am a fan of space-looking tech but the original DeathStalker has nothing over this newly improved evolution—in this case, the sequel is better.
Some personal qualms I had with the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro were its wireless capabilities. Even with the dongle plugged in, I ran into some issues where the keyboard was trying to search for the dongle connection. I made sure the Razer Synapse app was updated and that had not solved the issue. It took a couple PC restarts and unplugging and plugging back in the dongle for the keyboard to be recognized again. This happened about two to three times within the time I used it—almost making me lose a competitive match in Valorant!
Although, about 9.5 times out of 10 when the keyboard connected smoothly, it was super quick. The DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard has Razer’s patented HyperSpeed Wireless Technology that is said to deliver “at least 25% faster transmission speed than any other mouse.” From my experience, this holds true. The moment I boot up my PC and turn on the keyboard, boom, it is ready to go for me to enter my password—and my PC bootup literally takes less than three seconds.
It also contains Razer’s HyperSpeed Multi-device Support, allowing one dongle to pair the keyboard with a wireless Razer mouse. I tested this out with my Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed and it felt good to have that one free USB port again. The Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard also includes Bluetooth 5.0 capability, which allowed me to connect the keyboard to three different devices that can be toggled between using the three buttons near the top of the board.
While I am someone who likes to multitask a lot, I thought this ability was very extraneous. After attempting to connect the keyboard to my PC, HUAWEI P20 Pro and HUAWEI MediaPad, I was disappointed with the connectivity issues again. The Bluetooth setting did not work with any of these devices—it only worked with one of my two laptops. So, that was a bit of a letdown in the Bluetooth department.
“One of the best features of the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard is its superb battery life…”
Remarkably, one of the best features of the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard is its superb battery life when dealing with all the connectivity troubles, or even when gaming smoothly. Razer boasted its 40+ hours battery life on one charge. I usually take a lot of breaks in between games, so I leave the keyboard on idle. This keyboard is an energy-saver angel that smartly recognizes when the user is gone for a set amount of time. A cool feature is you can quickly check the keyboard battery life by pressing “FN + END.”
On the sound profile of the keyboard itself, the audio of each keystroke was not too loud but still offered enough of a satisfying clicky sound. It is especially convenient for me since I like to work late at night and do not want to wake my other house members. In relation to sound and audio, the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard filtered its media controls to two buttons/roller. As someone who does not care too much about media buttons on a keyboard, I was appeased to see it was nothing fancy and very straightforward to use in contrast to other keyboards like the Razer Huntsman V2.
The same could be said about its Razer Chroma RGB kit, it keeps to its recent form of assortment of various lighting options. What surprised me with the lighting, the backlighting specifically, was how crisp and clean it is to see the keyboard in darker environments. This was accomplished by Razer’s laser-etched keycaps with “ultra-durable coating” said to provide even more protection from wear and tear than doubleshot keycaps. After I did some brutal work on these ABS keycaps, the glossiness and shine never wore off.
The Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard is definitely at the top of its class for its ultra-slim build in the body design and low-profile keycaps. While I had my fair share of connectivity difficulties with this keyboard, I think the good times with it far outweighed the shortcomings. My fingers always felt great typing for hours on end, whether for work or gaming. I thought this was an experience from years of trial and error at Razer HQ, which has been spectacularly refined compared to its first iteration and puts itself on a different competitive edge to its Huntsman siblings.
The battery life will reliably live through a couple of days of use before needing some electrical juices again. The price tag is quite reasonable for the DeathStalker V2 Pro keyboard’s attention to ergonomics but could use some fine-tuning in certain areas. It is a near-perfect gem for those willing to spend the couple hundred on a highly ergonomic keyboard.
