For years, Razer has been the keyboard of choice for many eSports players, and for good reason. They have managed to innovate in major ways when it comes to gaming peripherals, leading the way in a number of categories. With the Huntsman V3 Pro, they’ve taken another leap forward, making one of the most responsive keyboards I have ever used. With small refinements and an already solid foundation, Razer has delivered a fantastic offering that is ready for the tournament and the home office.
Much like past iterations in the Razer Huntsman line, the Huntsman V3 Pro continues the tradition of sleek, premium designs. The keyboard sports a brushed aluminum top plate that not only looks great but also adds rigidity to the overall structure. It’s a sturdy piece of hardware that feels built to last, even under the most intense gaming sessions. Unboxing the keyboard, I was pleasantly surprised by how solid it all felt, something you will not find on the cheaper keyboards in the market.
If you’ve used previous versions of the Huntsman Pro range, you’ll notice the redesigned wrist rest, which I have mixed feelings about. While it lacks the plush padding of its predecessors, the new artificial leather surface offers a firmer, more durable solution. Some users may miss the softer feel, but the trade-off is a palm rest that’s likely to retain its shape and quality over time. I will say that I also miss the RGB on the palm rest of previous models, which may have added little functionality but did add a splash of colour that I always like. Again, that is a personal thing.
Although a minor change, the media controls on the Huntsman V3 Pro have also been modified in subtle but notable ways. The volume knob is now more textured, offering better grip and control. The media buttons, while minimalist, have a high-quality feel that matches the overall aesthetic of the keyboard. I have to say; I like the way it all looks, giving it a slightly more modern and industrial feel, a welcome change and one that is similar enough not to put off longstanding fans of the range.
At the heart of the Huntsman V3 Pro are Razer’s new Analog Optical Switches Gen-2. These switches are the secret sauce that enables many of the keyboard’s standout features. They allow for customizable actuation points, meaning you can set how far you need to press a key before it registers. This level of customization is a game-changer, letting you fine-tune your keyboard to your exact preferences.
As in the weeds as it sounds, the Rapid Trigger feature on the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro keyboard is something that, to eSports players, can be a major advantage in a match. It allows keys to reset faster, enabling quicker repeated keypresses. For games that require rapid, repeated actions, this can give you a significant edge. As much as I love the concept and how it all works, I still have not mastered what it can do in a game. It is very much a feature made for the pros, but the fact it is there and ready is great for aspiring players looking to take advantage of all the tools at their disposal.
“As in the weeds as it sounds, the Rapid Trigger feature on the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro keyboard is something that, to eSports players, can be a major advantage in a match.”
Although only used for testing, one of the Razer Huntsman line’s most unique features is the keyboard’s ability to emulate analogue gamepad inputs. While the usefulness of this feature can vary depending on the game, it does open up new possibilities for control schemes in supported titles. Again, it is a very interesting feature, but like many of the more advanced aspects of the keyboard, it is perhaps something that the average buyer will not touch in day-to-day use.
This brings us to one of the most exciting new features recently introduced to the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro: Snap Tap. This feature is designed to address a common problem in games like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant, where accuracy of movement is crucial. If you have ever struggled to keep your aim while strafing, this feature will give you the edge in games and could help you get that elusive headshot in a firefight.
In these games, players often need to come to a complete stop before firing accurately. Snap Tap mode uses the analog nature of the switches to instantly switch between movement keys. When you start pressing the opposite direction key, it immediately cuts off the current direction and starts the new one. This eliminates any dead zone between movements, allowing for faster, more precise strafing and peeking around corners. For FPS enthusiasts, this feature alone could be worth the admission price. It has the potential to significantly improve your gameplay, even if you’re not a pro-level player.
When finally diving into some gaming, as I anticipated with my experience with past offerings in the range, the Huntsman V3 Pro delivers on its promises. The customizable actuation is a major plus for gamers who want different sensitivities for different keys. For example, you might want hair-trigger sensitivity on your movement keys but a deeper actuation point on your ability keys to prevent accidental presses.
While gaming is clearly the focus, the Huntsman V3 Pro is no slouch when it comes to typing. The double-shot PBT keycaps feel great under your fingers and should resist wear and tear over time. The switches have a smooth, consistent feel that’s comfortable for long typing sessions. It is great to type on, and the responsiveness of the keys makes for a very accurate and pleasant typing experience. Few keyboards come close, and I say that because I am using the keyboard to write this review.
Even if you never game, the customizable actuation comes into play here as well. You can set a deeper actuation point for typing to prevent accidental keypresses, then switch to a hair-trigger profile for gaming with just a few button presses. It is amazing to be able to adjust the keyboard exactly as you need, something that even the best standard switch-based keyboard can’t achieve easily.
“While gaming is clearly the focus, the Huntsman V3 Pro is no slouch when it comes to typing.”
With the new customization options, Razer’s Synapse software remains the command centre for all changes and adjustments to the keyboard. It allows you to set up different profiles, customize the RGB lighting and fine-tune the actuation and rapid trigger settings for each key. While I find the software to be bloated at times, it does the job for the most part and makes tweaking settings easy and relatively painless.
The software has improved over the years, and while I don’t love it overall for what it does, it delivers where it needs to. I will say I do enjoy that many features, including Rapid Trigger settings, can now be adjusted on the fly without Synapse running in the background. This is a welcome change for those who prefer not to have additional software running during their gaming sessions.
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is a premium keyboard with a price tag to match. However, for serious gamers looking for every possible edge, it delivers features that could genuinely impact your gameplay. Whether these innovations will become the new standard remains to be seen, but for now, the Huntsman V3 Pro stands as one of the most advanced gaming keyboards on the market.
- CHOSEN BY PRO’S FOR ADVANCED FPS MOVEMENT — With Rapid Trigger, Adjustable Actuation and Razer Snap Tap, the Huntsman V3 Pro offers lightning-fast, precise movements that provides gamers an unbeatable edge especially in FPS games
- RAZER SNAP TAP — Prioritize the latest input between two selected keys without having to release the previous one, and enjoy more responsive inputs for near-instant directional changes in FPS games (latest firmware update required)
