Razer BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard Review

There are many manufacturers that make good keyboards, many that make great gaming keyboards, but not many that make exceptional keyboards which, once you see (and feel), you just have to get. Razer is one of those companies whose products, more often than not, are completely desirable. While not perfect, and perhaps even not as feature filled as competitors, their products usually have a certain charm to them that one look is enough to make you want one. Today I’ll be looking at their latest flagship keyboard, the BlackWidow Ultimate.

Just looking at the BlackWidow Ultimate won’t exactly tell you what powers lie beneath. In fact, on surface it looks rather mundane and minimalistic. Sure it has backlit keys, but otherwise, looking at the layout there’s nothing that screams exciting. As soon as you touch it though, everything changes. For starters, it’s quite heavy, coming in at around 1.5kgs. Don’t take this as a bad thing though, as the weight actually ensures great build quality and the fact that this is a mechanical keyboard.

A mechanical keyboard uses actual switches under each key, instead of rubber membranes or dome-switch (hybrid membrane and mechanical keys) that’s found in traditional keyboards. What this means is that you’ll get actual tactile feedback on each key stroke, never wondering whether your key stroke was actually registered or not. While typing, this is something you’ll really start appreciating, but as a gamer this is a true blessing since a single missed key can be the difference between winning and losing.

Mechanical keyboards are also incredibly durable, and will outlast any membrane based keyboard by a long margin; the switches are just that much more durable. This durability and tactile feedback comes at a price though, it is loud. Trust me, while furiously typing away or punching keys while playing games is a genuinely pleasurable experience, the mechanical clicks can be very annoying to those nearby.