Since the late ’90s, Razer has been producing high-quality computer peripherals designed with gamers in mind. Although they started small, Razer has quickly become a household brand among pro gamers and us plebs alike. I personally have been a fan of Razer products for a while now, already owning the DeathAdder mouse and Lycosa keyboard (and loving them both).
So when I got the opportunity for a BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition review unit, I jumped at the chance.
The Claim
According to the product page, the BlackWidow’s sales pitch hinges on three main points: silent, quick-response key architecture; “extreme” anti-ghosting; and backlit keys with varying brightness levels. I was willing to bet, of course, that the keyboard would be phenomenal for many other reasons as well, though these three were what Razer seemed to believe would be most appealing to today’s PC gamers.
The reality? Shock and awe, the keyboard lived up to its promises in all three areas.
Presuming you took “silent mechanical key architecture” to mean “as silent as possible given the circumstances.” Because let’s be honest, it’s a keyboard, not a pair of slippers. And a mechanical keyboard, at that. Be that as it may, the key presses were much more quiet than I anticipated. For those familiar with the professional StarCraft II player Destiny, I felt like his more stealthy (and perhaps less RTS-inclined) younger sister. For those unfamiliar with Destiny, I felt like a kid with a surprisingly quiet mechanical keyboard; I hope this imagery helps.
A second feature pertaining to the key architecture is that the keys take only a very light touch to activate. In the world of e-sports, a feature like this can be very helpful, since APM (actions per minute) can mean the difference between win and defeat.
In a similar vein, the anti-ghosting feature proved itself useful several times while I was trying out the keyboard – did someone say strafing? Additionally, since most games support in-game chat or other commands not directly related to gameplay, it’s often necessary to be holding down one while pressing two or three others simultaneously. The BlackWidow actually supports up to six simultaneous key presses, far more than I’ve ever had to use. And in testing for thoroughness’ sake, found that the BlackWidow held up wonderfully under such conditions – all key presses were recognized and activated correctly.
Finally, the backlighting. Here’s where Razer deserves an award; either for most levels of backlighting found on a single keyboard (the BlackWidow boasts five variations in lighting), or for most truthful advertising. They promised backlit keys, they delivered backlit keys. An aesthetically pleasing feature, for sure, but one about which not much else can really be said.
Additional Features
The keyboard also displays a number of other highly useful and advantageous functions. The first, and perhaps the most useful, is the programmable keys and “on-the-fly” macro recording. The BlackWidow comes with software that allows you to record a sequence of keystrokes, including customizing the order and timing of the key presses, and re-map it to a different key or combination of keys. This is extremely useful in games where certain actions take multiple key presses, or if a game does not allow for customizable keybinds. Maybe the push-to-talk key is in an inconvenient location, or you simply want to be able to open the chat console, type “good luck have fun,” and close it again with a single key press – the BlackWidow can do that.
I personally found the five programmable macro keys to be extremely productive; in Team Fortress 2 they came in handy when using various chat commands that normally require hitting two separate keys located in very inconvenient spots. The BlackWidow allows me to perform these commands without taking my left hand off the “wasd” position.
I should, however, insert a disclaimer here: while I personally love these additional macro keys, I’m no pro gamer. The BlackWidow certainly is widely-used in the StarCraft II pro circuit, though some noteworthy pros like MarineKing prefer to physically remove these five macro keys before competing. Presumably this is to prevent himself from accidentally hitting M5 instead of CTRL – a mistake that could cost him a game, since StarCraft is largely dependent on actions per minute.
In addition to the programmable macro features, there is a bevy of other characteristics that can be found listed on the technical specifications page of the BlackWidow’s product listing.
The Negatives
It’s inevitable for most products to have a downside. In this case, there’s one huge, glaring flaw: after converting to the Cult of Razer, it’ll be impossible to go back to using any other brand of keyboard.
Overall
Simply put, this is a fantastic keyboard that should be at the top of every PC gamer’s holiday wishlist. While it won’t turn you into a pro overnight, it’ll make the path much smoother. Now, I wouldn’t call the BlackWidow a necessity; I mean, pants aren’t a necessity either, right? But life is a heck of a lot more comfortable with them.