With major keyboard companies like Wooting pushing specialist and enthusiast keyboards into the mainstream, the major brands like Razer and Corsair are certainly keen to keep their fans purchasing the next big keyboard. The Blackwidow V4 75% is arguably one of Razer's biggest innovations in their series of keyboards, thanks to a few neat tricks that help it keep up with the ever-changing competition.
For anyone familiar with, well, any of Razer's entries in the best gaming keyboard list, the design of the Blackwidow V4 looks like your standard Razer affair. The black aluminium board, with a dark matte finish, and paired with a Razer-branded wrist rest is not too distinct from similar offerings, despite the unfamiliar 75% form factor for the company. However, it's definitely what's underneath that makes the Blackwidow V4 important.
This fairly hefty keyboard surprisingly sports ABS keys, which feel more premium than average ABS keyboards, while the switches underneath are hot-swappable, a first for Razer, giving you an additional layer of customisation. The Blackwidow V4 75% arrives with Razer's new Orange tactile mechanical switches, with the ability to purchase some Yellow and Green switches that are linear and slightly more clicky respectively. Fortunately, you're not limited to Razer's own switches, as the keyboard allows for most standard 3-pin or 5-pin switches to be swapped in.
Much like some enthusiast creations, the back of the PCB in the Blackwidow V4 is pre-taped, in order to take some of the edge out of the sound when typing, giving it more depth. However, while typing and using the individually-backlit keys feels amazing, with each key shining and looking superb when plugged in, it can sound fairly loud compared to other mechanical keyboards.
Not only does it include sound dampening foam, which takes off some of the sound, but the Blackwidow V4 75% comes with a gasket-mounted FR4 plate, giving the keyboard some flex when you're busy typing for hours due to work or long gaming sessions. It's a lot nicer than tray-mounted keyboards, but it won't please the biggest enthusiasts in the scene.
I really love how, when using the Fn key to access various functions, the keyboard's lighting would change to highlight the possible combinations you can use. It makes it much easier to use the function keys compared to the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless that I recently used, which has a fairly steep learning curve.
Unfortunately, compared to the Blackwidow V4 Pro, USB passthrough and the Command Dial have been removed in favour of hot-swappable switches and, in all honesty, a better typing experience. You may be losing some flexibility and macros by opting for the 75% keyboard over the full-sized Pro, but the general experience remains the same, if not greater than the more expensive variant. Of course, it also lacks flexibility when it comes to being wired-only, so those looking for less wire clutter will likely want to look elsewhere.
Another shame is the leatherette wrist rest, which I just couldn't enjoy during my time. The plumped rest would likely make long hours of typing for work much more pleasant after getting used to it, but I just couldn't enjoy the experience of having it attached at the bottom, and thus, I opted against using it. I much prefer the standard plastic wrist rests that most Razer keyboards come with.
The final problem I experienced is the fact that, while Razer's push toward customisation is much-needed to bring them into the forefront of mechanical keyboards again, the two-year warranty is void if you decide to access the PCB. It's a small issue for those of you who want a slightly-customisable keyboard via hot-swappable switches, but enthusiasts may find this to be a problem if they opt for the Blackwidow V4 75%.
Of course, like the range of other Razer peripherals, you can use the Razer Synapse software to finetune the Blackwidow V4 75% to your liking, including adjusting the RGB (or further tuning it using Razer's Chroma Studio), but otherwise, you can use the software to store macros, adjust the polling rate, and it has on-board memory which can store up to five profiles for your different choices.
Razer's first hot-swappable and most compact keyboard so far is definitely recommended for those looking to get into the enthusiast audience, without the various costs and troublesome building. It's a great starter keyboard that gives some nice customisation options, with great, smooth typing and an overall satisfying experience, but its lack of flexibility can turn off some potential buyers.
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