Since its release in 2010, Razer's BlackWidow keyboard has seen many iterations and been considered Razer’s premium mechanical gaming keyboard. That is, until the arrival of the company's new keyboard, the Huntsman. There are two models available now: the Huntsman ($150) and Huntsman Elite ($200).



Razer’s new Huntsman line will supersede the BlackWidow as the company’s premium mechanical keyboard offering. The keyboard will feature Razer’s new Opto-Mechanical switches, which Razer claims can actuate keystrokes at “the speed of light.” But unless you’re a professional gamer or a cyborg, you probably won’t notice the change.

Still, if the prospect of optical switches appeals to you, the Razer Huntsman Elite is a great keyboard, especially if you’re looking for a minimalist RGB experience with light, clicky switches.

Specifications

Razer Huntsman Razer Huntsman Elite Switch Type Razer Opto-Mechanical Razer Opto-Mechanical Actuation Force 45 g 45 g Actuation Point 1.5 mm 1.5 mm Travel Distance 3.5 mm 3.5 mm Actuation Vs. Reset Point 0 ± 0.2 mm 0 ± 0.2 mm Switch Lifespan 100 million keystrokes 100 million keystrokes Lighting 16.8 Million Color RGB Backlight 16.8 Million Color RGB Backlight Additional Ports None None Cable Type Braided fiber cable Braided fiber cable Dimensions 17.5 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches 17.6 x 5.5 x 1.44 inches (17.6 x 9.05 x 1.44 inches with wrist rest) Weight 1.9 lbs 2.7 lbs (3.76 lbs with wrist rest) Key Caps Cherry compatible Cherry compatible Software Razer Synapse 3 Razer Synapse 3 Accessories N/A Ergonomic wrist rest with 24 underglow lighting customization zones Miscellaneous Hybrid On-board and Cloud Storage–5 profiles Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording 10 key rollover with anti-ghosting Hybrid On-board and Cloud Storage–5 profiles Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording 10 key rollover with anti-ghosting 4-sided underglow lighting with 38 customization zones Dedicated media controls Multi-functional digital dial Price $149.99 $199.99

The Huntsman Elite is a stark departure from the BlackWidow and its heavily gamer-centric aesthetics. For one, the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite have sleek, minimal designs with a matte black top cover constructed out of solid aluminum.

The Huntsman’s and Huntsman Elite’s main selling point is Razer’s new Opto-Mechanical switches. When a switch is pressed past 1.5 mm, an infrared beam inside the switch will register the actuation. Theoretically, the actuation should be registered at the speed of light, which is much faster than a traditional mechanical switch.

In practice, we found the Razer Huntsman Elite to be quite fast. It’s incredibly light and satisfying to type with. Unfortunately, none of us have The Flash’s reaction speeds, so we can't know for sure if our clutch Play of the Game in Overwatch was the Huntsman's doing or our own.

Razer has been working on these switches for a while, but it isn’t the first to market with optical switches. We’ve seen a similar optical sensor approach in keyboards from A4Tech’s gaming brand, Bloody. In fact, Bloody’s LK Libra optical switches are strikingly similar to Razer’s Opto-Mechanical switch. When asked who will be manufacturing these switches, Razer said that it will use multiple switch partners.

Huntsman and Huntsman Elite Differences

While the Huntsman line aims to hit a more premium price point than the BlackWidow, Razer has split the line between the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite. The main differences between the two are the additional features added to the Elite.

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The biggest difference you’ll notice is the detachable leatherette RGB wrist rest. It receives power via pogo pins on the front lip of the Huntsman Elite, and the 24 custom lighting zones power on and sync to the keyboard’s lighting almost instantly.

The cushioning in the wrist rest is quite comfortable, and the material is pleasing to touch. We also found that the magnets secure the wrist rest to the Huntsman Elite well. The Huntsman Elite’s wrist rest is complemented by the keyboard’s 38 customizable underglow points.

The Huntsman Elite also features three media keys and a multi-functional digital dial on the top right-hand corner. The keys have satisfying clicky feedback and can be moved multi-directionally like joysticks. The dial is set to adjust volume by default, but you can change that in Razer Synapse to other functions such as adjusting microphone volume, weapon switching in game, or scrolling.

For $200, the Razer Huntsman is pricey. Gamers looking for a more affordable Opto-Mechanical experience will most likely consider the baseline Huntsman for $150.

Comparatively, the Bloody B975, which also has optical switches, retails for $150 as well and comes with an additional wrist rest, whereas the baseline Huntsman does not. However, Bloody’s aggressive aesthetics can be polarizing, whereas the Huntsman’s clean, minimal build seems like it will satisfy more shoppers.

