At the bottom of the filing cabinet behind my desk, there is a drawer I like to call, “Keeb Hell.” Keeb because this is where all the keyboards I have tested live. Hell because it’s the bottom drawer, obviously. Inside you’ll also find an empty box with a Razer Blackwidow V4 Pro 75% keyboard nowhere to be found. That’s because it’s the keyboard I use every day.
It was made for gamers by gamers and it’s actually the secret sauce that makes this the perfect all-around keyboard. From gamers to mechanical keyboard enthusiasts to people like me who are typing for eight hours a day, everyone will find something to appreciate in the Blackwidow V4 Pro.
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% Wireless Gaming Keyboard
Cons
- Didn’t find much use for the OLED display
- $300 is a lot for a keyboard
- Heavy
This entry Razer’s line of Blackwidow gaming keyboards is a 75% keyboard, meaning it has arrow keys (crucial) but lacks a number pad. Personally, this is the size keyboard I recommend to most people. Even if you’re serious about gaming, you don’t need the numpad taking up the extra desk real estate. If you’re work involves a lot of number inputs, well, get the wired ten-key version. I mention work because while gaming is the main use this keyboard is designed for, I honestly haven’t even really used it for that.
The Ultimate Keyboard For Writing
As a work keyboard, this thing rips. Its orange key switches are tactile enough to satisfy the clacky keyboard lover in me, but dampened enough so my coworkers aren’t driven insane when I type. In the age of “creamy” keyboard switches (listen, I hate the Zoomer lingo just as much as you), us millennials appreciate something a little more old school.
The Blackwidow V4 Pro comes with a wrist cushion that attaches magnetically to the keyboard itself. Not a novel idea, but the execution is flawless. It’s extremely comfortable to use throughout the day. When I want to move the wrist rest, I pick it up. Otherwise, it stays put. You might find this praise strange, but testing out other keyboards that have a magnetic wrist rest this isn’t always the case. With devices like these, the small details matter.
Take, for instance, how most keyboard manufacturers make you choose between wired and wireless models. At a price-tag of $300, Razer decided it doesn’t pull these punches and gives you three ways to connect, not one. The Blackwidow V4 Pro is built with one USB-C port for charging and wiring in. It supports 5.1 Bluetooth as well, which is what I’ve been using. A 4000 Hz HyperSpeed receiver is built into the keyboard and it included he HyperPolling Wireless Dongle plugs right into my monitor. Latency-wise, it’s like I’m still wired in. A small switch lets you toggle between all three modes, and while it would be nice if it could automatically detect which input I’m using, it’s not a dealbreaker my any means.
Built with Two Audiences In Mind
There are aspects of the Blackwidow V4 Pro that are baked-in to appeal to gamers. The chroma RGB backlighting, for one. If you find that childish, you’re not alone. You can adjust that easily (and without downloading Razer Synapse) using the other gamer-y feature—the OLED display and command dial.
Together the display and dial (and one more button right below it) work in tandem to give gamers easy ways to adjust settings while deep in competition. This lets you control up to six separate functions, including adjusting volume, skipping tracks, RBG and OLED screen brightness, and switching windows on your PC. These are some of the defaults, but they can be customized in the Synapse app.
Tiny OLEDs are pretty trendy in modern gaming keyboards. While it certainly has uses—app switching being an especially powerful one—I found myself rarely using the screen. The only time I’m really cognizant of it is when the keyboard is charging and it shows how full the battery is. That is invaluable.
Gaming aside, this is also a great pick for keyboard hobbyists. You can really go in depth with the customization here. Most gaming keyboards only let you replace the keycaps. This one is fully hot-swappable, letting you replace the switches as well. Me? I’ve never taken apart a keyboard in my life. The most I’ll do is flip the spacebar.
Luckily, before I had hands-on time with the Blackwidow V4 Pro, Razer rounded up some of the keyboard enthusiast community’s brightest content creators and had them each create their own unique take on the keyboard. I got to check them out and was shocked by the variety. One made the already heavy keyboard an unmovable behemoth. Another went full nostalgia with clacky switches and retro keycaps. It showed me that, in the hands of an expert, this keyboard can truly become whatever you want it to be.
Final Verdict: A Keyboard Worthy of the Investment
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% Wireless Gaming Keyboard
Cons
- Didn’t find much use for the OLED display
- $300 is a lot for a keyboard
- Heavy
So, here’s the elephant in the room. Is $300 a shitload of money to spend on a keyboard? Absolutely. It’s more than you can pay for a good keyboard. But this isn’t just a good keyboard. It’s fantastic a fantastic keyboard. The options for wired and wireless connection alone are a big part of what you’re paying for, but the convenience of options is unbeatable.
If you’re a gamer who wants a bridge to the world of hot-swappable mechanical keyboard, the Blackwidow V4 Pro is the perfect place to start. If you’re me, well, it’s been a comfortable and satisfying part of my daily grind. At very least, going back to any other wrist rest won’t be an easy task.
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I’ve been testing the Razer Blackwidow V4 Pro 75% for over a month now. I even wrote this whole review using it. What else do you want?
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