We love the dedicated media keys, but the switches don’t feel much different. Learn more in our review of Razer’s new gaming keyboard.
Aesthetically, there’s nothing subtle about the Razer Huntsman Elite keyboard. The keyboard is bright thanks to Razer’s LED Chroma lighting kit. It’s got a metallic echo to the keys, a product of the mechanical switches—it’s loud. But the Huntsman Elite works subtly. Using new “opto-mechanical” switches, keyfeel is light and clicky. Input is said to be delivered the instant you feel the tactile click.
These opto-mechanical switches actuate the moment the key is input. The benefit of an opto-mechanical switch is that keys can be clicked, actuated, and reset at exactly the same point, according to Razer. With traditional, standard mechanical keyboards, a tactile click is felt, then the key is actuated, or input on the screen. The thing is, key switches on mechanical keyboards these days are so fast that these numbers rarely matter, unless you’re paying close attention. The difference between a 1.5mm actuation point (which is the Huntsman Elite’s actuation point) and a 2mm is so small that the general population isn’t likely to notice a difference.
The keys are mainly mechanical, but what Razer has added is a tiny beam of light that gets blocked when you push down the key. The switch is novel—it’s an interesting take on a mechanical switch, but it doesn’t feel terribly different for everyday use. If you’re pushing these keys side-by-side with Razer’s wholly mechanical switches, you will feel it. But for most typing and gaming, I would have guessed these were Razer’s Green switches, which are comparable to CherryMX Blue key switches.
One benefit here is that the opto-mechanical design has less moving parts, which ups the lifespan of these switches to 100 million keystrokes, according to Razer (the company says its Green switches have an 80 million keystroke lifespan). Of course, this isn’t something we’re able to verify in our review period for the Huntsman Elite keyboard, despite our best efforts.
The Huntsman Elite doesn’t come in any other switch options. If you can try the keyboard out before you buy it, good. But if not, it’s safe to compare this to Green switches from Razer. If you like Green switches, you’ll like the opto-mechanical design and sound. If you want a quiet keyboard that won’t annoy all your coworkers, this isn’t it.
Design-wise, the Huntsman Elite is sleek. Turn off the Razer Chroma lighting and it could fit in at any office. The Huntsman Elite looks good with a suite of Razer products—Chroma lighting is able to sync up with all Razer products. The Phillips Hue lighting system works to create a serious sensory experience. As expected, the keyboard follows in line with Razer’s standard Chroma experience: You can sync this up with games played, like Overwatch, and really customize the play experience. Especially if you’ve got the extra lights. It’s cool, and the ease of which everything comes together is a definite plus.
The Huntsman Elite is one of Razer’s more customizable keyboards with regard to Chroma lighting. The new Synapse software is easy to use, allowing you to change a total of 168 lighting zones of the keyboard and its wrist guard alone. The keyboard’s underglow feature is a nice touch, too—paired with the Hue system, it’s easy to create some intense, atmospheric lighting. The problem with the underglow is that it needs its own USB port to use, and the Huntsman Elite doesn’t have a USB passthrough on the keyboard. I use a laptop for gaming and day-to-day use, and USB ports are at a premium. During typical use, I can’t spare an extra USB port just for extra lighting.
Razer’s added dedicated media keys on the top-right hand side of the Huntsman Elite. These keys are one of those features I never knew I needed; a keyboard without dedicated media keys feels wrong now. I like being able to change music on the fly and to adjust sound volumes with a quick scroll.
The Huntsman Elite is pricey at $200. There’s a cheaper option at $150—but you’ll have to let go of the wrist rest and dedicated media keys. The wrist wrest is no big deal for me; I can live without that, despite how premium Razer’s feels. But the media keys? That’s what sets Razer’s Huntsman Elite apart from the Blackwidow line.
Pros: Sleek, streamlined keyboard with dedicated media keys and seriously customizable lighting
Cons: Expensive, and very loud—if clicky keys aren’t your thing, you’re not going to like this keyboard
Price: $200 on Amazon for the Huntsman Elite, $150 for the Huntsman
