Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: a thick wireless gaming keyboard with exceptional performance – and a price to match
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%: Two-minute review
this Razer The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is the brand’s new top-of-the-line wireless gaming keyboard, featuring hot-swappable mechanical switches and multiple connectivity options.
It’s quite muscular, with an angular, slab-like body that conveys its gaming intentions. The RGB lighting helps here too, and the strip around the bottom edge is a particularly nice touch, with just the right amount of glam. Still, it’s not as heavy or bulky as you might think, and its compact layout makes it easy to use.
BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% also comes with a leatherette wrist rest, even when best gaming keyboard It’s humbling with its gorgeous design and plush cushioning for maximum comfort. It may seem too thick at first, but once you get into it, you’ll probably get used to it quickly.
a small organic light emitting diode The display is located in the top right corner of the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, and is controlled via buttons and a scroll wheel on the side of the keyboard. The scroll wheel can be set to perform various functions, such as adjusting the volume and switching application windows to name a few (more functions are available via Razer peripheral software Synapse). Additional keyboard settings are available through this display, although the options are very limited. But overall, it’s easy to use and works well.
BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% compatible with Synapse 4. I did encounter a few technical glitches during my time with it, including incorrect battery readings and a failed firmware update. However, these issues eventually went away with updates and reboots, and I’ve had little trouble since.
When working properly, Synapse 4 offers some useful customization features, with a large selection of bindings and shortcuts for the keys and wheel. Everything is well presented and easy to navigate.
When it comes to the gaming business, though, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% really shines. The Gen-3 tactile mechanical switches are responsive in action, but dampened just enough to make them satisfying to use. The compact layout and serrated two-color PBT keycaps are secure and easy to press. However, if you’re not satisfied with the stock setup, the BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% hot-swappable, allowing you to choose your own switches and keycaps to suit your preferences.
Typing on the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is also a pleasant experience, with the plush wrist pad providing ample support. My only minor complaint is that the six-degree angle provided by the foot is rather shallow, but that still didn’t affect my comfort.
Connecting between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz modes was easy, although I didn’t notice much of an improvement when using the included HyperPolling wireless adapter, which increases the polling rate to a maximum of 4K. Convenient keyboard shortcuts also allow you to easily switch between three Bluetooth-connected devices, making the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% very versatile if you have a lot of systems to move between.
The BlackWidow V4 Pro’s battery life of 75% is decent, but nothing special. I found it lasted several days of varied use, switching between various wireless modes. I estimate it takes a little over two hours from empty to full, which is average performance.
There is no denying that the BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% a very well-made gaming keyboard that is well worth buying. But whether it’s worth the hefty asking price is debatable, especially when you consider that other products like the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog and Steelseries Apex Pro offer stunning analog performance at a lower price. For mechanical purists, however, it’s certainly the cream of the crop.
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: Price and availability
- US$299/£299/AU$499
- Now available in black
- High end of the market
The BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% off for $299 / £299 / AU$499 and is now available in one colour: black. Included in the box is a USB-C-to-A cable, HyperPolling wireless adapter, a keycap puller, and three spare switches.
In terms of price, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% sits at the top of Razer’s gaming keyboard lineup. It’s more expensive than what we consider to be the best gaming keyboard out there, the excellent Huntsman V2 Analog. Unlike the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, the analog functionality means you can set the drive point this way. However, it’s not hot-swappable like the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, so you can only use optical switches, and it’s wired only.
Other well-known rivals in the premium segment are also cheaper. For example, the Steelseries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3 is a great motherboard that also features analog switches for $269 / £259 (around AU$456).
Value: 2/5
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%: Specs
| layout | tK |
| change | Razer Mechanical Switch Gen-3 (Tactile) |
| Programmable keys | Yes |
| aspect | 13 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches/329 x 160 x 40 mm |
| RGB or backlight | Yes (customizable) |
| response time | Unspecified |
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%: Design and features
- Thick body
- Carefully designed
- Compatible with Synapse 4
The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is a fairly unassuming gaming keyboard from the front, but a 3-dimensional view shows that this keyboard is actually a single solid board. The layout is compact, although the keys are still spaced far enough apart to make it easy to use even if you’re clumsy like me.
The buttons and strip running along the bottom edge have some RGB lighting, which really helps give it a more sophisticated look.
The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% comes with a wrist rest that is softer and more padded than what many competitors offer. In fact, I thought it was too thick at first because it lifts your hand higher than usual. You do get into it, however, and it wasn’t long before I got used to it. The two-stage feet help achieve a more comfortable position, although neither setup raises the keyboard as high as other keyboard feet.
It’s also more stylish than many other rests, thanks to its premium leatherette material and subtle herringbone pattern. It attaches to the BlackWidow V4 Pro with 75% magnetism with just the right amount of force, making it easy to remove, yet strong enough to stay secure.
The two-color PBT keycaps are lightly textured and feel great to the touch. The same goes for the regular Gen-3 tactile mechanical switches, but since this is a hot-swappable keyboard you can change them if you don’t like them.
At 75% of the top right corner of the BlackWidow V4 Pro is a small OLED display. This can be used to display GIFs and make certain adjustments, which can be made by holding down a button on the side of the board. However, only a few settings are available, including RGB effects and polling rate (up to 4K when using the included HyperPolling wireless adapter).
Click the side button to cycle through up to six wheel function presets; it can be used to adjust volume, switch applications, zoom in and out, and click the wheel inward to have related functions.
BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% compatible with Synapse 4. I did encounter a few glitches during my time with the software, such as the battery indicator giving incorrect readings and the label on the keyboard itself disappearing from the window. Also, the firmware update failed multiple times, but after a few updates and reboots, it worked more smoothly.
Synapse offers the usual customization features, including key rebinding, but the scope of these features is vast. You can map mouse buttons, as well as numerous Windows and media shortcuts (more than many other peripheral software offers) to keys and even the scroll wheel. There’s also a Hypershift feature where you can add a second layer of bindings by pressing the Hypershift button assigned to the key of your choice.
Design and functionality: 4/5
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: Performance
- Magic stock switch
- Great for gaming and typing
- average battery life
Gaming with BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is an enjoyable experience. Razer’s tactile mechanical switches are snappy in action, with short travel and just the right amount of damping to press softly, yet satisfyingly and controlled, which is typical of Razer. best mechanical keyboard. The keys are slightly recessed, again providing the right balance between security and ease of use.
That snappy yet dampened feel is a real boon when it comes to typing, providing plenty of feedback and bounce so you can glide over the keys with ease. However, the aforementioned thickness of the wrist pad gave me a somewhat unfamiliar typing position, but I quickly got used to it and found it to be very comfortable.
The various connection modes also work seamlessly, although I can’t say I noticed much of an improvement when using the 4K polling rates offered by the HyperPolling wireless adapter. Switching between 2.4GHz/HyperPolling and Bluetooth modes is fairly quick, although I did notice a slight lag and the need for a key press to activate the board after switching to a new device.
There are also three Bluetooth profiles available, conveniently accessed via the fn key and number keys 1-3. Likewise, switching this way to control a large number of devices can be done quickly and consistently.
After a few days of varying use, the battery drained while I was switching between various wireless modes (Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, and HyperPolling wireless adapter). That’s not a particularly impressive performance, and neither is more than two hours of empty charge time. However, neither figure is cause for complaint.
Performance: 4 /5
Should I buy the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% off?
| property | notes | grade |
|---|---|---|
| value | At 75% off, the BlackWidow V4 Pro is about the most expensive; other flagship gaming keyboards are less powerful than this but offer similar levels of performance. | 2/5 |
| Design and features | The BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% built for T-shirts, right down to the included wrist rest. Synapse 4 has some minor issues, though. | 4/5 |
| Performance | The switches and keycaps are nice and great for typing on. But since it’s not an analog board, the actuation points are not adjustable. | 4/5 |
| Comprehensive | Apart from some minor issues with the Synapse software, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% has no major issues. Its build quality and performance are enviable, but its astronomical price tag is hard to swallow, especially when other standouts with analog switches are cheaper. | 4/5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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| Header Cell – Column 0 | Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% | SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3 | Razer Huntsman V2 simulates Razer |
|---|---|---|---|
| layout | tK | tK | tK |
| change | Mechanical (tactile) | Analog (Hall Effect Magnetism) | Razer Analog Optical Switch |
| Programmable keys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| aspect | 13 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches/329 x 160 x 40 mm | 14 x 5 x 1.7 inches/355 x 129 x 42 mm | Unspecified |
| RGB or backlight | Yes (customizable) | Yes (customizable) | Yes (customizable) |
How I tested the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%
- After more than a week of testing
- For gaming, productivity, browsing
- Computer games have a history of more than ten years
I tested the BlackWidow V4 Pro at 75% for over a week, during which time I used it for gaming, work, and general browsing.
Games I have played include Counter-Strike 2 and STALKER 2: Heart of ChernobylFPS games, which are a good test of the keyboard’s responsiveness, accuracy, and ergonomics. I made sure to use all the different connection methods, from wired and Bluetooth modes to the HyperPolling wireless adapter.
I’ve been into PC gaming for over 10 years and have tried many keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed many gaming keyboards of varying sizes, switch types, and price tags.
