Razer BlackWidow Elite Keyboard Review

The Razer Huntsman V2 and the Razer BlackWidow Elite are very similar wired mechanical gaming keyboards. Both boards have RGB backlighting, plushy wrist rests, dedicated media keys, and a volume control knob. However, the Huntsman V2 is the first Razer board with an 8000Hz polling rate, and it has marginally lower latency than the BlackWidow Elite. It's available with Razer Linear Optical and Razer Click optical switches, which are advertised to be more durable and faster than standard mechanical switches. On the other hand, the BlackWidow Elite is available with linear Razer Yellow, tactile Razer Orange, and clicky Razer Green switches. Also, it has a USB passthrough, which the Huntsman V2 doesn't have.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro and the Razer BlackWidow Elite perform very similarly overall. The SteelSeries' Omnipoint switches have a customizable pre-travel distance and are easier to actuate. However, the typing quality is better on the Razer because the Razer Orange switches provide tactile feedback, and you can also get the keyboard with clicky or linear switches if you prefer.

The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro and the Razer BlackWidow Elite are very similar keyboards, but the V3 Pro is wireless. The V3 Pro has a multi-device pairing feature that lets you pair up to three devices at the same time so that you can easily switch between them. On the other hand, the wired Elite has a USB passthrough. Both keyboards are available with Razer Yellow linear switches and Green clicky switches, but the Elite is also available with Orange tactile switches.

The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog and the Razer BlackWidow Elite are very similar overall. The main difference is that the Huntsman has linear analog switches that let you use the keyboard like an analog joystick, while the BlackWidow uses more traditional mechanical switches and is available in three switch types, tactile, clicky, and linear. The only other difference is that the Huntsman has LED lighting on the sides to create an underglow effect. Both keyboards offer an excellent typing experience, but the Huntsman's switches might be too sensitive for some and might cause more typos.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite and the Razer Huntsman Mini are very different keyboards. The Elite is a full-sized keyboard and has more features, such as dedicated media controls and a USB passthrough. It's available with Razer Orange, Green, or Yellow switches. On the other hand, the Mini is a compact 60% keyboard and is available with Razer Clicky Optical or Linear Optical switches. The Elite comes with a wrist rest; the Mini doesn't.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is better than the HyperX Alloy Origins for gaming. We tested the Razer with Orange switches, which have a shorter pre-travel distance but higher operating force than the HyperX Reds. The Razer has dedicated media controls, a USB passthrough, and onboard memory to save custom profiles. Additionally, it has lower latency and comes with a wrist rest.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a better gaming keyboard than the Logitech G513, mainly because the Razer lets you reassign or set a macro to any key, while the Logitech is limited to the function keys only. There are some minor differences between Logitech's Romer-G and Razer's Orange switches, but overall, they perform very similarly for gaming. That said, the Razer provides a better typing experience because the tactile feedback is more distinct and not as mushy as the Logitech. The Razer has more extra features, like dedicated media controls and onboard memory, which the Logitech lacks.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a better gaming keyboard than the Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2. The Elite is a full-sized keyboard that feels sturdier, and while it has two incline settings, it does tend to slide around more. The Elite also has onboard memory, but both keyboards offer similar typing experiences and outstanding RGB backlighting.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite and the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 are both outstanding gaming keyboards, but the Razer is slightly better because it has lower latency. It's a better-built keyboard with a more comfortable wrist rest, and it offers a better typing experience, although that's mainly because the Corsair's key spacing takes a while to get used to. On the other hand, Corsair's iCUE software is available on macOS, while Razer's Synapse 3 isn't.

The Corsair K100 RGB and the Razer BlackWidow Elite are both exceptional gaming keyboards. The Corsair has a few more features, such as a column of dedicated macro keys and a multi-function wheel that you can customize to perform various functions. The Corsair is available with two different types of linear switches, which have a low operating force but don't offer any tactile feedback. On the other hand, the Razer is available with clicky, linear, and tactile switches.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a better keyboard than the Razer Ornata Chroma. It's a full-size mechanical keyboard that's noticeably better built and offers a better overall typing quality. It features dedicated media keys and Razer Orange tactile switches. On the other side, if you don't like mechanical switches, the Ornata has mecha-membrane switches that feel like rubber domes, but they still have the clickiness of mechanical switches.

The SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL and the  Razer BlackWidow Elite are both amazing gaming keyboards with several key differences. The SteelSeries unit we tested was the TenKeyLess variant, but there’s a full-sized version as well. Our unit also has SteelSeries Brown switches that provide good tactile feedback, and It’s also available in clicky SteelSeries Blue and linear SteelSeries Red switches. On the other hand, the Razer is a full-sized keyboard with lower latency. The unit we tested has tactile Razer Orange switches that provide a heavier-feeling typing quality, but it’s also available with linear Razer Yellow or clicky Razer Green switches. Both keyboards feature full RGB lighting with individually backlit keys, but the SteelSeries suffers from significant color bleeding.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is much better for gaming than the SteelSeries Apex 5, mainly due to the SteelSeries' high latency. The Razer provides a better typing experience overall, and it's available in a variety of mechanical switches, including linear, clicky, and tactile options. The SteelSeries has hybrid switches that also provide a good typing experience, but they're louder, which isn't ideal for quiet office environments. Feature-wise, the SteelSeries has an OLED screen, while the Razer has a USB passthrough.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite performs better than the Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition if you want a full-sized keyboard. The BlackWidow comes with a comfortable wrist rest for those long gaming sessions, and it's available with tactile, clicky, or linear switches, so you can get the one you prefer the most. On the other hand, the Huntsman is a smaller TKL keyboard, which is good for FPS gaming, but it's only available with linear switches. Both have full RGB lighting, and each key is macro-programmable through the Synapse 3 software. Typing feels better on the BlackWidow mainly because the Huntsman's switches are overly sensitive and may cause more typos, and they don't provide tactile feedback.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite and the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed are fantastic mechanical gaming keyboards, but the Elite offers more features, partly because of its larger size. The Elite is a full-size wired board with dedicated media keys, a volume control knob, a USB passthrough, and a plushy wrist rest. On the other hand, if you like connecting the board with multiple devices at once, the V3 Mini HyperSpeed is a 65% wireless board that can pair with up to three devices at once. It also has slightly lower latency. Both boards are available with linear Razer Yellow and clicky Razer Green switches, but only the Elite is available with tactile Razer Orange.

The EVGA Z15 and the Razer BlackWidow Elite are both fantastic wired gaming keyboards. They both have dedicated media keys and a volume control wheel, and all of their keys are macro-programmable. The Razer is available with clicky Razer Green, tactile Orange, and linear Yellow switches, while the EVGA is available with clicky Kailh Speed Bronze and linear Speed Silver switches. Also, the EVGA is a better option if you like to easily swap out the switches for other ones whenever you want since the board is hot-swappable. While they both have incredibly low latencies, the EVGA's is lower and is among the lowest we've tested.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a better gaming keyboard than the Logitech G910 Orion Spark. All of its keys are programmable, rather than just a few dedicated macro keys. Also, it comes with a very plushy and comfortable wrist rest, and the board feels noticeably more durable. On the other hand, the Logitech's key pre-travel distance is shorter and quicker to actuate.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is better than the Corsair K70 RAPIDFIRE for most uses. The Razer has a much better build quality and full RGB backlighting. The Razer Orange switches on our Razer provide a better typing experience; however, the Cherry MX Speed switches on the Corsair are more responsive and require less force to initiate a keypress. The Razer has a few switch options you can choose from, but the Corsair only has one option.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a much better keyboard than the Razer Ornata V2. The Elite features mechanical switches from Razer, which have very low pre-travel, making it great for gaming. On the other side, the V2 features non-mechanical Mecha-Membrane switches, which may feel a bit heavy to press. The Elite is also much better-built and feels a lot more durable than the plasticky V2.

The Corsair K95 PLATINUM and the Razer BlackWidow Elite are two very similar keyboards, but the K95 has one of the lowest pre-travel distances we've measured so far. Its RGB lighting also bleeds a lot more throughout the board than the Razer's lighting. On the other hand, the Razer overall build quality seems a bit more durable and comes with a plushy wrist rest.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a better keyboard than the Das Keyboard Model S Professional. The Razer has full RGB backlighting and all keys are macro-programmable. That said, the Das Keyboard is compatible with Cherry MX Brown and Blue switches, while the Razer uses proprietary switches.

The Razer Pro Type and the Razer BlackWidow Elite are very different keyboards. The Pro Type is a wireless keyboard designed for productivity with multi-device pairing capability, while the Elite is a wired-only keyboard intended primarily for gaming. The Elite has more features, such as full RGB backlighting, dedicated media controls, onboard memory, and a wrist rest. Also, the Elite is more customizable because it's available with different types of switches, while the Pro Type is only available with Razer Orange switches. The Elite has lower latency, and its Razer Orange switches have a shorter pre-travel distance and lower operating force than the ones on the Pro Type.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite and the Ducky Shine 7 are both outstanding wired gaming keyboards. The Razer has more features, such as dedicated media controls and a USB passthrough, and its latency is lower. The Ducky offers a better typing quality when comparing the Cherry MX Brown against the Razer Orange switches, though this depends on the type of switches you get, as both keyboards are available in multiple switch options. The Ducky has PBT keycaps, whereas the Razer's are ABS.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a better gaming keyboard than the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT because it has lower latency, and its Razer Orange switches require less force to actuate than the Cherry MX Blues on the Corsair. That said, both keyboards offer multiple switch options. The Corsair has six dedicated macro keys, which is great for MMO players, and its customization software is compatible with macOS computers, whereas Razer's Synapse is only compatible with Windows.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is much better than the Corsair K60 RGB PRO Low Profile. The Razer has a better build quality, dedicated media controls, a USB passthrough, and it includes a wrist rest. The Razer Orange switches on our unit provide a much better typing experience, and you can get it with a different type of switch to suit your needs. However, if you're on an Apple computer and want full customization options, only Corsair's iCUE is available for macOS.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite performs better overall than the HyperX Alloy FPS RGB, but both options are fantastic for gaming. The Razer feels better-built and more comfortable. It has a wrist rest and more extra features like dedicated media keys, a volume wheel, and a USB passthrough. It also provides a better typing experience and is available in more than one switch type. On the other hand, the HyperX takes a bit less space on your desk, and the Kailh Silver Speed switches it uses have shorter pre-travel and should feel a bit more responsive.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is much better than the Das Keyboard 4 Professional for most uses. The Razer has better build quality, and its ergonomics are better because it offers more incline settings and includes a wrist rest. It has backlighting, programmable keys, and software for customization, all of which the Das Keyboard lacks. The Razer provides a better typing experience and has much lower latency than the Das Keyboard.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite and the EVGA Z20 are outstanding wired gaming keyboards with comparable performance but several differences in feature sets and available switch types. The Razer has a volume control knob, and while it doesn't have dedicated macro keys, all of its keys are macro-programmable. It's available with tactile Razer Orange, clicky Razer Green, or linear Razer Yellow switches. On the other hand, the EVGA has five dedicated macro keys, a volume wheel, and a time-of-flight sensor that you can program to perform functions based on your proximity to the keyboard. It's available with either linear or clicky Light Strike LK Optical switches.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is better than the Das Keyboard X50Q in most uses. Typing and build quality are both significantly better on the Razer, and the Synapse 3 software has many more options to choose from. Razer's included wrist rest is more comfortable, and it has a USB passthrough and a headphone jack for convenience. The Das has its 'applets' feature, but it's only accessible for Windows users.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a better gaming keyboard than the Razer BlackWidow Lite, mainly because the Lite's latency is a bit high for a wired keyboard. The Elite also has more features, such as dedicated media controls, a USB passthrough, and onboard memory. It has full RGB lighting, while the Lite only has a white LED backlight, and it comes with a comfortable wrist rest. 

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is a full-size mechanical gaming keyboard, while the Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard II is a compact wireless board well suited for use with mobile devices and tablets. The Razer has many extra features, like macro-programmable keys, dedicated media keys, a volume control wheel, a USB passthrough, and a Windows Key lock. It's available with Razer Orange, Razer Green, and Razer Yellow switches. Comparatively, the Lenovo has mouse click buttons and a TrackPoint nub to control the cursor without a separate mouse. It can pair with one device via Bluetooth and another via USB receiver. It's available with tactile scissor switches only.

The Logitech G815 LIGHTSYCN RGB and the Razer BlackWidow Elite share a lot of similarities feature-wise. The main differences are that the Logitech is a low-profile keyboard with proprietary GL switches, while the Razer has a more standard height and uses Razer switches. Both keyboards are available in tactile, linear, and clicky switch options. Every key on the Razer is macro-programmable, but on the Logitech, it's limited to the column of dedicated macro keys only. Logitech's G HUB software is available for macOS, while Razer's Synapse 3 isn't. The Razer comes with a wrist rest, although the Logitech is comfortable to type on without one due to its low profile.

The Razer BlackWidow Elite is better for gaming than the Mountain Everest Max, but the Mountain is a more customizable keyboard. The Razer is available with clicky Razer Green, tactile Orange, and linear Yellow switches, and it has lower latency than the Mountain for a more responsive gaming experience. The Razer also feels better built and offers better typing quality, but each keyboard has ABS keycaps. As for the Mountain, it's a modular keyboard that comes with a detachable Numpad and media dock, so you can place them or remove them how you like, and because the switches are hot-swappable, you can use whichever ones you prefer the most.