That company’s current keyboards start at around $150, far less than Razer’s $250 Huntsman V2 Analog. And if you want to use the keyboard’s single USB 3.0 Type-A passthrough port for an accessory, it has a second USB Type-A cable hanging off its back that you can plug into your PC.īy the way, in case this is your first time hearing about this kind of analog key technology and adjustable actuation, keyboard company Wooting beat Razer to the punch with similar keyboards dating all the way back to 2016. The cable that powers the Huntsman V2 Analog is USB-C, but Razer includes an adapter so you can plug it into USB Type-A ports. As you might expect, the keyboard itself has bedazzling Chroma RGB lights all around it, too.
Razer includes Doubleshot PBT keycaps, which are said to wear better with age than standard keycaps, and you’ll also get a soft wrist rest that contains RGB lights and can be attached magnetically to the keyboard. Razer’s Huntsman V2 Analog has an aluminum frame, a set of dedicated buttons to control media, and a dial for adjusting volume, which all look and feel great. The embedded animation shows this in action.Ī look at how the optical switch determines the actuation level. This is how it works: instead of relying on separate physical mechanisms to delineate between actuation states, the switch’s sensor judges distance pressed by assessing the amount of infrared light hitting it. It’s important to note that this doesn’t change how the keys feel when you push them, but a shorter actuation will let you type a little softer without worrying that your keys won’t register a press. The Huntsman V2 Analog keys have a default 3.6mm travel, but you can adjust the distance to a much shorter 1.5mm or anywhere between those values. In fact, Razer’s switches can be customized to your specific actuation preferences for gaming or any other use case. You could equip a grenade with a soft press of a key, then throw it by pushing the key all the way down, just to give an example. And programming an analog input for a key will override its original use case, so you’ll need to revert it or flip to a different profile.)īuilding on that feature, Razer’s keyboard also allows gamers to program two distinct functions that would usually require two buttons onto one key, with one firing off at one actuation distance and the other when you fully press the key. (Note that game support for using analog inputs and a mouse simultaneously will vary, but using this feature at all requires the Synapse software. You’ll be able to program the keyboard so that pressing a key down slightly will make you walk slowly in game, while pressing it fully will have you running at a normal clip - just like an analog stick.
Perhaps the most appealing feature of these keys is that, instead of being limited to the usual on / off nature of key actuation, they can be programmed with analog inputs to emulate a controller’s joysticks for smoother, variable levels of movement and control. This model’s optical switches support adjustable actuation (the amount of movement required to register a press), allowing for near-endless customization through Razer’s Synapse software. Razer’s latest mechanical keyboard, the $250 Huntsman V2 Analog, looks similar to the company’s previous models, but the biggest differences lie in the switches.