Reaction times are one thing, but if you're trying to compete with crummy hardware, you could find yourself at a disadvantage. Razer wants to take that excuse away with its new BlackWidow Tournament Edition Chroma V2 (opens in new tab), a compact mechanical plank built for competitive gaming.
The compactness of the keyboard is due in large part to ditching the dedicated number pad. What's left is a tenkeyless plank with a detachable (magnetic) padded wrist rest.
Users can choose between three key switch types—Green, Orange, and Yellow—depending on whether the preference is towards a silent keystroke and/or a tactile bump. Either way, one of the primary selling points is Razer's "Instant Trigger Technology." What this does is cancel any delay between key actuations for a rapid response during frenzied keystrokes.
"Gamers rely on their gear to react and respond as fast as they do no matter the situation, from landing a headshot to combining ultimate abilities as a team," says Min-Liang Tan (opens in new tab), Razer co-founder, and CEO. "Timing is critical. The BlackWidow TE Chroma V2’s Instant Trigger Technology works hand-in-hand with our Yellow switches, setting the bar for the industry’s fastest response rating on a keyboard with the ultimate combination of hardware and software."
The keys are individually backlit and can be programmed to different colors and effects. You can load up lighting profiles for games like Overwatch and Call of Duty, and also sync the keyboard across devices.
Razer's new keyboard is available now for $140.
