Razer Huntsman V2 review: Ultra-fast clicky clacky goodness

(Pocket-lint) - Razer has taken its fashionable Huntsman gaming keyboard line-up and upgraded the setup to marque it adjacent much appealing. This keyboard is present a superior spot of kit for immoderate Razer fan, gaming enthusiast oregon mainstream mechanical keyboard lover. It packs immoderate earnestly good, gamer-pleasing specs, from PBT keycaps to an 8,000Hz polling rate, positive a prime of optical switches. 

• Best gaming keyboards: The champion quiet, loud, colourful and arrogant mechanical keyboards around

What makes the Huntsman V2 appealing though are the upgrades you can't see. Subtle things that marque this keyboard much appealing to usage - similar the inclusion of peculiar dampening foam to marque it much satisfying to benignant on. Does each this marque a quality though? We've been gaming connected it to find out. 

The implicit package?

• Full-size keyboard plan with modular bottommost enactment layout
• Razer Chroma RGB customisable backlighting
• Multi-function integer dial and 4 media keys
• Razer Doubleshot PBT Keycaps
• Aluminium matte apical plate
• Braided USB cable
• Plush wrist rest

The Razer Huntsman V2 is simply a full-sized gaming keyboard which, connected the look of it, has that modular Razer vibe. At archetypal glance, it's not overmuch to look at, but it surely feels solidly built and good constructed. It has a matte decorativeness and an understated look and consciousness - until you plug it successful for the RGB lighting. 

This keyboard comes with Razer's Doubleshot PBT keycaps arsenic standard, designed to beryllium much durable and long-lasting than modular keycaps. If you similar the thought of an upgrade with your ain keycaps, past that's an option. Razer has its ain colourful keycap sets that you tin acquisition arsenic an further boost for this keyboard, but with a modular bottommost enactment layout immoderate keycaps should work. 

We recovered the modular keycaps are bully capable for regular use. They person a curve to them and the decorativeness is pleasant connected the fingertips. One downside of the plan is the doubleshot plan means that the RGB lighting doesn't get wholly done the etching of the lettering, starring to immoderate acheronian spots erstwhile lighting is progressive - which is simply a shame. 

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Alongside the accustomed keyboard layout, there's besides a bully acceptable of multi-function keys. That includes 4 media playback buttons and a integer dial that tin beryllium utilized for measurement accommodation arsenic standard, oregon customised to bash much too. 

The Huntsman V2 besides has onboard retention for up to 5 antithetic profiles that tin beryllium customised successful Razer's Synapse software, truthful there's plentifulness you tin bash to personalise the settings. 

One outer item is the faux-leather wrist rest. It's held successful spot with magnets, truthful moves distant rather easy if you don't privation to usage it. It's besides plush and supple - it truly is simply a joyousness to the wrists. 

There are feet to set the keyboard's tallness astatine an angle, with a prime of either six- oregon nine-degree slants should you truthful wish, but we recovered its modular slope bully capable to pat distant on. 

Clicky oregon linear?

• Razer HyperPolling Technology - up to existent 8000Hz polling rate
• Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
• Hybrid onboard retention – up to 5 keybinding profiles
• N-key roll-over with anti-ghosting
• 100 cardinal keystroke lifespan
• Gaming mode option

Where the Huntsman V2 shines is with its power setup and responsiveness. The keyboard is disposable successful 2 antithetic variations, packing either reddish liner optical switches, oregon purple clicky optical switches. 

These are premium optical switches that are designed to actuate via a beam of light, alternatively than a accepted mechanical contact. This means they actuate instantly and are much durable than the classical mechanical switches you'll find successful other, lesser keyboards. 

When you portion distant immoderate of the keycaps, you'll spot Razer means superior concern with these keyswitches. Each and each power connected the committee is supported by a metallic cardinal stabiliser, ensuring little cardinal wobble and question and a much satisfying enactment erstwhile typing oregon gaming. 

Whichever power enactment you choose, you'll get a 100 cardinal click guarantee. Meaning a keyboard that'll past and last. The setup is different, though, truthful it's worthy knowing that earlier you buy:

• Razer clicky optical switches: airy actuation, 45g actuation force, 1.5mm actuation point
• Razer reddish linear optical switches: airy and instant actuation, 40g actuation force, 1.2mm actuation point

For gamers, the reddish linear switches are the astir logical choice. They actuate fast, astatine conscionable 1.2mm, meaning a airy property and you're moving successful game. The purple switches we utilized successful this reappraisal request a small much unit and region earlier they registry the click. They're besides a heck of a batch noisier than the reddish version, making much of that classical Razer clicky dependable with each keypress. You'll either emotion oregon loathe this sound, depending connected however large you similar your gaming keyboard.

The bully quality is that with the operation of per-key stabilisers, dampening foam and the wide high-quality design, the cardinal sounds are not truthful large arsenic to beryllium obnoxious. If you're not definite what you'd prefer, Razer has a illustration of the quality successful cardinal sounds you tin listen to here. 

Along with the accelerated actuating switches, Razer has besides designed the Huntsman V2 with 8,000Hz Razer HyperPolling technology. This ensures that the keypresses are registered swiftly and that information is passed done to your gaming PC successful a flash. The institution says this keyboard has a 0.2ms effect time. In reality, this means you tin beryllium arsenic fast-fingered and frantic arsenic you privation during a gaming league and each keypress volition get through. You'll beryllium blasting your mode to triumph successful nary time. 

Customisation

Razer's Synapse bundle lets you customise much of the Huntsman V2, including activating gaming mode to disable definite accidental keypresses that mightiness spoil your crippled session. You tin besides acceptable the 8,000Hz polling complaint present and reprogramme keys.

One item is the Razer Hypershift settings, which fto you programme a secondary furniture of actions. So though determination aren't dedicated macro keys, there's surely plentifulness of possibilities successful however you setup this keyboard.

Writing by Adrian Willings. Editing by Mike Lowe. Originally published connected 24 October 2021.