It was not too long ago that we had the Razer Blackwidow V4 Pro in our offices, and it was so damned good that it almost took the top spot on my keyboard favourites list.
Now I’ve been given the opportunity to look at the snub-nose version: The Razer Blackwidow V4 75%, which, as its name implies, is 75% the size of the original.
The Razer Blackwidow V4 75% maintains the solid build quality that you’re used to from Razer. It’s a weighty board, but I like that – I’m not a fan of chasing my keyboard across my desk. It, too, has the three different height levels that the Blackwidow V4 Pro had: none, little-bit-high and the-perfect-height, and the detachable USB-C cable for easy transport and manoeuvrability. The snap-on magnetic palm rest in its leatherette finish is also part of the package, but it doesn’t have the flashy RGB under glow like the pro had. This time, however, I used the palm rest during one of the hottest summers we’ve had in a long while – I’m pretty sure we were breaking some sweaty records out there – but all that sweat made the usually quite adored palm rest slippery and uncomfortable to use.
The per-key RGB lighting is still there, and the Razer Blackwidow V4 75% includes media keys and a roller, which I love seeing on a smaller keyboard. The mute key and roller can be re-mapped in Razer Synapse, but the third key, which I like to call the Zombieland key, cannot be mapped. The Zombieland key has a single-tap (play/pause), double-tap (next track), and triple-tap (previous track) function attached to it, and for some reason, Razer thought the general user out there wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of re-mapping power.
In terms of keyboard switches, Razer released their tactile Orange switches with the Razer Blackwidow V4 75%. This also means you can replace the original switch with any of the three main switch types. It’s important to note that the Orange switches will come with this keyboard by default, so if you prefer another switch type, you’ll have to buy them separately. During my use, I found the tactile bump of the Orange switches to be quite aggressive and can sometimes feel like you’re double-tapping keys.
I still love that when you hold down the Function Key (FN), every per-key RGB turns off except for the keys with secondary functions, showing you exactly which keys to press. It’s a small thing, but as I said in the full-sized keyboard review, it’s these small things that elevate the Razer products to another level.
I was a bit bummed that the Razer Blackwidow V4 75% doesn’t have that extra USB port on the top of the keyboard. Of all the features to lose on a smaller keyboard, I feel like the extra USB port was one that could’ve stayed. Bringing a USB port from behind your PC to right near your fingertips is a great feature to have on a keyboard, and brands should really consider it as a default feature.
If you are a fan of modding your keyboard, you’ll be glad to know this one is hot-swappable and does have holes for screw-in stabilisers, should you want to add them.
Keycaps are double-shot ABS, and you get anti-ghosting and N-key rollover, which you should expect from a keyboard of this calibre and price range. An astronomical 8,000hz polling rate is also thrown in there, in case you can somehow press keys faster than humanly possible.
The thing is, while this is not a bad keyboard in any shape or form, it just didn’t blow me away as much as its bigger version did. There was just so much more wow factor in the full-sized keyboard that separated it from any other keyboard I’ve tested. Add that its cost, at R4,499, is not far off of the Blackwidow V4 Pro, and this makes me feel even less impressed.