Review: Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%

Razer’s Blackwidow V4 75% was the company's first mechanical keyboard that dove into the world of custom keyboards—its foray into gasket-mounting, where the keyboard's plate is held into the case around its edges. I really liked it. Between a set of great switches, a responsive and satisfying gasket mount system, and the usual trappings of a gaming keyboard, it was a nice balance between a higher-end custom keyboard and a standard gaming model.

Now there's the updated “Pro” version—the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%—that swaps the top right buttons for an OLED screen, bringing Razer's keyboard even further into the present. It addresses the lackluster multimedia controls of the old and transforms them into a highlight. However, the V4 Pro costs $300, exactly $110 more than its predecessor. The ultimate question is not whether these new features are good, but instead, whether or not they are worth the money.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Top-of-the-Line Typing

Like the original BlackWidow V4 75%, the Pro is fantastic to type on. It comes with Razer’s Gen 3 Orange tactile switches, which have a distinct, solid tactile bump and a smooth keystroke without scratchiness or harshness. These switches have a stronger bump than standard MX Brown switches but feel lighter than modern ultra-tactile switches—a perfect middle ground for daily use.

These switches are ideal for both typing and gaming with enough of a tactile bump to type quickly and avoid bottoming out, but not so much that it noticeably slows down key presses or makes typing cumbersome. At the end of the key press is a solid bottom-out without any softness or mushiness, making the entire keystroke feel confident and satisfying.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

The gasket mount system is tuned to mildly soften typing without feeling overly flexible and works with the switches to create a solid and slightly bouncy keystroke with a great sound that’s lower-pitched and quieter without sounding dull or muted. If the switches aren’t for you, the Pro also has hot-swap sockets, meaning you can change switches without a soldering iron. While they no longer have Kailh branding, the new sockets appear almost identical to the ones in the BlackWidow V4 75% and still feel solid when swapping out switches.

Beyond this, the new printed-circuit-board-mounted (PCB) stabilizers don’t rattle or ping when typing and are a much-appreciated improvement over the base model’s plate-mounted stabilizers. The key caps are impressive for shine-through key caps, and sound good with the rest of the keyboard. You can replace them if you'd like: There aren’t any weirdly shaped keys, so any full-size key cap set can get full coverage.

The keyboard can be adjusted between 4, 6, and 9 degrees of typing angle, and the 75% layout is ideal for most uses. Compared to a full-size, or even a tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard, this layout saves a lot of desk space. But unlike 65%, 60%, or smaller keyboards, you don’t have to memorize function layers and key combinations for day-to-day use.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Streamlined, Simple, and Stylish

With an intuitive layout and an incredibly soft wrist rest, the Pro’s ergonomics hold up even during long-term use and extended typing sessions. One of my favorite functional improvements from the original model is the new dial on the keyboard, which Razer now calls the Command Dial. In conjunction with the OLED display, it can be set up to control multiple different functions, which can be toggled by pressing a button on the side of the keyboard. These range from volume controls to OLED, RGB, and display brightness. You can even use it to swap between open windows and scrub through videos.

Customization of the OLED screen is simple and streamlined, and you don’t have to do extra work to upload GIFs or images to display on this tiny screen—Razer's Synapse software can automatically convert them to the correct size and format. The other uses for the display include displaying system information (i.e., GPU and CPU temperature and load, date and time, etc.) and an audio visualizer, all of which are easy to set up and worked well in my testing. The system use data was accurate enough to be useful but tended to be 3 to 5 percent off compared to Windows Task Manager (and at one point it displayed my system as being at 115 percent CPU usage).

Photograph: Henri Robbins

As far as the rest of the RGB goes, customization is as good as always from Razer. All settings can be adjusted wirelessly when using the dongle, including customizing the OLED screen. Battery life seemed good, as I only had to recharge the keyboard once over a couple of weeks of regular use. The only issue I ran into was that the OLED screen occasionally went dark during use.

Well-Built and Underwhelming

As good as the features on this keyboard are, I’m not sure they justify the price. In the end, beyond the wireless connectivity and OLED screen, it’s still the same keyboard underneath. That means an aluminum top case, a plastic bottom case, and an FR4 plate. While this may seem obvious, it’s not what I expected with a $100+ price increase. For a bit over half the price, you can get a keyboard from Keychron that comes with wireless connectivity, an 8,000-Hz polling rate, gasket mounting, and an all-metal construction. Heck, you can get a keyboard with Hall Effect switches for two-thirds the price.

The V4 Pro is still a solid keyboard. The gasket mounting is a great mix between flexible and rigid, and the keyboard can easily be disassembled for modifications or repairs. Looking inside, you also see that the wireless components and the OLED screen are separated from the main PCB, meaning the flexing of the gasket mount system won’t put any strain on the rest of the components.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

I like that Razer encourages customizing and personalizing your keyboard, but I’m still concerned about the warranty. Razer now states you can modify the keyboard (a change over its predecessor), but that “Razer’s warranty does not cover any internal damage caused by internal modifications to the keyboard.” This is fairly standard wording and matches up to most warranties for custom keyboards, but I would still err on the side of caution when it comes to DIY upgrades and repairs.

Ultimately, the big question is whether the quality-of-life features of this keyboard (wireless connectivity, a better dial, and a customizable OLED screen) are worth an extra $110 over the original BlackWidow V4 75%, especially when the rest of the keyboard is relatively unchanged. I don't think so. The improvements don't feel substantial enough to justify the price hike, especially when I can get the original BlackWidow V4 75% and two new video games for the same price.

If you think the new features sound useful and are willing to fork out the extra money, then buying this keyboard isn't a bad decision at all. Everything works, and it’s all useful to have. Personally, I'd wait for a sale.