A little news from Razer, which is getting into keyboard customization by offering its BlackWidow V4 in barebone. In concrete terms, this means you can choose your own switches and keys without having to go through a pre-assembled keyboard. Are we heading for custom keyboards from general manufacturers? It looks like it.
BlackWidow V4: a barebone version on offer!
The program includes a keyboard base comprising a slot and a PCB with all the insulation layers that go with it. Increasingly, consumer keyboard manufacturers are taking care of the acoustics of their keyboards, and Razer is integrating :
- A layer of foam between the PCB and the FR4 plate
- Poron gaskets
- Foam to insulate the keyboard case
The aim of all this is to reduce resonance and parasitic noise during typing. The aim is to make the sound more matt, more “creamy”. Of course, Razer offers its own solutions, but these days, there are an astronomical number of switch manufacturers. Cherry, Gateron and Kailh are among the best known (not necessarily the best, but still suggestive). More specifically, this barebone benefits from Razer’s software support, the famous Synapse. Of course, RGB is present, and there’s a multimedia wheel for sound management and other functions. What’s more, you can count on an 8 MHz polling rate , while N-Key Rollover and anti-ghosting are also present. Now for the price – and here’s where it gets tricky: €149.99 in black versus €159.99 in white. If you opt for Razer switches and keys, the price rises to €280. Clearly, we’re far more expensive than a Bridge75 from Shortcut Studio, a so-called “custom” keyboard assembled as standard with 100% aluminum construction, good acoustics and a PBT key set in ISO FR. It remains to be seen how Razer performs in this segment, but we’re not sure that the proposition rivals other custom models.
Here’s the Razer product sheet!