At first glance, the Huntsman V3 Analog does not seem revolutionary, since it takes exactly the layout of the keys of the Huntsman Elite released in 2018, or the more recent Blackwidow V3 Pro. We therefore find the same keys in the same place, including the three multimedia keys at the top left, and the excellent dial for adjusting the sound that we had rented in our tests of the Blackwidow V3. Nothing to criticize on this side, and as you can imagine, this is not where we will find the novelties. However, the keyboard has evolved a lot. Out of the keys, the chassis is overweight, and becomes even thicker, welcoming in passing a USB pass-through on the left side. The keyboard is particularly thick, and you quickly understand that it was not intended to be used without its special palm rest. The latter attaches thanks to a powerful magnetic system (as on the Ornata), and allows undeniable comfort thanks to its shape memory gel padding.
Better, know that this wrist rest has an RGB border to be connected with the rest of the keyboard. The connection is made via a dedicated connector, placed in the middle of the keyboard, which snaps together automatically when the palm rest is placed in front. As always, the construction is super qualitative, with a thick aluminum plate to support the switches, and a very thick plastic for the rest. The only disappointment regarding the exterior aspect concerns the cable, or more precisely the cables. For some obscure reason, Razer engineers chose to separate the keyboard and pass-through cables along their entire length, instead of bundling them together in a conduit. We therefore have two cables coming out of the keyboard, which clutters the office quite a bit. You will therefore have to do with it, or put the wiring yourself in a sheath. Too bad, we really would have liked it to be done from the start.
It is also specified that if the pass-through does not end with a USB-A socket, the keyboard is connected via a USB-C socket, knowing that an adapter is provided. However, if you use the adapter, you must connect the keyboard to a USB 3.0 port to be able to use it. The big novelty of this keyboard is of course the Razer opto-mechanical switches (called Analog Optical by the brand). As always, this technology couples an optical sensor with a mechanical switch, in order to detect the strike. The advantage of this technology is that we will be able to fully customize the behavior of our keys, by adjusting the stroke, or even the actuation distance as we wish. Fans of ultimate responsiveness can set the stroke to a minimum (less than 2mm) while nags can set it to the maximum. Better still, we can even define several actions on the same key, by opting for two different actuation levels.
For example, we set the Z key so that a light press will make our character walk, while a full press of the key will make them sprint. Similarly, the g key has been set so that a low press selects the weapon, while a full press launches the grenade. This system is very practical, compatible with all games (since in fact, each key is duplicated), and allows to gain in reactivity, especially in competitive games. If you are a simulation enthusiast, know that we can also make each key completely analog, in order to adjust the accelerator and braking in a car racing game. Of course, the sensitivity of analog is fully customizable, and you can opt for any type of response curve.
Of course, the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog supports RGB Chroma, with all keys independently adjustable, as well as reading it that wraps around the keyboard (and palm rest). As always, we can establish several profiles, knowing that the integrated memory of the keyboard can store five. Better, we can now switch from one profile to another via a combination of keys, which means that we can take advantage of all our settings, even when we plug the keyboard into a PC that does not have the Razer Chroma software. . In the same way, we can also enjoy 6 pre-recorded light effects, which can be chosen via a combination of keys. Obviously, this avalanche of features, and this super high quality construction are not cheap, which makes the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog one of the most expensive keyboards on the market with a hyper premium price of 269.99 €. This keyboard will be available from February 4 on the Razer website, and from February 9 at partner resellers.
The +:
Super comfortable RGB wrist rest
Configurable optical switches
Hyper qualitative construction
USB Pass-Through
The – :
Very salty price
Not really usable without the wrist rest
Two separate cables coming out of the keyboard
