Razer Opto-Mechanical Keyboard

Product Description

The Razer Huntsman Elite, the #1 selling gaming Keyboard in the U. S. (Source: NPD group, , Jan. -Dec 2019). introduces the new Razer Opto-Mechanical switch, utilizing Optical technology for unmatched speed, and a key stabilizer Bar so every keypress is precise and accurate. Combined with a new switch design, it's the first click switch that actuates and resets At the exact same point for rapid performance. The Keyboard Also features a programmable digital dial for quick access to functions. Personalize settings with hybrid on-board memory and cloud storage. Comes with an ergonomic wrist rest for long-lasting comfort.

Features

• Faster Than Legacy Mechanical Switches: Razer Optical switches use light-based actuation, registering key presses at the speed of light (30% shorter actuation distance than other clicky switches at 1.5 millimeter) with satisfying, clicky feedback
• Ultimate Personalization & Gaming Immersion with Razer Chroma: Fully syncs with popular games, Razer hardware, Philips Hue, and gear from 30 plus partners; supports 16.8 million colors on individually backlit keys
• Quality, Aluminum Construction: Covered with a matte, aluminum top frame for increased structural integrity. Keycaps-Regular ABS
• Ergonomic, Magnetic Wrist Rest: Made of plush leatherette to maximize comfort over extended gaming sessions (with built-in underglow lighting)
• Fully Programmable Macro Support: Razer Hypershift allows for all keys and keypress combinations to be remapped to execute complex commands
• Unrivalled Durability: Supports up to 100 million clicks with a 2 year manufacturer warranty, double the lifespan of most competitor keyboards

Top Reviews

Feels Great and Responds Great.
by Andrew (4 out of 5 stars)
August 29, 2018

OK... first off what I wasn't really happy about. I just got my shipment yesterday the package came opened the seal tape the keeps the box closed was already cut. That was a little upsetting but I'll get over it. Another bad thing.. the media keys that are on my keyboard are not working. I'm sure its not the keyboard itself because when I first plugged it in they were working fine so it must be a program on my computer that is overlapping spotify and youtube... I just havent figured it out yet, and no its not google music on chrome browser. Lastly the app that comes with the Razer keyboard.. super laggy at first... but after I restarted my computer worked just fine... and was able to customize the colors to my liking.

OVERALL... the last keyboard I replaced the Huntsman with was the Razer Chroma Black Widow I had it for around 5 years .. and I have to say it is nothing like it!!.. The Huntsman blows that keyboard out of the water. This keyboard feels great sounds great and I am in LOVE with it. It is super smooth to type on and game on. I read one of the negative reviews for the keyboard after I purchased it saying "my fat fingers press down on the keyboard to hard and the stands collapse.!" haven't had that issue. Also the wrist cushion stays in place and is super comfy.

IF you are up in the air right now and can't decided wither or not to get the k95 or razer huntsman? Get the Huntsman you won't be disappointed
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Despite loud keys, excellent gaming and typing experience; can replace keycaps
by kunoh (4 out of 5 stars)
December 30, 2018

I really like the feel of this keyboard. Typing and gaming feels great, and the over all build of this keyboard is top-notch. Be warned though - like many mechanical keyboards, typing on this keyboard can be loud. So I wouldn't recommend this for office use. But for my home use, it's perfect. I even managed to replace the keycaps with that of another brand.

Performance:

During long gaming sessions, I found that the keys felt more comfortable than other keyboards I've used in the past. I think the reason for this is that I don't actually have to press as hard for the keys to register. Razer states that the keys on the Huntsman require slightly less force and register quicker than other keyboards. All I can say is that this keyboard feels "broken-in" for lack of a better term. It just feels good, and "fast." Additionally, the keyboard has 4 media buttons and a moveable dial (one of the 4 buttons is the dial itself - as it can be pushed in, in addition to being rotated) - all of which can be remapped to your liking. By default, they were set to control music playback - in my case, it controls Spotify. I never really planned on using these media controls, but now that I have them - I can never go back. It's great when I'm playing a game with my own music running, but also being able to pause that music should a cutscene in the game start to play - all by pressing a button.

Lack of Macro keys and USB ports:

Unfortunately, the Razer Huntsman does not have macro keys like other keyboards in its price range (Corsair's K95 does have them). Understandably, this would have been nice to have for some users. (Personally I never used macro keys much myself when I had keyboards that did have them.) Also present on other expensive keyboards is a USB passthrough port. Again, the Huntsman lacks this as well.

Loud keys:

As stated before, most mechanical keyboards are "loud" and can annoy people who maybe sitting relatively close to you. If you are in an office situation, I would recommend using a different keyboard that has "quiet" mechanical keys like Cherry Browns on a Corsair keyboard; or Razer Orange keys on the Razer Blackwidow. Unfortunately, Razer does not offer a more "quiet" version of the Huntsman Elite at this time.

Lighting:

The keys on the Huntsman are quite bright, even when compared to Razer's other offerings like the Ornata Chroma. The difference here is that while the letters on the keys of the Huntsman are significantly brighter; the Ornata Chroma's underlying membrane is also illuminated giving the keys the illusion that they are floating on a "bed of light." I wish that Razer somehow found a way to also duplicate that bed of light effect on the Huntsman, but I am definitely happy with the extra bright letters. As you can imagine, the lighting on the Huntsman can be customized to pretty much anything you can imagine.

Key Replacement:

I replaced the keycaps on my Huntsman with Doubleshot PBT Keycaps from HyperX, after seeing a popular Youtube personality replace his. (These Keycaps run about $25, and are meant for HyperX's own mechanical keboard.) And while not all the HyperX Keycaps were compatible (the larger keycaps for RETURN, SHIFT, SPACEBAR, etc did not fit the Hunstman's switches), I still managed to replace most of the keyscaps. The over all effect is that the keyboard is now even more illuminated. That's because the bottom of the HyperX Keycaps (which are made of white plastic) react with the lighting to give a more brilliant glow to the entire keyboard. Since replacing the keycaps on the Huntsman seemed to work; I would assume a fair number of other keycaps types would probably work for the Huntsman as well. But of course please do your own research before purchasing.

Software:

The Huntsman uses two USB connectors. Once connected, you must download the latest version of Razer Synapse. This is Razer's all-in-one software for all their PC keyboards, mice, etc. I actually own several Razer products, and after using Synapse for over a year, I've gotten used to using it. It's not hard to use, but it could definitely use some interface improvement. Still, most users can easily get to the most important things such as lighting customization, re-assigning keys, and making macros. Razer does require a login with your information for the software to work. The reasoning I suppose is that you can use the same settings if you use the same Razer products on several PCs. I would assume that most people don't use this feature - but I actually do. I use Razer products at my home and at my work - so this actually works well for me. Settings that I make at home can easily be assigned at my work and vice-versa.

Conclusion:

The Huntsman is a pretty pricey keyboard with exceptional build quality. The body is metal, and the keys are stabilized so that there is minimum "wobble." Add to this the "fast" actuation feel, and you have an excellent high-end keyboard. Gaming, and typing feel really great. If you can forgive the "loud" keys, this is an excellent option if you're looking for a high-end keyboard for gaming and work.
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A flawed beauty
by Sean B. (2 out of 5 stars)
December 10, 2018

This keyboard is beautiful. The media controls are perfect. The wrist rest feels luxurious. The laser keys are a neat addition to mechanical keyboards. So where does this product go wrong? I have had several issues where the laser keys were sticking (!!!) - this was seemingly caused by connection errors between the keyboard and the wrist rest contacts separating during use. Disconnecting the rest and connecting it usually fixes the problem. I also experienced an issue where the keyboard was completely unresponsive upon start-up which meant an inability to access the number pad to enter my pin. Disconnecting the keyboard and reconnecting it seemed to reconnect me. Additionally, there are times on start-up where the keyboard is completely unresponsive until the Razer software has finished loading at the desktop. I'm pretty bummed out that this keyboard acts up more than my old second-hand keyboard did. I hardly use it for gaming now, as this was my intent when buying it, because of the aforementioned issues. But hey, it sure is a pretty keyboard - just sometimes it's as functional as the Commodore 64 Classic.
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Watch out for misleading marketing
by Calipark (1 out of 5 stars)
February 28, 2019

So far this keyboard has been fine. Definitely not worth the $120 USD I paid though. The reason I'm giving this 1 star is for the flagrant misleading marketing and product information concerning the on-board memory feature.

Flat out, you cannot store lighting profiles on the keyboard's memory as they lead you to believe. If you are on a Mac or a PC without the spyware ridden Razer Synapse 3 software you are stuck with the distracting default color cycling lighting effect.

You can't even choose to set a static color. A Razer engineer who worked on this keyboard posted on Razer's support forums and claimed they cut on-board lighting storage due vague complications with RAM use under complex lighting profiles and compatibility with older keyboards. I can understand hardware limitations but the compatibility claims are weak. In the engineers own words, the on-board storage only extends to the macro feature. Which most people won't use anyways.

Still, the marketing clearly leads you to believe your entire profile would be stored in the on-board memory. Quoted from this very store page "HYBRID ON-BOARD MEMORY AND CLOUD STORAGE: Access personalized settings anywhere".

Let's be real here. This is an issue that won't affect the majority of users. I'm sure most of you are perfectly fine with having the Synapse software installed and being forced to make an account (all while giving your personal info to Razer). But those of use who just want simple static lighting or very basic lighting features are out of luck.

It's a $120 keyboard. Razer can do better than this. You can buy better than this for less money from a company with less of a history of misleading their costumers.

If Razer fixes this issue, I'll update this review. But I'm not holding my breath.
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Straight up amazing
by Xencer (5 out of 5 stars)
September 17, 2018

This is a seriously badass keyboard setup. With the optical switches, there is a difference. If you play PUBG you will notice with looting and pulling up the menu or even opening doors. This got rid of any input lag that I could notice from my previous mechanical keyboard. It is pretty expensive but worth the money. I am happy to see that Razer has increased the quality on their products, because in previous products they were always harped on for their poor quality control or lack of finish, but I can say this is the perfect keyboard.
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Fantastic
by Kindle Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
October 25, 2018

The cons are that it's pretty loud, is expensive, doesn't have a USB passthrough while still taking up 2 USB ports (1 is for the board and the lighting for the keys, the other is for the lighting on the border and for the wrist rest), and doesn't have macro keys. If you don't mind those things like me, then this is the best keyboard ever made. The lighting effects are, to put quite simply, dope. There is a ludicrous amount of customization with Razer's software for the RGB. Different effects, patterns, colors, speeds, frequencies, are all at your disposal. The crisp click of each key makes you feel like you're an old badass typewriting expert (If that's not a thing, then it is now). This is one of the few "gaming" mechanical keyboards that doesn't feature gigantic, silly letters. It is clean and sophisticated. The aluminum frame is cool to the touch and gives it a nice weight. Feels like pure class. The wrist rest is absurdly comfortable and soft. Luxurious. If you like to type, to game, and to look damn good while you do it then treat yourself to this awesome board.
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Elite? In looks, yes. In features, not so much
by Gordon Ewasiuk (3 out of 5 stars)
December 23, 2018

The Huntsman Elite certainly LOOKS great on a desk. However, for a $200 keyboard, it has a few flaws:
1. No USB-passthrough. Want to connect your mouse to the Huntsman Elite? Nope. You can't.
2. It has no dedicated keyboard LED controls. To change the brightness and other LED features, you have to hold down the Fn key and press F9-F12. HOWEVER, the F9-F12 keys doesn't have dedicated LEDs that tell you what they do!
3. The wrist rest is awkward. It slopes up from the base of the keyboard.
4. No dedicated programmable keys.
5. The keys are a bit smaller than found on most gaming keyboards.

All that being said, the Huntsman Elite isn't a BAD keyboard...but, in my opinion, doesn't qualify as an "Elite" keyboard by any stretch.
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Fatal flaw
by ExplodingEvo (1 out of 5 stars)
December 26, 2018

Apparently there's an issue with the wrist rest? It's causing the keyboard to cut out or respond sluggishly. I removed the wrist rest and it seemed to be ok. Regardless for $200 this thing better be 100% out of the box and it wasn't. I returned it. I normally use a blackwidow TE v2 keyboard.

I was excited for this keyboard, but I'll wait to see how V2 is.
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The Razor Razor Synapse 3 software will not install on Windows 10
by D. Abbott (1 out of 5 stars)
September 26, 2018

The Razor Huntsman Keyboard is not supported by Synapse software, so it is impossible to change color on the keyboard. I've contacted Razor 20+ times and they do not even realize that the Huntsman is not supported, they keep telling me to install the software.

This keyboard is a piece of over priced junk that Razor will not and does not support.

I bought this Keyboard, but the Synapse 3 Software will not install no matter what I do, so I can't set any colors or any thing else on the keyboard. I have emailed customer service 10+ times about this and all I get is please send us the logs for the install of the software.

THERE ARE NO LOGS THE SOFTWARE WILL NOT INSTALL, IT JUST CRASHES. When I bought the Keyboard the add's said the Keyboard was supported with the Synapse Software. It is not the software will not install.

Then I get this stupid reply:

We are sorry to hear about the experience you've had with our Support Team as well as using our product. Do know that we read and take into consideration all the feedback we receive from our customers, in order to improve our service. The Razer Huntsman Elite is only supported with Synapse 3. Allow us to have this looked into and provide our assistance. Please send us your concern at amazon.support@razer.com and include your case number and the link to this review for our reference.

Now I get a reply from some jerk saying the keyboard can be used with lights or software. If I wanted a standard keyboard I would not of spent this kind of money.
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Expensive but quality from Razer.
by Anthony Miller (5 out of 5 stars)
January 7, 2019

I upgraded to a mechanical keyboard for the first time with this Razer Huntsman Elite and thought why not go with the latest and greatest. It's quick, I can type a lot faster and it just feels satisfying when you get the clicky response from the switches. Everything about the RGB with software to control it and customize it is great. No complaints about the keycaps they are just fine and if you wanna replace them for more quality keycaps you can easily. I have no complaints at all about this keyboard. I just gotta get use to how easy it is to click on it because I've been having some misclicks. The wrist rest is perfect for me and actually really comfy. I love that the RGB lighting was included with it. I do use both USB plugs so that the lighting works on it. I don't really have larger hands but I'm sure it'll be fine for most people. The lack of macro keys is really the only other thing anyone complains about the price point of this keyboard. To me that's a non-issue because I never used them anyways on my Razer Anansi you can just keybind commands to other keys like the dedicated audio even. I prefer the sleak look and minimalist design anyways it really makes the keyboard for me. No branding. Nothing extra around the sides. Great design IMO. Quality keyboard I plan to use for years to come.

EDIT: If you're a cat owner be careful with the Ergonomic Wrist Rest. As with anything of that texture and puffiness feel to it kneading commences. My cats nails ripped it up pretty good while i was at work. It still works but you notice the spots when using it and it's annoying. Plus it don't look as nice. Just hide it if your keyboard tray retracts or put it in a shelf or somethin when not using the keyboard.

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