Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Review

If you own a PC, and big chances are that you own it because you are reading this article, you probably don’t have a Razer keyboard, or if you do, that’s great for you. That’s because Razer is one of the leading manufacturers of keyboards and mouses, specially made for gaming. Their build quality, design, and functionality is always at the top, but is it the case with Razer Blackwidow Ultimate? Well, if you continue reading, I’ll give my best to review it for you. All questions about its design, keys, build quality and features will be answered here, so let’s take a look at this $140 keyboard.

Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Design and Build Quality

When speaking about design, the size plays a huge role here, so we’ll start from there. Sure, Blackwidow Ultimate isn’t a small keyboard, but its size is smartly used here. The keyboard measures 18.7 x 6.74 inches, so you’ll need some bigger desk for it, and if you don’t have the bigger desk, make sure to at least give some space for this beast. Being a more than a full-sized keyboard, Blackwidow Ultimate offers a full set of keys, which we’ll talk about later, and there are even six macro keys on the far left side.

From the front, Blackwidows follows a simple routine as the other Blackwidow keyboards, although a more simple approach is noticed here. On the bottom of the front side, there is a Razer logo, covered with transparent plastic. There is also an elongated bottom of the keyboard, which may serve as a wrist rest, but it’s not that great like a wrist rest in Chroma V2 keyboard from the same series. Overall, the keyboard feels very solid, with no cracking and squeaking when it’s pressed, so the build quality is not a concern here.

Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Keys

When I first plugged Blackwidow Ultimate into my PC, I immediately saw green illumination, and that’s great because I like the green color. The keys, however, aren’t going to make the history, but they get the job done. They have very large letters and great adjustable illumination, making them looks a little futuristic. I also like the large letters and symbols on the keys, making them more vivid and distinguishable. If you like them, you can make the use of Cherry MX Switches on this keyboard, adding the Blue, noisy switches or a little less noisy Brown switches.

However, I’m for the default, green option as the keys are very responsive and I feel a certain amount of satisfaction when pressing them. There is a satisfying ’Clack’ sound and the keys just stick to your fingers, making them ideal for typing, as I scored very high scores on most of the typing tests. The gaming will also be enhanced, as the keys are very well spaced, reducing the space for errors, and having the great response time, you’ll have a good time gaming. Overall, the keys are surely a highlight of this keyboard, being capable of both typing and gaming.

Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Features

As Blackwidow represents a very familiar name in the world of gaming and high-end keyboards, I expect only the best here. Thankfully, my expectations were fulfilled, and now there is a great Razer Synapse 2.0 software, macro keys and the great overall performance in every aspect of usage. The complete list of features is below:

Macro Keys

The Blackwidow keyboards tend to have a bigger size and weight, because there are lots of features, and one of them is Macro keys. Macro keys are located at the far left side of the keyboard, and they serve for recording macro functions. You can do this by hitting a function button and F9 and then input the macro and choose the button for it. The process can be a little complex, and I wish it worked a little better. Still, I’m glad it’s there.

Razer Synapse 2.0 Software

The all-mighty Razer Synapse 2.0 makes its return here, giving the smoothest keyboard customization experience ever. You can now record and assign macros, remap the keys, customize a special Gaming mode, and control the keyboard’s lighting. The software works great and it’s fast and reliable. With just a few clicks, you can remap some of the keys, and even set hotkeys for mouse buttons, in case you are uncomfortable for some functions to be set on a mouse.

Great adjustable illumination

Illumination is great and adds a nice touch to the keyboard, giving that high-end feeling to it. Thankfully, you can now adjust illumination, add some special effects or make it more or less prominent. This feature works well and you can take advantage of it by using Razer Synapse 2.0 software.

Comfortable to use

Although it’s big and heavy, it’s unbelievably comfortable to use. When I put it on the table it stays where it is. No movement and no twisting whatsoever. This is great for gaming, but also typing, as you’ll have zero movements, to be able to avoid typing mistakes or press a wrong button in your game.

The keys are responsive

As this is a gaming keyboard, I know that this feature is more or less worth mentioning, but it surely is an important feature. As I’ve tested it in some popular AAA games, I can tell you that response time is fantastic. As soon as I press the key it reacts in a split-second, making it ideal for precise and responsive gameplay.

Verdict

Razer Blackwidow Ultimate offers some great performance for the price, and it was a pleasure reviewing this keyboard. Its design is simple, yet it blew me away with how durable and expensive this keyboard is. And don’t let people fool you- it is expensive, but there are lots of features. You can now have a keyboard for every purpose and customize it for your needs for around $140, which is a really nice price to pay for this keyboard. However, if you aren’t a gamer and a tech fanatic, you’ll probably be good with a less-expensive keyboard.