Razer Launches First Keyboard Mechanical Switch Designed for Gaming

[Cristian_25H]

Razer, the world leader in entertainment devices and software, today announced the launch of the world's first mechanical switch designed by Razer specifically for gaming -- the Razer Mechanical Switch.

While traditional mechanical switches were originally designed for typing, the all-new Razer Mechanical Switches have been designed and engineered from the ground up for gaming. In order to achieve that, Razer decided to go back to the drawing board to completely re-engineer the traditional mechanical switch.





After extensive research, Razer's multi-award winning engineers identified the optimal actuation distance for a gaming switch to a fraction of a millimeter and reduced the distance between the actuation and reset point by almost half to allow for faster, more precise gaming commands when compared to standard mechanical switches. Furthermore, the all-new Razer Mechanical Switches are made using an ultra-precise manufacturing technique that, along with gold plated contact points, result in a lifespan of up to 60 million key strokes.

While Razer scientists and engineers designed the new Razer Mechanical Switch from ground up, mass production was done by a third party manufacturer. However, to ensure that each switch met to its demanding specifications, Razer placed its own quality assurance experts on the production floor to make sure each switch meticulously follows the design blueprint and specifications defined by Razer.

Finally, these switches were tested extensively by the world's most demanding eSports athletes who validated the new Razer Mechanical Switch in some of the most intense professional gaming tournaments.

"The new switches on the Razer BlackWidow have a lighter and smoother feel, allowing me to play at a faster pace than before," says Jens "Snute" Aasgaard, Team Liquid StarCraft player. "It's comfortable and solid - perfect for long practice sessions and tournaments."

"Instead of focusing solely on typing comfort, as traditional mechanical switches have done, we had to completely rethink the conventional approach behind the actuation and reset points of mechanical switches in order to fine-tune them for gaming," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. "Our engineers' focus for the specification was on speed, accuracy and durability to bring the unfair advantage to gamers worldwide. The new switch makes the most popular gaming keyboard in the world even better."

The Razer Mechanical switch is available on the new Razer BlackWidow family of mechanical gaming keyboards, and is open to other gaming peripheral makers who wish to manufacture the highest quality gaming-grade mechanical keyboards.

The all new Razer Mechanical Switch comes in two types: The Razer Green switch that is tactile and clicky, requiring a force of 50 g to actuate; and the Razer Orange switch that is tactile yet silent, requiring a force of 45 g to actuate.

For more information about the Razer Mechanical Switches along with the Razer BlackWidow range of gaming keyboards, please visit http://www.razerzone.com/razer-mechanical-switches.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Chaitanya]

Interested to see how it compares to older blackwidow before spending money on it.

 

[Ahhzz]

Eh, got no trust in Razer quality

 

[BorisDG]

Funny... btw there are two options:

1. Same as previous "Cherry" only with different colors (green = blue / orange = brown) aka "rebranded".
2. Really new one, but with Razer "fantastic" quality that is in last years aka "run away".

 

[Hilux SSRG]

Funny... btw there are two options:

1. Same as previous "Cherry" only with different colors (green = blue / orange = brown) aka "rebranded".
2. Really new one, but with Razer "fantastic" quality that is in last years aka "run away".

I wouldn't touch Razer due to their poor quality either.

 

[freaksavior]

Eh, got no trust in Razer quality

I've got the mac mechanical keyboard at work and honestly it's one of the most solid keyboards i've typed on. Granted, I have not had a chance to test a slew of others but this one is holding up well and it's gets used 8 hours a day 5 days a week. I've had it almost 7 months now.

Their mice on the other hand, no thank you, i've got a deathadder that has the dreaded double click, firmware refuses to update even though there is one available the coating is disgusting and the blue led light went out.

 

[fenurch]

Apparently this comes down to luck or how you treat your peripherals but I've owned several Razer products and have never encountered any issues with quality. Deatheradder, Mamba, Blackwidow etc have all lasted years of use without any issues whatsoever.

 

[GreiverBlade]

Apparently this comes down to luck or how you treat your peripherals but I've owned several Razer products and have never encountered any issues with quality. Deatheradder, Mamba, Blackwidow etc have all lasted years of use without any issues whatsoever.

so talk about bad luck for me ...

Naga : twin eye sensor bug RMA, Twin eye sensor fried RMA, everything except the sensor stopped working: put aside.
Lycosa: soft touch covering of the key have worn off in less than 3 month + structural failures ( cracking in the plastic casing) multimedia touchpad acting weird (IE: play on the mute touch) and last but not least, very weak lightning and unreadable key writing ... had to keep the lightning on even on broad daylight.
Orochi: soft touch covering wiped off in 3 month
Mamba: sensor fried, key stopping working, wired mode stopping working.
Electra: hinge too frail.
Destructor: still pristine and like new ... oh wait, it's a mousemat ...
edit i forgot
Black Widow: mech switch lock syndrome and weird key behavior

on the other hand all my Logitech mouse and keyboard lasted me years and still are useable, and i don't use them differently than my previous Razer
Gigabyte Aivia K8100V2: still look like fresh out of the box and no failure or bug noticed
Logitech G15 1st serie: except a cigarette burn the rest is in a perfect state
Logitech G600: same as the Gigabyte keyboard
Logitech G602: new as if it was out of the box today, no sensor fail, key still snappy, not even a finger mark on the R/L click.

also i laughed hard when i did read that:
"Razer Launches First Keyboard Mechanical Switch Designed for Gaming"
oh it's really the 1st gaming mech switch keyboard? seriously?

 

[micropage7]

but at least their package is nice and its the first thing that gain attention for most

 

[Marty 1480]

Like the pretty green color

 

[GreiverBlade]

but at least their package is nice and its the first thing that gain attention for most

marketing marketing marketing... packaging ... yeah pretty boxes pretty much do all in the current time.

 

[Doc41]

Tried one razer product, never again

Razer onza tournament edition, first month of usage and triggers failed for a while before functioning as buttons
and whenever i tried to buy anything else from them, most reviews said they broke quickly, and what doesn't help is they are overpriced in here compared to other offerings.....

 

[Arjai]

LOL, he said Razer...

 

[haswrong]

a device without a big "enter" key is no keyboard.. not buying..

 

[rooivalk]

so talk about bad luck for me ...

Naga : twin eye sensor bug RMA, Twin eye sensor fried RMA, everything except the sensor stopped working: put aside.
Lycosa: soft touch covering of the key have worn off in less than 3 month + structural failures ( cracking in the plastic casing) multimedia touchpad acting weird (IE: play on the mute touch) and last but not least, very weak lightning and unreadable key writing ... had to keep the lightning on even on broad daylight.
Orochi: soft touch covering wiped off in 3 month
Mamba: sensor fried, key stopping working, wired mode stopping working.
Electra: hinge too frail.
Destructor: still pristine and like new ... oh wait, it's a mousemat ...
edit i forgot
Black Widow: mech switch lock syndrome and weird key behavior

on the other hand all my Logitech mouse and keyboard lasted me years and still are useable, and i don't use them differently than my previous Razer
Gigabyte Aivia K8100V2: still look like fresh out of the box and no failure or bug noticed
Logitech G15 1st serie: except a cigarette burn the rest is in a perfect state
Logitech G600: same as the Gigabyte keyboard
Logitech G602: new as if it was out of the box today, no sensor fail, key still snappy, not even a finger mark on the R/L click.

rubber coating is easily worn off not just in Razer, and you compared it with shiny plastic devices.

On the other hand, what you said is kinda inconsistent. You could worn off multiple devices' rubber coating in less than 3 months (you have acidic hand apparently) yet your Destructor and G15 are in perfect condition? even worse, while smoking? Destructor is hard plastic not metal and it could worn off after years (I have one) and my 1st gen and 2nd gen G15 are worn off too (the buttons become shinier after years and the silver section is muddier). If yours are perfect, then you never use it in the first place sir.

also i laughed hard when i did read that:
"Razer Launches First Keyboard Mechanical Switch Designed for Gaming"
oh it's really the 1st gaming mech switch keyboard? seriously?

AFAIK, MX Red and Black (for example) is never made solely for gaming purpose if that's what you mean. It's marketing people from ducky, filco, razer, etc that said that. By that definition, Razer's claim is probably correct.

 

[RCoon]

Owned some blackwidow's and some deathadders, not buying any of their kit again. Low quality and overpriced. And they're the only peripheral manufacturer that puts required DRM on their drivers. The enter key might be a deal breaker for some people, but I assume that's just one of many layouts they offer for differing countries. Either way, the switch namings are a marketing gimmick, existing MX switches are just as good and probably cost less that arbitrarily different designs. Razer can't offer anything to gamers besides their true zero-acceleration sensors in their 3-4.5G mice. Every other company on the market can offer similar if not better mechanical keyboards, likely for the same or lower cost.

Razer used to be a brand name I loved when I was a teenager, now I think most people have grown out of it and learned of other manufacturers.

 

[GreiverBlade]

rubber coating is easily worn off not just in Razer, and you compared it with shiny plastic devices.

On the other hand, what you said is kinda inconsistent. You could worn off multiple devices' rubber coating in less than 3 months (you have acidic hand apparently) yet your Destructor and G15 are in perfect condition? even worse, while smoking? Destructor is hard plastic not metal and it could worn off after years (I have one) and my 1st gen and 2nd gen G15 are worn off too (the buttons become shinier after years and the silver section is muddier). If yours are perfect, then you never use it in the first place sir.


AFAIK, MX Red and Black (for example) is never made solely for gaming purpose if that's what you mean. It's marketing people from ducky, filco, razer, etc that said that. By that definition, Razer's claim is probably correct.

none of the key of my G15 are worn off, i don't smoke near my PC the burn on the G15 was while in storage. i used my G15 in a daily basis of 6-8hrs a day for 3years ~ (just like my lycosa, for the daily usage not for the duration it never lasted a year ahah)
i never wrote about the coating quality on the destructor ... i just wrote that it was the only Razer product (in fact the second ... see below) i had who is still in good shape, but obviously since it is a mousemat ... the quality build is good : it's not too complex so even Razer can do it right ...

around 2yrs and a half usage

my Aivia K8100V2 has a set of WASD rubber coated and it's been more than 3 month, and they are by far the most used key on the keyboard.
on the other hand the Naga never had her rubber coating worn off and it is the same as the Orochi i even had a R.A.T. 7 who lasted longer than any of the Razer mouse i owned (pretty much unbelievable when you know the reputation of it ...) still the soft touch of it never worn off like the Razer did, and the sensor who is also a Twin eye, never had a bug or fried.... i had to RMA it just once due to a double click syndrome ... but she was way less in RMA than any of my Razer product.

for the mech switch: ok i give you reason on that.

end words: of all the PC accessory i had till now (and i had a lot) without changing my gaming or use habits, ALL the Razer product i had never passed the 1st 12 month without a RMA while all the other from various brand still functionate at the time we speak... Conclusion: build quality, Razer: 0 Other: 1, tho they have a good customer service none of my RMA with them had any problems , the second Razer product i had and never failed me was a Razer Diamondback but i was 27 (typo) when i brought it.

 

[RejZoR]

a device without a big "enter" key is no keyboard.. not buying..

This. First thing that i always check when buying a keyboard, it has to have the BIG Enter key. If it's that tiny thing, it's an instant no-go. When i hit ENTER, i want to always hit it with confidence. Not bunch of buttons around it because it's so tiny.

 

[vega22]

these are gaming switches as they fire and reset much sooner in the stroke than cherry switches.

i mean COME ON PEOPLES!!!! how can you not tell that its a world changing step up for a keyboard...

as said, this will still pack in on the week after its warranty expires but i bet it is about as good as a keyboard can be for the rest of its very short life before iy starts double clicking and unconnecting itself.

razor make great mice, they last a week past their warranty too.

 

[GreiverBlade]

these are gaming switches as they fire and reset much sooner in the stroke than cherry switches.

i mean COME ON PEOPLES!!!! how can you not tell that its a world changing step up for a keyboard...

as said, this will still pack in on the week after its warranty expires but i bet it is about as good as a keyboard can be for the rest of its very short life before iy starts double clicking and unconnecting itself.

razor make great mice, they last a week past their warranty too.

you made my day

my Naga last failure was exactly 1 week after warranty so do my Black Widow...

 

[tokyoduong]

Staying away from this brand. Their death adder mouse is horrible. I bought the "ergonomic" edition and it wasn't ergonomic at all. It was extremely light and felt flimsy. The right click button has some alignment issues that caused some sharp edges to stick out. Then it has some clicking problems sometimes not registering clicks and sometimes double register.

Their black widow mechanical keyboard was ok. It wasn't anything spectacular.

I went back to my old trusty G500 and replaced the black widow with the Corsair K90. It's been working great ever since and has no quality issues. I never understood why people are so faithful to the G500 but now i do. I am becoming one of them too.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Staying away from this brand. Their death adder mouse is horrible. I bought the "ergonomic" edition and it wasn't ergonomic at all. It was extremely light and felt flimsy. The right click button has some alignment issues that caused some sharp edges to stick out. Then it has some clicking problems sometimes not registering clicks and sometimes double register.

Their black widow mechanical keyboard was ok. It wasn't anything spectacular.

I went back to my old trusty G500 and replaced the black widow with the Corsair K90. It's been working great ever since and has no quality issues. I never understood why people are so faithful to the G500 but now i do. I am becoming one of them too.

Yeah just dont spill hot tea over it like i did or you'll be looking for a replacement

 

[BorisDG]

To be honest, my favourite Razer product is the Mako. I still using it and it's great. It's not inconsistent like many other Razer products that I have /see the signature/. Yes, it was with killer price when they produce it, but sounds, looks and works fantastic even till today. It's shame that they not make new one, but perfect things don't need it.

 

[RejZoR]

I bought the first Razer product few days ago, Razer Goliathus mouse pad. It was expensive, but i really like it. Mice glides nicely on smooth textile surface, it sticks really well on the desk and it's always flat which i like the most. Can't really complain.

 

[xvi]

My Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro has had zero issues. It types quite well considering it's a membrane keyboard and has survived many, many years. I don't know why people consider a couple years of usage to be "good". Even my Logitech G15 is still in great condition.
..and if you think I just treat my accessories well, all I'll say to that is it has a nice flat spot over the G15 logo and LEDs that I can balance a beer on pretty well. (LED backlight is failing though, I'll admit)