A Closer Look

The Microsoft Razer Reclusa looks great at first sight. It is very curved with no real corners. The wrist pad extends the overall shape of the keyboard even further. Microsoft and Razer went all out on the construction quality of the keyboard. Do not be fooled by a much smaller price tag when compared to the Razer Tarantula, as the build quality is just as good. On the bottom you will find two large stickers. The silver one lists the model number and serial number, while the black mentions possible health risks.


When compared to the Logitech G15, no real difference in size is noticeable. Both keyboards have so many custom functions that there is simply no way these could be any smaller. Such properties are great for everyday work and gaming, but limit portability of the device. You will notice that carrying around such a heavy keyboard to and back from a LAN party.


The wrist pad is one of the best ones ever to be included with a keyboard. It is made of plastic but features a foam pad with synthetic leather. This makes it even more comfortable. I usually do not use this additional wrist rest, but I made an exception in this case as it makes such a great addition to the Reclusa. Microsoft has placed their silver logo right on the top of the case. Anyone looking at the keyboard will see what company it is made by right away. The Microsoft label is not back-lit, so it may be hard to spot during a LAN party.


The most prominent difference between a normal keyboard and the Reclusa is the slew of custom buttons. To the left you will find a dial which can be set to anything you like, as well as five custom keys. These have specific default functions in Windows, but can be set to anything you would like with the help of Razer's software. The right part is quite similar, with a volume knob as well as five further keys with default Windows functions already assigned. These can be customized as well.


All new Microsoft keyboards feature a new Windows button, which opens the Start menu. Two of these replace the old version used for Windows XP.


The back of the Reclusa houses two interesting features. First, there is a deep and long cable tunnel present. It is long enough to house the entire cable. The second is a flip-up stand and four large rubber stoppers. These keep the Reclusa from moving around. The stand is actually the keyboard's biggest weak spot as it does not have a rubber tip. As soon as you use these, the keyboard will move around quite easily, as two of the four rubber stoppers do not reach the table any longer.


The Reclusa cable has a golden USB 2.0 plug and the two gold plated USB 2.0 ports are located at the two upper corners of the keyboard.


I dimmed the lights to give you an idea of the Reclusa's back-light. It is quite even and strong. The three standard LEDs are actually not visible as long as they are off, but can be seen once activated.