The Vortex Race 3 takes a lot of the plus points we saw with the CORE, be it the PBT/dye sub/DSA keycaps, the CNC-machined aluminum alloy case, or good unboxing experience, which results in a good first impression. In the few months between these two releases, they have also addressed some of the cons by including replacement keycaps and keyboard feet and going with a more subtle keycap and case color scheme. That is where the similarities really end.

The Race 3 is a 75% keyboard, which means it is still in line with what Vortex does best: giving you the best functionality in a limited space. In this case, you get most of a TKL keyboard in a smaller volume, and part of this is due to the minimalist bezels and PCB-on-case design. As such, this will attract a much bigger customer base by not sacrificing a lot of functionality or having tiered layers for certain keystrokes. The OS support, four layers with programmability, and QWERTY/Dvorak/Colemak support all saved on device also help a lot in justifying this keyboard's high price point.

That said, $140+ is still a lot of money to pay. The mechanical keyboard market in this price range is splitting in two - there are the RGB gaming keyboards that take up a vast majority of this market and then there are the more niche layouts, form factors, or simply those keyboards that offer something potentially worth the money, be it high build quality, ergonomic design, or exclusive/unique switches. The Vortex Race 3 is a bit of everything here, and while a 65% keyboard makes more sense to me personally, I do recognize that this keyboard will end up being more popular than most smaller keyboards. I just wish Vortex would unlock the firmware, and this is even assuming the irregular keycap sizes have not put off some potential customers already.

Overall, there is enough here to merit a recommendation and that is what it will get.