Right out of the box, the Blackwidow V3 oozes quality. Despite a plastic chassis, the keyboard has a beautiful aluminum plate to support the switches of your choice, namely the Razer Green clicky, or the Razer Yellow (QWERTY only) if you prefer a linear stroke. The set is also quite heavy, with more than 1.2 kg on the scale. It must be said that under the keys hide a large battery, but also a state-of-the-art wireless transmission system. The keys feature a snag-free cutout, extra-thick walls, and are molded in ABS so the lettering never rubs off, which makes us think this keyboard should stand up to the rigors of time and heavy use with no problem. . The dimensions remain classic for a full size model with 49cm in length, 6.1cm in height and 24cm in width. As often, Razer also offers us a wrist rest which is particularly comfortable here thanks to its thick gel padding. Finally, those who like to have a raised keyboard will be able to take advantage of two-stage feet, offering 6 and 9° of additional inclination.
Guaranteed for 80 million keystrokes, the Razer green switches have an activation distance of only 1.9mm, which allows unfailing responsiveness, especially since only 50g of pressure is enough to press the keys. The keyboard also has all the usual refinements of gaming peripherals with a 10-key rollover, a gaming mode (to lock the windows key), full support for Razer's RGB Chroma system, with as always, 16.8 million colors. Better still, there are also a few multimedia keys, with pause/play, rewind and fast forward, while a knob allows you to adjust the sound. Moreover, the latter is particularly well thought out, since it protrudes a little from the keyboard, which allows it to be used very easily, without having to go over the numeric keypad. In the center of the wheel there is also a button that allows you to completely mute the PC.
As always, the keyboard is fully configurable via the Razer Synapse in-house software, whether to create countless sets of lights that react with your games and your music, or to create your macros. Note in passing that the keyboard has an integrated memory which allows you to store 4 different profiles, which guarantees you to find all your settings even when you change machine. Connection level, the Blackwidow V3 Pro therefore offers a wired mode via a USB-C socket which is quite off-center, too bad, we would have preferred to have a more central position. In wireless, the keyboard offers us two options: either a Bluetooth connection or a 2.4Ghz connection (Razer HyperSpeed) which will be done via a dongle cleverly hidden in the keyboard, behind a small hatch. Finally, there is a small knob on the left side of the chassis that allows you to select the desired connection mode, which allows you to switch on the fly from one to the other, whenever you need to connect the keyboard. to several machines at the same time.
Super pleasant to use, the BlackWidow V3 Pro remains firmly anchored on our desk thanks to the combination of its generous weight, but also via five large non-slip pads. Still, like any keyboard equipped with clicky switches, use may be a bit noisy for the uninitiated. As far as autonomy is concerned, we managed to last between 24 and 36 hours using the keyboard fully (no automatic standby, and RGB fully), knowing that we can enjoy more autonomy by opting for more energy efficient settings. Finally, our only criticism will concern the wrist rest, which cannot be mechanically attached to the keyboard. Devoid of a hinge or magnetic system, the latter only remains in place thanks to 6 large non-slip pads, whose efficiency is however saluted.
Displayed at €249.99, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is clearly part of the top of the range in terms of keyboard, but given the services offered, it is difficult to say that the price is not justified. All the features possible on a wireless mechanical keyboard are available, and the overall quality of the device is beyond reproach. The construction seems super solid, and we can clearly say that this keyboard will last you quite a while before switching the weapon to the left. Be aware, however, that if you are ready to use a QWERTY model, it is possible to find the Blackwidow V3 Pro for a few tens of euros cheaper. Finally, if you don't care about wireless, multimedia keys, and the hyper-padded wrist rest, know that this keyboard is available in a wired version for €149.99.
