INTRODUCTION

   2014 proved to be extremely kind towards gamers since we witnessed the introduction of several innovative gaming peripherals from VR headsets, eye/motion sensors and 4k gaming screens up to high-end portable sound cards, gaming headsets, gaming chairs and of course gaming mice. However gaming keyboards seem to have received the most love by companies since not only did we watch the introduction of the very first mechanical switches capable of full RGB lighting (Razer, Corsair, Logitech, Tesoro and SteelSeries have such models currently) and the official announcement by Cherry MX regarding their plans for the immediate future but several of the leading manufacturers like Razer (Green) and SteelSeries (QS1) also unveiled their plans to start production of their very own mechanical switches (obviously to cut down costs and to have control over availability). Today with us we have the RGB version of the very highly regarded BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard called the BlackWidow Chroma which wears the brand new Green switches by Razer.

  Razer™ is a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers. Razer is transforming the way people play games, engage with other gamers and identify with the gamer lifestyle. Having won the coveted “Best of CES” award consecutively for four years, the company’s leadership in product innovation continues to create new categories for the gaming community that is estimated to have over 1 billion gamers worldwide. Razer’s award-winning design and technology include an array of user interface and systems devices, voice-over IP for gamers and a cloud platform for customizing and enhancing gaming devices. Founded in 2005, Razer is backed by IDG-Accel and Heliconia Capital Management (Heliconia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore investment company Temasek.

   Compared to the Blackwidow Ultimate mechanical gaming keyboard which we had with us a long time ago the new Blackwidow Chroma has two very noticeable differences which I’m sure many gamers have been looking forward to. First it features full RGB (16.8m colors) individual key illumination and uses the brand new Green mechanical switches manufactured by Razer themselves. Now i realize that we all respect Cherry MX since they are the first and leading manufacturer when it comes to mechanical switches but Razer has done a great job producing their own alternative since their Green switches are not only just as durable (60 million keystrokes) but they require similar actuation force (50g) as the Cherry MX switches (identical to the Cherry MX Blue switches actually) but with shorter actuation points (faster typing). However although on paper everything looks great that might not be the case so let's see what Razer has been up to lately.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The box in which the Blackwidow Chroma arrived has a large product picture at the front along with a small cutout over the arrow keys (allows you to test the switches), the company logo and the main product features.

The system requirements list and a table with the entire Blackwidow family are present at the base of the box.

At the top of the box we see several icons which represent the main product features.

Everything you need to know regarding the brand new Green mechanical switches by Razer and of course the Blackwidow Chroma in general is placed at the rear of the box.

As usual packaging is excellent since aside the keyboard being placed between several pieces of cardboard it's also covered with a piece of clear plastic.

Along with the keyboard you will get two Razer stickers, product guide and two papers signed by the company’s CEO (on thanks you for your purchase and the other asks you to register the product so that you will be eligible for future offers by Razer).

THE BLACKWIDOW CHROMA

The Blackwidow Chroma mechanical gaming keyboard features a nice black matte colored rubber coating and yes as you can see it comes without a wrist rest. That also means that size-wise it's smaller than many other gaming keyboards and measures 475mm in length, 171mm in width and 39mm in height.

Razer has placed their logo at the lower center area of the keyboard.

5 fully programmable macro keys are placed on the far left area of the keyboard.

The F keys double as media control keys (volume up/down, play/pause track and next/previous track) and are also used for on-the-fly Macro programming, Gaming mode (10-key rollover), brightness control and sleep mode.

For the RGB illumination Razer has used a single LED right next to each of their switches much like what Cherry MX has done.

A powered USB port is placed on the far right of the keyboard right next to the usual microphone and headphones 3.5mm connectors.

At the base of the keyboard we see 5 rubber feet and two stand-offs.

The two stand-offs raise the top end of the keyboard roughly 22mm from your desk.

Razer has placed two USB plugs and the usual microphone and headphones mini jacks at the end of the braided cable (all are gold plated).

SYNAPSE 2.0 SOFTWARE

Since the BlackWidow Chroma doesn't come with a software CD in the package you will need to download the latest Synapse 2.0 version from the official Razer support page (available for Windows and Mac).

The Synapse 2.0 software needs to download extra files once installed so that may take some time depending on your internet connection.

Through the Synapse 2.0 software you can remap all of the keys, record macros and customize the illumination effect and color for the keys.

Here you can see some of the illumination colors available.

The Synapse 2.0 software however also allows you to control the key illumination and tie it onto specific games and genres.

Here you can see one of the many illumination results you can have (the sky is the limit really).

You can also disable certain keys while Gaming mode is on although it's the stats (records keypresses) and heat map pages that steal the show (however this feature only works only with compatible games it detects on launch).

CONCLUSION

   When Razer announced their plans to make their very own mechanical switches i really wasn't sure of what to expect. Granted I’ve said it in the past numerous times that i don't think the design and manufacture of a mechanical switch is very hard especially since Cherry MX has been doing it for decades now and there are even other manufacturers like Kailh around but i just wasn't entirely convinced that they could develop one that could rival the ones by Cherry MX. Well clearly i was wrong since their Green switches are just as durable (even more according to Razer but that's not really something we can check) and provide very good tactile and audible feedback (if i had to compare them to Cherry MX switches I’d put them right between the black and red switches but not so much near the blue ones). Moving to the full RGB 16.8m color illumination system well although we've yet to test the Logitech and Corsair solutions still it seems more advanced than anything we've seen to date (at least on paper). Of course if you're already the proud owner of the original BlackWidow Ultimate mechanical gaming keyboard or if you own one of the new RGB mechanical keyboards using Cherry MX switches i doubt it's worth moving to the BlackWidow Chroma but then again each of us has different needs and goals. As for the Synapse 2.0 software well not much we can say about it that we didn't cover in the previous page. Still if i had to add one minor feature to it perhaps I’d redesign it to be less "dark" since some people may find it hard to navigate.

   As we speak the BlackWidow Chroma by Razer retails for USD164.95 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 166.69Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) so it's roughly 35% more expensive compared to its predecessor the BlackWidow Ultimate. With that in mind you must really like/want RGB key illumination in order to spend that much more on basically the same keyboard (aside the Greek switches that is). However the BlackWidow Chroma is indeed an improvement over the BlackWidow Ultimate and in the end that's what matters most and since Razer improved an already very good mechanical gaming keyboard that's more than enough for us to give their latest offering our Platinum award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Razer Green Mechanical Switches (60m Keystrokes / 50g Actuation Force)
- Full 16.8m RGB Key Illumination
- Individual Key Illumination
- Macro Keys
- On-The-Fly Macro Recording
- Gaming Mode
- Synapse 2.0 Software
- Dual USB Connector (Extra Power)
- Braided Cable/ Gold Plated USB Ports & Mini-Jacks

CONS

- Price (For Some)