Razer BlackWidow Chroma, we tested this keyboard for gamers

Although mechanical keyboards have less and less weight on the market, they have found a second youth in the world of gamers. Greater stability and precision, the unmistakable sound of mechanical keys… A must-have for an advanced gaming experience that reaches the highest levels with the Razer BlackWidow Chroma . And this keyboard not only incorporates several function keys and special modes for gaming. In addition, it is capable of creating a universe of color through its backlit keys . A color that can be customized from the dedicated Synapse application , to the point that we can choose the color of each key separately. A unique experience for the most demanding users. The Razer BlackWidow Chroma is available on the market for 150 euros. We have had the opportunity to try it, we tell you our impressions.

The power of the keys

Razer is today one of the most reputable brands in the world of accessories for gamers. That's right. The mechanical keys of the Razer BlackWidow Chroma are designed to withstand up to 60 million operations (each one) thanks to the firm's mechanical switches. A durability that will allow us to face any gaming marathon with guarantees, and that is above the 50 million operations that the keys of other mechanical keyboards reach. The resistance of these keys is 50g.After using this keyboard we have to say that the sensations are very good. The sound of the keys is quite marked, something that helps a lot to immerse yourself in the game world. Of course, without reaching levels that may be annoying for other people who are in the same house (although it is not recommended to use it in the same room as a relative outside the world of the game). The keys are quite high and well spaced, although we would have liked them to be slightly larger. But this consideration depends a lot on the taste and preferences of each user. What can be said at a more objective level is that the keyboard performance is very good with an excellent response to finger pressure.

On the left side of the keyboard we have five specific keys to use the macro function (which we will talk about later). The upper keys offer us various characteristics that are drawn through specific icons. Thus, the first keys allow you to silence the computer and raise and lower the volume. The following keys are used to move forward and backward in the playback of multimedia content and to stop or continue playback. Then we have the key to activate and deactivate the macros, the key to start the gamer modeand two keys to change how strongly the keys light up. The last of the buttons available is the one that puts the team in suspend mode. We would also like to highlight a key that is placed next to "Control" and that has the same function as the right mouse button.

Long live the lights

The Razer BlackWidow Chroma has a point of difference compared to many competitive models. Your bet on the lights. And it is to say that this keyboard is backlit is an understatement. The Razer team is capable of taking the degree of customization to impressive heights. And it is that not only can you choose a huge number of different colors directly from the palette(green, yellow, blue, red, pink ...), but you can also combine different colors by areas or even each key separately. A fantastic way, for example, to mark those keys that we are going to use in a certain game to highlight them with respect to the rest. For those who are simply looking for a more aesthetic purpose, there are several predefined modes that leave us with very visual lighting effects. Among them we have the "Breathing" mode , which increases the illumination of the keys and changes their color as if you were inhaling and exhaling. The "Reactive" mode has left us a fantastic taste in our mouths because it only illuminates the keys that we are pressing as if we were leaving a trace with each press that gradually fades.

The "Ripple" mode , on the other hand, seems somewhat exaggerated to us but it can also have its followers, since each time a key is pressed a wave is generated that runs through all the keys of the device. Finally, we want to highlight the "Spectrum" mode , which gradually takes us through different colors evenly throughout the keyboard. It is less flashy than the previous one but also less psychedelic.

Commissioning and control

To get this keyboard up and running, the first step is to connect one of its USB cables to the computer. By the way, it must be said that the cable is made of braided fiber , with excellent resistance and flexibility that greatly facilitates its use from any position. If we are using Windows 8 , a window will automatically start to install the Synapse application that will be the one we use to control the computer. If not, you have to go to the firm's website to download this application. By the way, to work with this application you have to create an account at Razer. Once installed, we can configure different aspects of the keyboard in a very visual way. For example, from here we will customize the keyboard lights and lighting effects. You can also record multiple macros to perform complex key combinations with just one press.

Another feature that we find spectacular for the most professional players is an analysis tool that can collect statistics on the way we use the device, with values such as the distance at which we press the keys, the "heat zones" of the keyboard or the number of times we use macros. All this distributed in the different games that we have installed. Finally, we can set different keyboard profiles and access them easily. All a guarantee not to have to change the configurations when we change the game.

The Razer BlackWidow Chroma incorporates a USB port replicator, headphone jack and microphone. To make them work, you must first connect the USB cable or the audio cables to the computer. The replicators are located on the right side of the keyboard and the ease with which they are accessed stands out. We couldn't finish this review without making a more specific mention of "gamer" mode . When this mode is activated, the Windows key is automatically blocked so that we do not get out of the game due to a calculation error when pressing a key.

Price and reviews

This gaming keyboard has a market price of about 150 euros. In short, the Razer BlackWidow Chroma has all the boards to become an essential tool when playing with the PC, with a very good performance and the striking option to customize the lights of our keys, both in block and separately .