Razer coming out with a new high-end Star Wars themed keyboard

bunnyfubbles

Lifer
Sep 3, 2001
12,248
3
0

ugh, what's with all these themed peripherals

the Razer SWTOR mouse is just a Razer Naga Epic in a different suit and the Razer SWTOR headset is likely also just a functionally identical Megalodon.

the keyboard is interesting but why do they have to brand it towards one game when it appears as if it would work brilliantly for just about any MMORPG?

granted, I'd assume the LCD track panel and "dynamic adaptive tactile keys" could be changed, but that's kind of ruined by the fact that the keys have extraneous Star Wars language labels

I fully expect this keyboard to be very expensive, easily $200+
 

Ben90

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2009
2,866
3
0
Filco > Any "Gaming" keyboard.

Do modders make NKRO Model M keyboards? I typed on a Model M for the first time in years and I was impressed coming from Cherry Blues. If there was a purchasable NKRO version, I would be all over that for <$150.
 

bunnyfubbles

Lifer
Sep 3, 2001
12,248
3
0
And a new Filco keyboard in the U.S. is going to start at $140+...

Most gamers would be better off with a so-called "gaming" keyboard like the Microsoft Sidewinder X4 @ ~$50, which actually provides superior KRO performance over USB (26KRO vs. 6KRO, not that you really need more than 6KRO unless you're often playing with more than one hand on the keyboard) and its rubber domes are actually pretty good making it hard to justify the extra money to go mechanical just for gaming when its arguable that the strength of mechanical lies in typing far more than gaming.

Of course if mechanical keys are desired there is an ever expanding number of options for $100 or less, many of which are being provided by said "gaming" keyboard manufacturers.

I'd also argue the Cherry Blues and IBM buckling springs really are some of the worst mechanical switches for most gaming (that's not to say they're inherently worse than the average rubber dome keyboard), granted an RPG (like SWTOR the Razer keyboard is built for) is an area of gaming where tactile and auditory mechanical keys can excel at when the gamer needs to be confident in precise keystrokes and key combinations

However considering the strengths of this Razer SWTOR keyboard there really aren't many mechanical keyboards that can challenge it other than Razer's own BlackWidow.

Fully programmable keys and macros can be far more valuable for an MMORPG than mechanical keys, and of course it remains to be seen how useful the dynamic keys and track-panel LCD end up being.

We also don't know what kind of switches this board uses, they do also describe the dynamic keys as tactile from which we could infer a mechanical switch, but they seem too low profile to be a popular cherry MX, and with the recent major uptick in mechanical switch popularity I'd wager Razer would be chomping at the bit to advertise mechanical keys as a feature.

Granted, I also think the dynamic keys and LCD track-panel are enough alone to make the keyboard prohibitively expensive before throwing mechanical keys into the mix.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,622
879
126
ugh, what's with all these themed peripherals

the Razer SWTOR mouse is just a Razer Naga Epic in a different suit and the Razer SWTOR headset is likely also just a functionally identical Megalodon.

the keyboard is interesting but why do they have to brand it towards one game when it appears as if it would work brilliantly for just about any MMORPG?

granted, I'd assume the LCD track panel and "dynamic adaptive tactile keys" could be changed, but that's kind of ruined by the fact that the keys have extraneous Star Wars language labels

I fully expect this keyboard to be very expensive, easily $200+

If they weren't lying in the e3 video this keyboard will only be $199. I agree on the SW theme, but it will go perfectly with my new white 600t case and I'm sure the macros and such will be fully programmable for any game. That's the sickest looking keyboard I've ever seen. $199 sounds like a lot for a keyboard, but for one like that I was expecting it to be over $300.
 

Ben90

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2009
2,866
3
0
And a new Filco keyboard in the U.S. is going to start at $140+...

Most gamers would be better off with a so-called "gaming" keyboard like the Microsoft Sidewinder X4 @ ~$50, which actually provides superior KRO performance over USB (26KRO vs. 6KRO, not that you really need more than 6KRO unless you're often playing with more than one hand on the keyboard) and its rubber domes are actually pretty good making it hard to justify the extra money to go mechanical just for gaming when its arguable that the strength of mechanical lies in typing far more than gaming.

Of course if mechanical keys are desired there is an ever expanding number of options for $100 or less, many of which are being provided by said "gaming" keyboard manufacturers.

I'd also argue the Cherry Blues and IBM buckling springs really are some of the worst mechanical switches for most gaming (that's not to say they're inherently worse than the average rubber dome keyboard), granted an RPG (like SWTOR the Razer keyboard is built for) is an area of gaming where tactile and auditory mechanical keys can excel at when the gamer needs to be confident in precise keystrokes and key combinations

However considering the strengths of this Razer SWTOR keyboard there really aren't many mechanical keyboards that can challenge it other than Razer's own BlackWidow.

Fully programmable keys and macros can be far more valuable for an MMORPG than mechanical keys, and of course it remains to be seen how useful the dynamic keys and track-panel LCD end up being.

We also don't know what kind of switches this board uses, they do also describe the dynamic keys as tactile from which we could infer a mechanical switch, but they seem too low profile to be a popular cherry MX, and with the recent major uptick in mechanical switch popularity I'd wager Razer would be chomping at the bit to advertise mechanical keys as a feature.

Granted, I also think the dynamic keys and LCD track-panel are enough alone to make the keyboard prohibitively expensive before throwing mechanical keys into the mix.
Fair points. I lurk at Geekhack far too much and therefore my opinion is probably overstated. In real world usage, decent rubber domes do fine. Even on an average matrix.
After reading through my post, I feel like it may be too aggressive. We actually do agree on more points that what it appears in my post so I'm adding this prelude so you don't hate me :)

The first thing that I think needs to be said : the BlackWidow is a bad gaming keyboard. Switch preference aside, the matrix sucks. Its a 2KRO keyboard. Sucks to be outclassed in arguably the most important "gamer test" by a $10 dell board made over a decade ago. After that its all down to key preference. I will say that its one of the cheapest C-Blue keyboards around, if not the cheapest. Kudos for that.

My personal opinion is that C-Blues blow for FPS gaming. Interestingly enough, I use C-Blues and only care about hardware performance when I'm playing FPS games. That is how little it really does matter.
If you are in the market for a mechanical switch, and do mostly play FPS games, I really recommend starting on linear switches.

My personal censored opinion
Since the Razer macro's run on the hardware level, they actually work in the games that have terrible engines (Non-Quake derivitives), and use anti-cheats which block software key commands. So if scripting in bad games is important to you, and you don't care about not for sure being able to press any three buttons at a time, the Razor is definitely the best pick.
/Opinion
 

pcunite

Senior member
Nov 15, 2007
336
1
76
This is a good move by Razer to differentiate themselves. There are too many good mechanical keyboards out now like the Filco Majestouch and so on. I don't want it but could see it selling well.
 
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