Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review

The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is the newest entry into Razer’s BlackWidow lineup, bringing with it hot-swappable switches, 4,000Hz wireless polling, and even a configurable screen.

Gamers who want one of the best gaming keyboards will find a lot to like here. There's a good amount of hardware and software customization, as well as sought-after features like Razer’s game-changing ‘’Snap Tap.’’ This is on top of a delightfully tactile typing experience and solid in-game performance that will keep any gamer happy.

The main thing holding the BlackWidow back is the price tag. At $299, it’s one of the most expensive keyboards currently on the market. Compared to Razer’s own Huntsman optical keyboards, which offer customizable actuation points, the BlackWidow seems a little lacking for the money—only getting worse when compared to affordable Hall Effect boards like the Keychron K2 HE ($130).

So, is it worth your money? Read on for my full Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% keyboard review.

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A wireless, customizable gaming keyboard
• Who is it for? Gamers looking for customization and performance in equal measure
• What does it cost? A fever-inducing $299, from Razer and Amazon
• What do we like? One of the best builds I have come across, with a handy OLED display and some meaty gaming features
• What don’t we like? It’s very expensive, with arguably better options for less than half the price

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: Specs

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: The ups

Beyond looking and feeling great, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% offers many standout gaming features. This includes intuitive options for customizing your board with or without the fantastic Synapse companion app, while the OLED display is awesome for productivity and personalization.

Design

The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%’s case combines plastic and metal, striking an excellent balance between the low weight of the former, with the looks and durability of the latter.

Unlike the boxy shape and smooth aluminum of the Glorious GMMK Pro ($179) and the Lemokey L4 ($219), the BlackWidow opts for a sleek angled design with a textured metal finish. Of course, beauty is subjective, but in my opinion, this is an excellent middle ground between style and substance. The amount of aluminum used in the keyboard is low, with the keyboard using a thin layer on top of the ABS plastic bottom casing.

The chassis’ sloped front lets you easily attach the magnetic wrist rest, which you’ll want to use to ensure a comfortable typing or gaming experience. The wrist rest itself is one of the more luxurious elements of the design, forgoing the rigid plastic wrist rests of other boards like the SteelSeries Apex Pro ($199). Instead, the BlackWidow treats your wrists to a soft leather pillow, providing plenty of support for my wrists during long gaming sessions.

Lighting

The BlackWidow features shine-through RGB lighting on the keycaps, which illuminates the legends well across the full keyboard. The spacing between the keys is also brightly lit by the LEDs, which further enhances the visuals of the keyboard.

You can quickly cycle through all 10 lighting presets using a keyboard shortcut or the OLED display without the need to install the companion software. I opted to stick to the soft glow of the ‘static’ lighting scheme (boring, I know), although I was impressed by how good the more out-there patterns looked.

OLED Screen

The OLED display is more than just a gimmick. It can show useful information and allow for more in-depth customization, such as the ability to switch between polling rates in both wired and wireless modes. One of my favorite display options is the audio EQ visualizer, alongside the ability to skip tracks and adjust volume by simply turning the wheel.

The screen is controlled via a button and jog wheel on the side of the case (which itself doubles as a button). I really like the wheel, which is tactile and clicky to match the board’s keys and add to the board’s overall premium feel.

The personalization aspects are a particular guilty pleasure of mine. You can upload custom images and gifs to be displayed, as well as display text. Images are shown in a surprisingly good resolution, and the display is well-lit and visible from all angles. It's not a very common feature, especially on an aluminum case, but it adds a lot of personality and charm to the otherwise rather formal visuals. The display is only capable of grayscale but looks better than the full-color display on the Gamakay LK75 ($129), which is laggier and lower resolution.

Typing experience

I really enjoy typing on the BlackWidow, and a major reason is the textured PBT keycaps, which feel super satisfying and grippy. These helped me achieve above-average typing accuracy and words per minute, despite not using my preferred linear switches.

The sound whilst typing is, for the most part, sharp and satisfying. Frustratingly, there’s a significant amount of metallic ringing from larger keys, which is not what I want to see (or hear) from a keyboard of this price — this is all despite having an extra layer of sound-dampening via a factory ‘tape-modded’ PCB (you can’t really call it “modded” if it comes like that out of the factory). This wasn’t enough to put me off the otherwise great feeling and clacky sound of my keystrokes, let alone distract me in-game. However, if sound is a priority, you can’t go wrong with the Lemokey L4.

Gaming performance

The BlackWidow excels at gaming, packing features that work well with a variety of titles. While the tactile switches are not my first choice for a gaming keyboard, I was surprised by how much I liked using Razer’s orange switches. I was still able to pull off some quick movements in tactical shooters like Valorant, and the keyboard felt responsive enough for all of my ability-spamming in League of Legends

Snap Tapping improved my movement when playing fast-paced shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. This feature prioritizes the last key pressed when two keys are held at once, which trivializes strafing and corner-peeking. I was skeptical about how much benefit I'd get from this feature using a non-linear switch, but my performance notably increased with it enabled.

The V4 Pro is also a great keyboard for more casual games. It worked like a charm for RTS games in particular, which emphasize deliberate, slower-paced keypresses. Managing my struggling economy by sorting through the menus of Victoria 3 was much more enjoyable with some tactile feedback, and the faster-paced micromanagement of Heart of Iron IV felt equally as fun on the BlackWidow.

The keyboard also supports a 4,000Hz polling rate when using the provided wireless dongle. A keyboard’s polling rate determines the frequency at which it reports to your computer, with the standard for gaming boards usually around 1,000Hz. Bumping this up to 4,000Hz didn’t provide any noticeable improvements for me in Counter Strike 2, and likely won’t for you either — you would need the highest refresh rate monitors and inhuman reaction speeds to notice the difference between 1,000Hz and 4,000Hz.

Customization

As a long-time user of the excellent Razer Deathadder V2 mouse, I am well-versed with Synapse. This is Razer’s companion software and is one of the better apps out there for customization. The lightweight, simple UI makes it convenient to navigate and customize my keyboard, and there is a wide range of options available. I was able to configure the lighting, upload GIFs and images to the OLED screen, and configure my keybindings easily.

For those averse to companion apps, you’ll be happy to know that you can do an awful lot of customization without having to download any extra software. I particularly like being able to record macros on the go using the FN and F9 keys. Unfortunately, Snap Tapping requires Synapse to be installed to get working — it would be nice to access this feature via an onboard toggle as on the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro ($219).

The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% offers in-depth hardware customization, especially when compared to Razer’s other keyboards. The keyboard supports both three and five-pin switches, which gives you the freedom to swap out switches to your heart’s content. Opening up the keyboard for any further customization will void the 2-year warranty, although hot-swapping switches is fine.

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: The downs

My criticism of the BlackWidow V4 Pro primarily boils down to value: the keyboard is specced similarly to other boards available at a fraction of the cost. My only other issue is the limited switch choice when buying the keyboard, which forces those who want some variety to fork over even more cash.

Limited switch choice

While the tactile switches won me overs, I am disappointed that there aren’t other switch options when buying the BlackWidow.

I would have liked to choose between Razer’s other in-house switches at purchase, rather than buying them separately. You will have to add an extra $75 to the price tag if you want Razer’s Yellow linear switches, which are the most popular switch type for gaming. You can use your own switches if you have spares, or easily buy them elsewhere given the 3-/5-pin socket, but it would’ve been nice to see more variety at this price.

Value

Ultimately, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is overpriced for what you’re getting. Sure, the OLED screen, leather wrist rest and premium features are never going to come cheap, but ultimately, the BlackWidow doesn’t bring anything new to the table that will make a $299-worthy impact in whatever game you’re playing.

The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro ($219) offers per-key actuation adjustments, as well as Rapid Trigger. Although it forgoes an OLED screen for a simple LED light display. The keyboard also offers better gaming performance than the BlackWidow for $50 cheaper.

Hall Effect keyboards like the Keychron K2 HE ($130) offer innovative gaming features and improved sound dampening over the BlackWidow at a fraction of the price. The configurable quad actuation points of the magnetic switches are leaps and bounds ahead of traditional mechanical switches, especially for those keen on competitive gaming. But, if you don’t want to say goodbye to the metal finish of the BlackWidow, look no further than the Keychron Q1 HE ($219). The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is still the best option if you prefer a tactile experience, though, as Hall Effect switches are exclusively linear.

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review: Verdict

My job would be easier if this keyboard cost around $200 — then it’d be a no-brainer recommendation. Sadly, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is far too expensive at $299.

However, if you are willing to part with the cash, it's safe to say that the BlackWidow looks, feels and performs exceptionally well. I enjoyed customizing the board to get the most out of it, and features like the OLED screen and wheel are both enjoyable and, useful.

If you are uninterested in magnetic switches, this is one of the best gaming keyboards you can get your hands on today, and well worth the asking price for the amount of stand-out features. Unlike its terrifying namesake, the BlackWidow is more than welcome at my desk.