Mac gaming has been getting severe in recent times, with a slate of AAA video games lastly making their strategy to macOS. If you would like a top-notch mechanical keyboard to blast your manner by these titles, Razer’s new Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless may very well be the reply.
With high-quality construct supplies and lots of customisable options (even together with the flexibility to alter how exhausting you press every key to activate it), it is a gadget for essentially the most discerning of Mac players. However does its excessive worth and lack of software program assist make it a questionable selection for Apple followers? Let’s discover out.
Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless: Worth and availability
The Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless prices $219.99/£219.99 and is out there from Razer and third-party retailers.
Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless: What I like
The Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless is priced for the highest finish of the market, and also you positively get a premium-feeling product in your money. The physique is created from strong plastic with an aluminium prime plate, and there’s no bending or flexing wherever you look. There’s additionally a crisp LED show above the arrow keys that signifies the profile that’s in use, whether or not caps lock or recreation mode are enabled, and extra.
Razer has opted for textured PBT keycaps with a barely tough texture to them, they usually really feel nice in use and can be proof against shining over time. They’re additionally backlit, and the lighting is superbly vibrant and clear, making the keyboard a cinch to make use of in a darkish room.
Beneath the keycaps are Razer’s analogue optical switches. These are linear, which means there’s no tactile suggestions whenever you press every one, they usually provide a really quick response – best for high-intensity gaming. Not like some linear switches, they’re nonetheless fairly comfy for lengthy typing classes (though extra tactile switches are nonetheless higher suited to this).
The tenkeyless kind issue is extra compact than an ordinary keyboard structure (it chops off the numpad), and it’s steadiness for each typing and gaming. Within the top-right is a quantity dial with built-in mute button, plus buttons for media controls and opening the Xbox Recreation Bar in Home windows (in macOS this does nothing). As with virtually each different key, these can all be remapped within the Razer Synapse app in Home windows (however not in macOS).
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As we’ll focus on within the subsequent part, Razer’s Synapse app – which is used to customize lots of the keyboard’s options – doesn’t work with macOS. However Razer has an answer of kinds, in that you could regulate key actuation, swap profiles, and allow and regulate the Speedy Set off and Snap Faucet options utilizing keyboard shortcuts. It is a little clunkier than utilizing the app, nevertheless it implies that Mac customers don’t miss out on these options solely.
The power to tweak key actuation ranges – that’s, how far you might want to press a key for its enter to be registered – is absolutely helpful, because it means you can also make the keys really feel as heavy or as gentle as you want (and they are often made extremely gentle). To make use of this characteristic in macOS, you press the Operate and Tab keys, then twist the amount dial or use the arrow keys. The LED show exhibits your chosen key actuation stage (similar to “1.2” for 1.2mm). You can too press a key to check your chosen actuation stage, then press Esc or Operate and Tab to avoid wasting your adjustments on to the keyboard (which implies they’ll carry over to any Mac or PC you join the keyboard to).
There’s an identical characteristic for Speedy Set off mode, which helps you to re-activate a key with out totally letting go and permitting it to return to its unpressed place. You press Operate and Caps Lock, then press Caps Lock once more to focus on at the moment lively Speedy Set off keys. Spin the amount dial to regulate their sensitivity, or strive tapping them to check them out – their backlighting goes inexperienced when the secret’s actuated and purple when it’s reset.
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Equally, Snap Faucet is enabled by urgent Operate and Left Shift. This allows you to press and maintain one key, then faucet one other and each keys will alternate (e.g. maintain A and faucet B and the output can be ABABABAB). Sadly, with out Synapse you’ll be able to’t inform when it’s on or off besides by testing it, as there’s no visible indication.
Lastly, you may as well swap profiles utilizing simply the keyboard. Press Operate and one of many six keys within the top-right nook (House, Finish, and so on) – every one has a corresponding profile quantity printed on its keycap. The LED show’s profile icon will change color whenever you change profiles. You may decide from certainly one of 5 pre-made profiles, every with customized actuation ranges, Speedy Set off settings and extra, and the profiles embody ones for FPS video games, racing titles, a high-sensitivity mode, and extra.
With the ability to customise issues with simply the keyboard takes lots of the ache out of the dearth of Synapse compatibility, and Razer’s implementation could be very simple to make use of and perceive. Whereas we’d desire to make use of Synapse, adjusting issues on the keyboard itself means you don’t miss out on lots of these glorious gaming options.
Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless: What I don’t love
Let’s speak concerning the elephant within the room: Razer Synapse. Razer’s companion app is used to customize all of its merchandise, and the Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless is not any totally different. You employ Synapse to alter key actuation ranges, allow options like Snap Faucet and Speedy Set off, tweak the lighting mode, and extra.
The issue? Synapse doesn’t work with macOS. Meaning a sizeable vary of options – lots of that are core components of the Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless – are unavailable to Mac customers. That features enabling Steady Speedy Set off (however not the common Speedy Set off) mode, remapping keys, creating new profiles, setting macros and creating superior lighting patterns. As we’ve seen, although, the excellent news is that lots of the keyboard’s important options could be enabled with out requiring Synapse. Nonetheless, you would possibly really feel that the keyboard’s worth is slightly too excessive to justify with out Synapse.
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There are a couple of different problems with notice. There’s just one swap choice (linear) and the switches usually are not hot-swappable. The typing sound would possibly displease mechanical keyboard purists, too – it’s loud, clunky and heavy. The palm relaxation can be very agency (some individuals will like this, whereas others won’t). Whereas it magnetically attaches to the keyboard alongside its prime edge, it lacks clips holding it in place, so it could possibly slide back and forth. Lastly, there’s no strategy to allow the macOS keyboard structure, so sure keys (similar to Command) usually are not the place you count on them to be.
However none of those points are as urgent as the dearth of Synapse assist in macOS. We’ve spoken to Razer about this repeatedly previously they usually’ve all the time assured us that macOS assist is on their to-do checklist. We adopted up once more concerning the Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless and acquired the identical reply: it’s within the works, however there’s no estimated launch date simply but. The earlier assist arrives, the higher.
Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless: Competitors
The SteelSeries Apex Professional TKL is one other tenkeyless mechanical keyboard constructed with customisable actuation and a fast set off operate. Just like the Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless, it comes with backlit PBT keycaps, an adjustable stand and an on-board show. It’s slightly extra inexpensive at $189.99/£189.99.
If the gamer aesthetic isn’t fairly your factor however you continue to need lots of the similar options as Razer’s keyboard, the Keychron Q1 HE QMK is a way more subdued affair. You’ll nonetheless get a management dial and customisable actuation factors, however in a extra mature look. It additionally options hot-swappable switches with magnetic activation, a gasket mount design and a button to alternate between macOS and Home windows layouts. It’s priced at $219/£193.
Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if…
- You’re in search of premium touches in a keyboard
- You’re after professional-grade gaming options
- You need to rapidly customise your keyboard with out utilizing software program
You shouldn’t purchase this if…
- You’re on a good price range
- You like to arrange your keyboard’s options utilizing a companion app
- You need clicky, tactile mechanical key switches
Razer Huntsman V3 Professional Tenkeyless: Verdict
A very strong keyboard with some glorious high-end gaming options and loads of on-board customisation. it’s principally simply the value and lack of macOS assist for the Synapse app that’s holding it again.