Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Review: A True Professional Gaming Keyboard
Gaming or working, the Huntsman V3 Pro looks good and performs even better.
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro lives up to its name with a plethora of options to make the most out of any esports game, including adjustable actuations and detectable press distances. However, in my time with the keyboard, I found that “Pro” just as easily applies in a professional setting, with fantastic in-office quality of life features as well as an aesthetic that blends in well with any office while still looking great.
Setting the Huntsman Pro up to game, it’s immediately clear the main focus is performance. Every element of its design seems honed for gaming performance, shaving away a lot of extraneous features and buttons for a sleek, streamlined keyboard while adding a lot of under-the-hood customizability.
But before digging too far into the options, I jumped into a quick game of Helldivers 2 to get a feel for what the default Huntsman settings have to offer. While I can’t say that it kept me from being killed by my allies’ cluster bombs, I can say the Huntsman felt great to game on. The keys were snappy and responsive with enough resistance that I could comfortably rest my hands on them without accidentally hucking a grenade at my friends.
The biggest, most noticeable difference from its sibling — the ever-popular Blackwidow — is the inclusion of optical switches over traditional mechanical switches. The benefit of this change is three-fold. Not only do optical switches have fewer moving parts, which means less bits that could wear out, it also allows for Adjustable Actuation and Rapid Trigger mode.
Actuation is the point at which a keypress is registered. A high actuation point means you’ll only need to press the key a little bit, while deeper actuation points might mean you have to fully press the key before it’s registered as a keypress. You probably already have a preference, but that preference may vary based on what you’re currently playing. Maybe you like your FPS games to have a deeper actuation, while your MOBAs play better with lower actuation. That is where adjustable actuation comes into play.
Adjustable actuation allows you to choose the exact point at which the keyboard actuates, so you can dial into the exact depth you want. However, you’re not locked in to an actuation point once you’ve set it. With a quick FN + Tab, you can quickly adjust the actuation point using the digital dial or arrow keys. There’s even a fantastic, subtle LED display above the arrow keys to show exactly where the actuation point is. And once you’re ready, hit Esc and the settings will be saved to the keyboard.
I fiddled with this a bit while spreading liberty and freedom across the galaxy and really liked that I could quickly correct when I set the actuation too high or low for my tastes. I found I much prefer deeper actuation points, but if you’re playing something like Counter Strike that requires lightning-fast reactions, raising that actuation point can certainly give you an edge.
Rapid Trigger uses the optical switch sensors to read how far a key is pressed. Traditional keyboards only see keys as “on” or “off.” With Rapid Trigger, your keypresses are a bit more like that of a controller. While there aren’t as many uses for Rapid Trigger mode in Helldivers 2 beyond walking a bit slower, it can really shine in driving games like the Forza series. With a controller, you can fluctuate how fast you’re going by pressing harder or lighter on the trigger. With a traditional keyboard, your options are “go” or “no go.” Rapid Trigger mode allows you to use your keyboard to find the inbetweens when you might want to go, but only a little bit.
Put all of this together and you’ve got a keyboard that does exactly what you want it to do, no matter what you’re playing or working on. Not only is the Huntsman Pro a monster when it comes to gaming, but it’s just as versatile in the office thanks to three buttons, pre-programmed with productivity in mind; a unique feature compared to a lot of gaming keyboards.
If you’ve been looking for a feature-filled keyboard that won’t have all your coworkers gawking, the Huntsman Pro is a great choice. The minimalist, sleek, aluminum-plated design allows it to blend in with traditional office keyboards, though closer inspection will immediately give away that it is far nicer.
It also doesn’t have the audible “click” of a mechanical keyboard, so your office neighbors won’t be side-eyeing you all day. Plus, the three programmable macro buttons and digital dial are already set up for work with quick access to volume and media controls as well as Windows task view, so you can quickly swap between tasks. Or pretend that you’ve been working all day and not killing bugs when your boss walks by.
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is available at Micro Center now in three sizes. The $249.99 full version features a number pad as well as a f-key row. The $219.99 tenkeyless matches the ditches the number pad for a more compact experience. The $179.99 mini strips it down the bare minimum, removing the number pad, f-key row, as well as the media control dial.
