If you aren’t a fan of RGB lighting then it can all be turned off, but I happen to love me some pretty lights and I reckon it looks awesome. They’ve gone with an underglow design here, meaning the key caps aren’t flush with the frame so that the RGB lighting can flow out, giving the impression that the keys are floating on an ocean of colour. Their dedication to that mantra is immediately evident when the BlackWidow V4 Pro is plugged in, every key suddenly bursting with light. Razer is known for subscribing to the theory that more lights equal more performance. But from what I can tell, Razer did opt for doubleshot keycaps, meaning there are two layers of bonded plastic on the top which is typically quite durable. PBT is much thicker and much more durable. Simply put, ABS plastic tends to wear away slowly, leaving your most used keys with a shiny, glossy look and might even result in the legends being worn away. That niggle I mentioned? Well, it’s that Razer went for ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) keycaps rather than the more durable PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate) found on a lot of other premium keyboards. There’s no flex when you’re typing or even when you push down on the keyboard, and the two different heights of feet on the rear don’t feel like they are going to snap off. The chassis is made from an aluminium backplate to give it strength, bringing the weight to about 1.5 KG. The good news is that apart from one or two small niggles the BlackWidow V4 Pro is sturdy and feels premium. With such a high price tag it’s only right to expect good build quality, especially from a big name like Razer. That’s only a few more centimetres yet it’s surprising just how much more chunky it makes the whole thing look and feel. For comparison, a typical keyboard will be approximately 43cm by 15cm, whereas the BlackWidow measures 46.6cm by 15.27, not counting the wrist rest. It’s even bigger than a regular keyboard. The difference in size is like Godzilla staring down at shocked Iguana, and I spent the first while with the BlackWidow getting used to having my mouse all the way over there when I was typing.

I’ve been using my trusty BlackWidow Lite, a small tenkeyless board that suited me perfectly since I don’t have a use for NUMpad. Having to use two slots on the computer is a bit of a bummer, but that’s the reality of passthrough ports – one to cable to power the keyboard itself, and the second to power the passthrough.ĭropping the BlackWidow onto my desk, alongside my Basilisk V3 mouse, my initial impressions were size.

The second one is simply to enable the passthrough function of the BlackWidow’s third USB port, handy for plugging in drives or charging devices. Two come in the box, both USB-C to USB-A, but only one is needed to use the keyboard. Interestingly, Razer has ditched the wireless capabilities of the BlackWidow V3 completely, going back to good old USB cables to power the whole thing.

But all the bells and whistles equal a hefty price of around £230, which makes my bank card quiver in fear and my heart skip a beat or ten. It’s peppered with macro keys, has great mechanical switches and comes with a super comfy wrist rest. It’s a mechanical keyboard that dominates your desk thanks to it being slightly larger than a regular full-sized board and being adorned with enough lights to confuse a UFO into thinking it’s a friend. Razer’s approach to designing the BlackWidow V4 Pro was to throw everything at it, a fitting plan for anything with the word ‘Pro’ in its name.

Black widow shift knob