Razer has dropped its BlackWidow V4 75% into a translucent green shell for Xbox’s 25th anniversary, at US$209.99, with pre-orders open and shipping from 20 October.
Quick specs:
- 75% layout with function row and arrow keys, ABS plastic top case in see-through green
- pre-loaded Razer Orange Tactile Mechanical Switches Gen-3, hot-swap sockets for 3 or 5 pin switches
- translucent ABS keycaps, per-key Chroma RGB plus underglow strips on both sides
- detachable USB-C cable, wired only, no passthrough
- media roller with 2 media buttons, onboard storage for 5 profiles, magnetic plush leatherette wrist rest
- up to 8,000 Hz polling rate, Snap Tap, US$209.99, ships from 20 October
What is actually different
The right Ctrl key is gone, replaced by an Xbox key that opens the Xbox Game Bar, normally Windows and G. The up arrow and the three keys below it carry the controller palette in yellow-orange, blue, green and red, the spacebar reads XBOX25, and the wrist rest carries both logos.
The catch
The shell is the story, and part of it is a step down. Razer’s own spec sheet lists an ABS plastic top case and translucent ABS keycaps here, where the black board at US$189.99 gets a 5052 aluminium alloy top case and doubleshot ABS caps. The US$20 buys a colourway and one remapped key.
The 8,000 Hz figure is Razer’s own, appears on the standard board too, and no independent measurement turned up; the polling rate guide covers what it changes in practice. The other two pieces, the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K and the Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed, are the same hardware in the same green.
Is losing right Ctrl for an Xbox button a fair trade, or should Razer have left the aluminium alone?