Razer BlackWidow X Chroma Review — Style at a Cost

Our Verdict

The Razer BlackWidow X Chroma has responsive mechanical switches, great software and solid performance, but its unique design can make typing a challenge.

For

New design looks awesome
Decent mechanical switches
Beautiful RGB lighting

Confronting

Appearance interferes with typing
No USB pass-through
Basically, merely another BlackWidow

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Razer BlackWidow X Blush has responsive mechanical switches, great software and solid functioning, only its unique design can make typing a challenge.

Pros

+
New design looks awesome
+
Decent mechanical switches
+
Beautiful RGB lighting

Cons

-
Advent interferes with typing
-
No USB pass-through
-
Basically, just some other BlackWidow

With its mice and keyboards, Razer tends to refine rather than redesign. The BlackWidow X Chroma ($160) is a perfect example of this strategy in activity, as it'southward essentially just the BlackWidow Blush keyboard, only with a redesigned metallic faceplate. The keyboard's strengths are however present: decent mechanical switches, bully software and solid performance. Its unique design can get in the manner of typing, though, and while information technology knocks $10 off the asking price, the X doesn't add much beyond aesthetics.

Design

If you're familiar with the BlackWidow line of keyboards, the X is but a variation on it. Like the standard BlackWidow line, the X comes in your choice of full-size, tenkeyless or total-size plus a row of macro keys. (Nosotros reviewed the total-size model, no macro keys.) Where information technology differs from the more traditional peripheral is in its face plate.

While BlackWidow keyboards have, up until at present, used a plastic plate that hid the lower half of the keycaps, the X takes a much more stripped-down approach. The faceplate is fabricated of metal, with an extremely low contour. Yous can see every keycap and the root of the switch underneath, like row upon row of shark teeth. Information technology's a cool look that'due south non too aggressive or obnoxious. The BlackWidow 10 Blush has a very industrial, art deco feel to information technology, and I'll accept a distinctive pattern over a dull one any day.

More than: All-time Gaming Keyboards

In terms of size and weight, it's the same as the regular BlackWidow Chroma: 17.6 10 7.v inches and about 3 pounds. As full-size keyboards become, information technology's neither huge nor meaty. Similar other Razer keyboards, information technology has no born wrist rest, which helps save infinite, but doesn't offer much wrist support.

Keys

Like other BlackWidow keyboards, the Ten Chroma gives you a choice between clackety Razer Green and serenity Razer Orange switches. We reviewed the Light-green model, and found the keys pleasantly responsive and noisy, as ever. They don't quite measure up to industry-standard Cherry MX switches, merely Razer does have some promising news on that front end. Within the next few months, Razer volition start to offer BlackWidow keyboards with Cherry MX Blue switches. If you dig the BlackWidow's general design merely wish it had slightly ameliorate keys, yous'll just need to hold off for a scrap.

While the BlackWidow X Chroma is impressive from a blueprint perspective, its distinctive fashion can be a double-edged sword. The deeper keycaps mean at that place's more of a gulf between keys. The metallic faceplate means that the keyboard sits heavily on a desk, and often feels cold to the bear upon.

More than: Why Y'all Want a Mechanical Keyboard

Typing is not equally comfortable every bit I'thousand accepted to, and it showed. On a standard Dell role keyboard, I scored an adapted 113 words per infinitesimal, while on the Razer BlackWidow X Chroma, I scored 108, fifty-fifty afterward a few attempts to assist me adjust. While the keys were incredibly responsive, it also seemed a little easier to hitting an adjacent cardinal past blow, since the faceplate was too deep to stop my finger from accidentally tapping 2 keys.

The performance was fantastic across the board, as I've come to expect from Razer products.

Given some fourth dimension with the BlackWidow X, I'one thousand sure I could conform to its quirks. Only for experienced touch typists, prepare for a few hurdles thrown your way.

Features

The BlackWidow Ten Chroma eschews the USB pass-through from the standard BlackWidow models, only beyond that, it has everything y'all'd await from a full-size keyboard. The Ultimate variation has 5 extra macro keys, while the Tournament edition is tenkeyless. Beyond that, in that location's full RGB illumination, at to the lowest degree in the Chroma version — other variations possess just one color, or no lighting at all.

Speaking for the Chroma, at least, the backlighting is beautiful. Razer's Blush devices offering 16.8 million colors, and they look particularly rich without the plastic faceplate to become in the mode. The metal plate reflects the colors and gives them a deep, vibrant appearance. Changing them, and adding fun furnishings like rainbow waves and rotating colors, is also quite simple using the Razer Synapse ii.0 software.

You tin run across every keycap and the root of the switch underneath, like row upon row of shark teeth.

The Razer Synapse 2.0 has consistently been one of the best gaming peripheral software packages on the market place, and it's still riding high. The plan makes information technology very easy to programme macros, alter lighting or reprogram whatever one of the keys to whatsoever keyboard or mouse function you desire. You tin besides create unique profiles for each game (great for changing colors on a game-by-game basis), or activate and conciliate a "game fashion" to disable Alt-Tab and other interruptions.

More than: Best Gaming Mice

The software is both competent and comprehensive, and if yous buy a Blush model, you're sure to run into some gorgeous illumination, too.

Performance

I put the BlackWidow X Chroma through its paces with Star Wars: Battlefront, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, Ascension of the Tomb Raider and Star Wars: The Old Democracy. The functioning was fantastic across the board, as I've come to await from Razer products.

As an all-purpose keyboard, the BlackWidow X Blush didn't favor any detail genre. (Those who purchase the Ultimate might have a scrap of an easier time with massively multiplayer online games, thanks to the actress macro keys.) Guiding Lara Croft up a perilous mount was just as much fun as gunning down Snowtroopers or exploring an abandoned Protoss temple. No affair what I did, the keys were responsive and piece of cake to reach.

While the keys were incredibly responsive, it also seemed a piddling easier to striking an adjacent primal by accident.

Given that Razer's mechanical switches are both durable and comfortable, it's hard to think of a gaming genre that wouldn't benefit from them. The BlackWidow X Chroma is about on a par with any other mechanical gaming keyboard, but miles and miles ahead of a membrane model.

Lesser Line

The BlackWidow X Chroma is 1 of the coolest-looking keyboards I've reviewed. It'due south as well intuitive and a little cheaper than its standard counterpart, only what you gain in savings, y'all may lose in typing proficiency. I found that the low-profile metallic blueprint impeded my typing, and didn't feel as comfortable equally the admittedly less attractive plastic plate. Nonetheless, it's difficult to debate with responsive switches, gorgeous backlighting and fantastic functioning. The BlackWidow 10 Chroma is worth a gander from any PC gamer looking for a new keyboard, but bear in mind that it'due south an optional variant, not an evolutionary step.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site'southward coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of scientific discipline and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.