The Razer Huntsman Elite is a good keyboard with novel optical switches that have the potential to be something special.

Novel hybrid switches; Robust lighting options; Great performance; Smart design

High price; Inconsistent software

A really nice keyboard for gamers and typists.

The opto-mechanical key switches are simply lovely

It looks like a nerdy greasy gamer keyboard

Razer has unveiled a new premium line of gaming keyboards today, which the company has dubbed the Razer Huntsman. The line offers two Huntsman keyboards: one fully-featured Razer Huntsman Elite keyboard with dedicated media keys, wrist rest, and underglow lighting, and a performance-focused Razer...

The office may hate me, but Razer's new Huntsman Elite keyboard feels so good to type on I'm willing to suffer the glares for all the noise I'm making. It feels a little silly saying that what with me having expensive keyboard collecting habit.

The opto-mechanical key switches are simply lovely

It looks like a nerdy greasy gamer keyboard

While Corsair, at the moment, owns our gaming keyboard throne with its killer K95 Platinum, Razer aims to usurp it with an all-new flagship keyboard, the Huntsman Elite ($199.99). To that end, Razer has deployed a new kind of key switch that uses optical light technology. The company claims it will improve durability, and it allows for a key feel that is both light and clicky. What's more, the Razer Huntsman Elite introduces dedicated media keys, a volume dial, and onboard memory for settings and profiles to a Razer keyboard for the first time. It's a solid effort, but it lacks a handful of features that were already present in more affordable Razer keyboards before it. We'd call this strike at the king brave, but a near miss. Everything But the Macro Keys Last year, the 3.31-pound Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 impressed us with its minimalist design, per-key RGB backlighting, and dedicated macro keys. The Huntsman Elite takes some of these ideas and stuffs them inside a meatier, 3.8...

With a new kind of key switch, plus wild RGB backlighting, dedicated media keys, and a volume dial, Razer's Huntsman Elite gaming keyboard offers plenty, but for the price, it's missing a few bits some gamers will deem crucial.

Fast, tactile switches with light touch; Per-key RGB backlighting and underglow; Dedicated media keys and volume dial; Onboard memory for profiles and settings; Magnetic leatherette wrist rest

Expensive; Only one switch type; No dedicated macro keys

As the newest addition to Razer's keyboard lineup, the Razer Huntsman Elite aims to bring a new height to performance mechanical gaming keyboards. But unlike all of Razer's keyboards before it, it's equipped with something special: a brand new opto-mechanical switch.

Razer has been a longtime champion of its own mechanical switches – seen in everything from desktop keyboards to laptops and even iPad covers – but the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite introduces the company's first Optomechanical switch.

Fastest key actuation ever; Tactile and audible key switch clicks; Nearly perfect keyboard layout

Requires two USB ports for power; Sharp edges on palm rest; Whiplash-inducing price

Razer is the gaming peripheral lifestyle brand. While most of the company's devices can feel just the wrong side of edgy, I have a lot of love for the sat on my desk – a solid keyboard that pairs functionality with style and decent build quality.

Great mechanical action for both typing and gaming, Comfortable wrist-rest, Easy to clean, So many lights; So; Many; Lights

No USB passthrough; No macros; Requires two USB ports

Great mechanical action for both typing and gaming; Comfortable wrist-rest; Easy to clean; So many lights. So. Many. Lights.;

No USB passthrough; No macros; Requires two USB ports;

It's hard to imagine a better time to be in the market for a gaming keyboard than now. We're at the tail-end of both the ‘make-it-RGB' and ‘make-it-mechanical' trends, with consumers poised to reap the benefits.

Top-notch design and build quality; Opto-mechanical switches are hyper-tactile

Expensive; Key innovations aren't quite a game-changer