There’s a lot that can be said about modern keyboards thanks to the long lists of features manufacturers are able to fit in these days. Ergonomic comfort is something that will always remain important, though. That’s a focus of the Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro RGB gaming keyboard, which is of a rare low-profile design.
This thing is seriously thin, coming in at just 21mm at the front and 26.6mm at the rear. For context, the 2021 Corsair K70 TKL Champion Series I’m typing on is 33mm tall at the front; the low-profile Logitech G915 is 22mm. The point of it all is to improve ergonomics over long use sessions by reducing the tilt angle of your wrists to produce less strain and fatigue. As a writer and someone who spends a lot of time at a keyboard, the importance of ergonomic comfort can’t be understated.
Responsive like the name suggests
There’s more to this board than just ergonomics. A gaming keyboard has to perform, and Razer claims the Deathstalker V2 Pro does that handily. The specs outline optical switches, which use light to mitigate debounce and improve response times. The actuation points, which applies to how far the switch travels before registering input, is 1.2mm on the linear and 1.5mm for the clicky style. For context, that’s very competitive with other… well, competitive keyboards.
Moving on to the wireless capability, Razer advertises multiple connectivity options. You can operate it via the 2.4 GHz band, Bluetooth, or via USB Type-C wired mode while charging. Razer doesn’t explicitly state the device polling rates (response rate of the system checking for input).
Plenty more packed in
You can also expect all the goodies that come along with enthusiast gaming keyboards. This includes anti-ghosting/N-key rollover to avoid missed keystrokes, onboard memory profiles for saving settings meant for different types of games, media controls, a volume wheel, and supporting software for the individually addressable RGB, macros, etc.
A few other things we like about the Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro include the function controls which let you do additional things like alter the RGB on the fly. You can also get a reading for the remaining battery life (which is rated up to 40 hours) via an LED status light. Razer placed some profile buttons on the top of the board so you can easily switch without the need for going into the software interface. Finally, we noted the board comes with an aluminum frame.
Observing and reporting
There are a few potential points of concern, which we do want to point out since this is marketed as an enthusiast board. The keycaps are just ABS, which means the surface can be prone to wear. Razer claims a special coating helps alleviate this, but PBT keycaps are typically what you want.
We also noted that despite this board being marketed as ergonomic, it oddly doesn’t come with a wrist rest. That’s definitely something you’d want to have, which means added cost if you don’t already own one.
(Image credit: Razer).
This leads us to the matter of pricing. The Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro is not a cheap keyboard at $249.99 USD. However, it’s important to understand that this product caters to a niche audience, which means higher costs to the manufacturer. This perhaps explains the several shortcomings we noted.
Coincidentally, the Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro comes in at the same price as the Logitech G915, which is also a low-profile keyboard. It’ll be interesting to see if these types of boards come back into popularity, or if this design sticks around for a number of years to serve its audience. Should it prove successful enough, perhaps we’ll see more variations such as TKL and 60% form factors.
You can find more information at the Deathstalker V2 Pro product page on Razer’s website.
