Experience BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% - Razer's full-featured custom mechanical keyboard

BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is Razer's most advanced mechanical keyboard version to date. Even though it was released in 2024, it wasn't until recently that I had the chance to use it. I am using the cheaper version, BlackWidow V4 75% non-Pro, so I can compare so you guys know the difference between these two versions and if you like to play Razer products, which version should you choose.

Design of BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%

BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% as well as the BlackWidow V4 series have the same design style, regardless of whether the 75% version is not Pro, has Pro or TKL, Full-Size. The key structure still includes a 5052 aluminum upper frame, hard plastic cover and bottom, but is more carefully cared for than the previous generation.

Compared to the V4 75% non-Pro, the V4 Pro 75% has almost the same size and the same layout (75%). However, the Pro version is a bit longer to add an OLED screen - an equipment that is still a trend on mechanical keyboards. The weight of BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is nearly 1 kg. If you like to carry it with you, it's still okay, but with the 75% layout, I find it more common to keep it in one place. The mobility of layouts 60 or 65 - 68% is still higher than 75%.

The keycap of the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% uses double-shot PBT plastic, the characters are sharply engraved and have good LED penetration. The keycap's tactile feel is quite pleasant to the hand and will not become shiny over time like the ABS keycaps on previous generation Razer keys. The 75% layout of BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% also does not have special keys, Space is still the standard 6.25U, the row of navigation keys located on the right edge is also in the familiar rows from R1 to R4 so playing keycap on this keyboard is very comfortable. There is one point that I think BlackWidow V4 Pro does 75% better than the non-Pro version, which is that the navigation key cluster is made more separate, making it easier to press without looking.

BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is equipped with customizable Chroma RGB backlighting on each key and has 2 additional sidelight strips that shine beautifully on the table surface. This light strip has 9 LED bulbs that can be customized individually in Chroma Studio. However, the bad thing is that we cannot quickly turn off these two light strips in Synapse, by default it will have the same brightness and effect as the key backlight. So to turn it off completely, we have to go into Chroma Studio and set a specific area to turn it off, which is a bit laborious.

The bottom of the BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% made of hard plastic but it is very thick and sturdy. In the V4 line, Razer has integrated the customization trend with equipment to increase the typing and sound experience such as:

So you can see that customizing this keyboard the way you want is not too difficult. In addition to replacing the switch and keycap, you can replace the stab, tape-mod, maybe even the foam because the layout is not too special.

The bottom of the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% has thick rubber feet and 2 kickstands for tilt angles of 6 and 9 degrees.

Similar to the non-Pro version, the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% comes with a faux leather wrist rest. Place the magnetic armrest against the front edge of the keyboard, drop it in and it will stick. The experience of using this armrest is that I consider it to be comfortable but quite hot if the room is not air-conditioned.

The OLED screen and Command Dial are great

The selling point on the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is still the 2" OLED screen, average definition, only black and white but supports very diverse customization. In Synapse 4 software, we can choose animations (GIFs), still images, banners, emote icons with dozens of available options or make our own. In addition, the OLED screen can also be used to display functions such as system information (CPU temperature, GPU, laptop battery), currently playing media information and keyboard information (profile, connection, macros, keyboard battery).

OLED screen brightness, display time and brightness reduction time can also be customized to optimize the keyboard's battery life.

Next to the OLED screen is a roller and a special button, and in my experience, these two components make the OLED screen more useful, as well as creating an interface that allows adjusting many things without having to remember key combinations, just press and rotate very intuitively.

Default typing feel and sound

BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% has only one default switch option, Razer Orange Gen-3 - a tactile switch specially equipped by Razer for hot-swap versions of BlackWidow V4 such as BlackWidow V4 TKL, BlackWidow V4 Mini (only sold in the Chinese market), BlackWidow V4 75% and V4 Pro 75%.

The characteristic of this switch line is that it has a box stem design to reduce swaying when pressed and has very clear tactile feedback. Razer Orange is the biggest improvement since Razer Orange Gen-2. The travel of the Razer Orange Gen-3 is at 3.5 mm, 0.5 mm shorter than the Gen-2, the trigger point is at 2 mm and the trigger force is 50g. These parameters show that the Razer Orange Gen-3 is designed to balance the needs of gaming and typing. The slightly heavy feeling of force at the fingertips and feedback will make those who like to type feel satisfied, and the average trigger point and short travel will meet the needs of gaming.

The typing feeling of the Razer Orange Gen-3 is quite special compared to other tactile switches I have used. The key responds early, the stem moves smoother and less rough than Razer's old switches. In addition, although Razer says the activation force is 50g, in reality the typing feeling is quite light, it is only equivalent to about 40 - 45g. Fingers don't need to apply much force, even clicking quickly will stick and you will feel confident pressing thanks to the early feedback. The sound of Razer Orange Gen-3 is creamy, low pitch. For me, Razer made the Orange Gen-3 very well and is one of the tactile switches I am most satisfied with for typing and gaming needs.

However, what Razer does not do well on the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is the stab set. Even though I invested in a screwdriver and lube with Krytox GPL 205g0, the stem did not have a lube. Therefore, the feeling of pressing on the space keys and the rough sound are very clear. The balance is not good, the echo still sounds a bit boring. I consider the quality of this stab set to be similar to the BlackWidow V4 TKL or V4 version, 75% non-Pro even though it is a screw-in stab. To make the sound better, we can grease it and straighten the balance bar or invest in a good stab set.

4K connection speed and battery life

Another feature that makes BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% worthy of the title Pro is that it supports polling rate up to 4K Hz Ultrapolling. This was one of the first keyboards to support this speed when it launched. Therefore, BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% uses a large 2.4 GHz HyperSpeed ​​dongle similar to Razer's 4K mice or headsets. However, I usually do not use 4K speed but only use 1000 Hz - fast enough and saves more battery.

To simplify the connection, I bought a USB-C to A adapter to avoid having to use wires. You can see that the 4K dongle of the BlackWidow V4 Pro is 75% as big as the dongle of the BlackShark V3 Pro headset. The small light on the dongle can be set to show connection status or battery indicator by color, which is very convenient.

In addition to the 2.4 GHz HyperSpeed ​​connection, BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% also supports Bluetooth 5.1 connection, supporting 3 devices that can be paired and switched quickly with the Fn + 1, 2 and 3 combination. I like the way Razer made this button, very neat and easy to find. In actual use, I measured the BlackWidow V4 Pro's 4200 mAh battery at 75%, which can last about 40 hours with the Chroma RGB light setting turned on (25% brightness), OLED screen turned on (25% brightness), polling rate 1000 Hz via 2.4 GHz HyperSpeed ​​connection. If Power Saving mode is turned on, RGB lights are off, OLED is off, the battery life can reach 2100 hours as announced by Razer. BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% has a fairly fast charging speed, can go from 30% to 90% within 1 hour.

Who is BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% for?

In fact, with a price of over 6 million, BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is quite expensive, a bit difficult to play and can only be used by die-hard Razer fans. As I am using the non-Pro version, it has almost the same build quality, the same customization capabilities as the Pro version, just without the wireless connection and without the OLED screen. The price of the non-Pro version is about 3 million, so it is still a pleasant choice for those who love the BlackWidow line and like customization. The Pro version will be for die-hard Razer fans who like technology and like a wireless keyboard with an OLED screen that is not just for decoration but is truly versatile so it can be used for many situations and applications.