Razer Ornata v2 Gaming Keyboard Review – All About the Stroke

Razer, with its slogan, “For Gamers. By Gamers.”, has been on the forefront of gaming peripherals for many years. Having produced their fair share of gaming keyboards for fans to enjoy, its latest release is the Razer Ornata v2 Gaming Keyboard.

Gaming Keyboards

There has been plenty of discussion and debate around the possibility of whether gaming keyboards do, in fact, improve gaming performances. Heck, we’ve even covered the topic here on FOS. While it’s easy to laugh it off as trivial and the gaming elites taunting any over-the-top gaming setup while your skills are still fantastically subpar.

But can a keyboard really improve your overall performance or, at the very least, look cool while you’re having it handed to your during your online competitive gaming?

The Razer Ornata v2 is labelled as a hybrid keyboard, offering gaming features and dedicated media keys to bring you the best of both worlds.

That said, the Razer Ornata v2 has another trick up its sleeve to tag on the hybrid moniker – it offers a mix of both membrane and mechanical keys into a single design. This means that, for gamers, you have the super-fast response and natural click of the keys to keep you clicking away at your peak while gaming. And for those who prefer the cushioned feel of the conventional keyboard, allowing you to glide through sentences, you have this option too.

Razer calls this their “mecha-membrane” key switches. And while I may not agree on the naming convention, the end result is more than complimentary to the cause. The hybrid switch is made of the standard soft membrane, with the addition of the mechanical switch to bring it all together.

Beyond the technology underneath the keys, there’s more to write about what’s on the surface.

The media keys are positioned on the top right-hand side of the layout, complete with a volume roller. This makes it easier to increase and decrease the volume on the fly while gaming so as not to take your attention or vital seconds away from the heat of the battle.

Each of the keys, media or otherwise, are fully customisable. Remapping of keys allows gamers to create shortcuts, even combinations with just a single click. This can also be customised between different setups, which you can switch to in an instant. Even the volume roller can be customised to your liking, whether it’s roll up, roll down, or clicking.

The LED lighting underneath the keys look good as always on a Razer device. The configuration of the layout is great. There’s little unused space on the keyboard, with a tight design of the keys. That said, it isn’t uncomfortably squashed as many laptop configurations.

This even extends to underneath the unit as well.

The Razer Ornata v2 has a neat cable routing management system, which allows you to route and position the cable to a desired exit on the rear so users don’t have to manoeuvre around other devices or objects on your desktop.

The Razer Ornata v2 also includes a very large, detachable palm (wrist) rest. It attaches to the keyboard via a magnetic connection to make it easy to snap in and out of place. The rest is adequately padded and covered in a premium-looking, but faux leather finish.

The Razer Ornata v2 is a great keyboard.

Whether it improved my gaming skills is still debatable, but what it does do is make the experience all the more satisfying, easier to operate and relaxing thanks to the hybrid keys.

The biggest issue for the unit, as least in South African terms, comes in the form of the price. At an RRP of R2,499, it’s right up there with other gaming equipment to upgrade your PC.

But, with a full set of features, colours and the likes, you won’t be disappointed with the purchase.