Razer’s new BlackWidow V4 Low-profile is (technically) its first low-profile mechanical keyboard
This is the company’s first keyboard to feature more conventional low-profile mechanical switches, rather than optical ones.
Razer has dabbled with low-profile keyboards before, though with an asterisk; they mainly came with the company’s low-profile optical switches (see the DeathStalker V2 Pro), rather than mechanical ones based on Razer’s older green, orange and yellow switches.
One can only speculate why optical switches got the low-profile treatment first, perhaps due to the lack of contact leaves to cram into a shrunken switch assembly. But that’s no longer the case now, as Razer has released the BlackWidow V4 Low-profile HyperSpeed, which features low-profile mechanical switches and comes in full size and TKL sizes.
The keyboard comes in both full-size and TKL sizes, and supports Razer Synapse 4. Image: Razer.
Touching on the keyboard first, some of the quality-of-life features include a multi-function roller, seven dedicated buttons with uses ranging from media controls to an AI prompt hotkey, and four macro buttons. Razer also touts up to 980 hours of battery life on a single charge, though that’s only if you set it to Power Saving Mode, which turns off RGB, Synapse connectivity and lowers the polling rate. Speaking of which, polling rate on the low-profile BlackWidow V4 maxes out at 1000Hz.
It’d be remiss not to mention some of Razer’s proprietary tech that’s on here. That includes HyperSpeed, a 2.4GHz connection that touts multi-device support over the same dongle and improved latency compared to ordinary USB wireless connectors, and Snap Tap, which prioritises the last input between two keys, regardless whether the first key has been released.
As for its low-profile credentials, the BlackWidow V4 Low-profile has a front height of 18.5mm, though the back is raised slightly thanks to the keyboard’s feet. Underneath the keycaps, Razer’s new low-profile mechanical switches have travel reduced to 2.8mm, the same as its low-profile optical switches.
The board isn’t hotswappable, unfortunately, but it does feature Razer’s new low-profile mechanical switches. It also uses low-profile doubleshot PBT keycaps. Image: Razer.
The switches also have some key specifications altered. The actuation point now sits at 1.2mm for the clicky greens and linear yellows, and 1.6mm for the tactile oranges. The weighting has also been slightly reduced across the three low-profile switches, with the green and orange switches having an actuation point of 45g, while the yellow switch sits at 40g.
Finally, the switch design features a rounded wall and a cross stem, bearing some resemblance to Cherry’s own low-profile switches (though Razer touts a modified cross stem design for better RGB illumination).
Pricing and Availability
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Low-profile HyperSpeed is available now at Razer’s website, RazerStores and select retailers. The full-size version goes for S$299, while the TKL version will go for S$259.