From the different switch types to features like RGB lighting, there are many things you want to consider when buying a mechanical keyboard. It's why in my many years of reviewing peripherals, I've found Razer's products to be the most versatile for a gamer's needs. There's the speedy and well-performing Huntsman lineup for esports professionals or the DeathStalker for those who want a low-profile slim gaming keyboard.

But if you want the most customization possible, that's where the BlackWidow comes in. Razer has started off 2023 with the BlackWidow V4 Pro, which is now one of my favorites to use with my laptop. It's one of the company's most customizable keyboards yet, rich in gaming features like the padded RGB-lit magnetic wrist rest and responsive linear switches, but also great for productivity thanks to the new macro keys and the Razer Command Dial.

All of this comes together in a great design that makes this worth the $230 price. However, it's quite a hefty, wired keyboard, and the magnetic wrist rest sometimes fails to stay connected properly during intense gaming sessions.

About this review: Razer supplied us with the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro for review and had no input on the content of this article.

Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro: Price and availability

• The keyboard costs $230
• It's only available at Razer at the time of this writing

You can buy the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro right now at Razer.com. It costs $230 and is available worldwide. This price is the same as the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro.

Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro: What's in the box?

• This is a wired keyboard, so you get two detachable USB-A to USB-C cables included in the box
• Only one of the cables is required for connectivity
• The other cable is for USB passthrough for an accessory

I don't usually start reviews by talking about the box, but since this is a wired gaming keyboard with some unique features I want to quickly mention it. In the box, you'll get the keyboard itself, the magnetic wrist rest, and two USB-A to USB-C cables. You also get a pamphlet with more information about how to set up and use the keyboard.

The second cable is included because this keyboard supports USB passthrough, allowing you to connect a low-voltage USB 2.0 accessory like a microphone or mouse through a USB-A port. Only one cable is needed for connecting the keyboard to your PC and both ports are clearly marked.

It's a bummer that this isn't a wireless keyboard, as it'd be great to free up the mess of cables on my desk, but I presume the battery life would be poor with all the lighting effects and function keys and dials. Plus, with wired keyboards, you get less latency for gaming.

Design: A hefty keyboard with an included magnetic wrist rest

• When it's turned off, the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro looks like your typical gaming keyboard
• The keyboard has a 5052 Aluminum Alloy top case, so it's hefty
• There's an included magnetic wrist rest that is great for long gaming sessions

After I set the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro onto my desk before plugging it into my PC, I wasn't immediately struck by how it looked. A lot of gaming keyboards look similar, with an all-black colorway and all-black keycaps. It's the RGB that's really impressive, as well as the macro keys and Razer Command Dial.

What did surprise me was the weight, although it makes sense this is a full-sized, feature-rich keyboard. Razer didn't provide me with official dimensions, but I found it comes in at 3 pounds and 7 ounces with the magnetic wrist rest and 2 pounds and 9 ounces without it. It's also quite wide, measuring 18 inches wide with the magnetic wrist rest attached.

The top casing is also made of 5052 Aluminum Alloy, so it adds extra weight to ensure the keyboard doesn't slide around on a desk. There's also the dual kickstand on the bottom, which can pop up to two different angles. However, this all makes the keyboard feel premium.

Aluminum is always appreciated in a gaming keyboard. It's cool to the touch and feels nice on your hands when in a long gaming session. The underside is all plastic, though, which isn't too surprising. Razer is using PCB foam and a bottom case foam to help with the acoustics.

The Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro is a hefty keyboard that you'll know is premium

In other areas of design, there's the detachable magnetic wrist rest. While I definitely appreciated this for making long-term sessions in CS:GO less painful for my wrists, it was also slightly annoying, feeling like it reacted to any harsh movements. It's nice to have, and the RGB lighting adds a cool effect, but I found myself using the keyboard without it most of the time.

Features: So much customization

• The highlight features are the Razer Command Dial and macro keys
• You can custom map functions to the Command Dial
• You can also custom map the function keys to the left of the keyboard

The top reason you'd want to buy the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro is for the two new features it brings over the previous model — the Razer Command Dial and the eight dedicated macro keys. These are amazing to use when it comes to playing PC games on Windows, and also for general productivity in apps like Photoshop.

The Razer Command Dial is a custom, notched aluminum dial at the top left side of the keyboard (there are 30 notches). It's reminiscent of the dial on the Logitech Craft, but a lot smaller and taller and with RGB effects that let you know which mode it's in. The dial has eight default modes built-in with the first four being active out of the box. You'll need the Razer Synapse software active to use the other four functions, which you'll be prompted to download as soon as you plug in the keyboard.

A twist of the dial can accomplish tasks like changing the keyboard brightness, zooming in on the screen, switching applications, or tracking jogging. You can press down on the dial to switch between these functions, and you'll get a visual LED light to indicate which one it's currently on. If you made a mistake when switching modes, pressing Shift+Press brings it back to the previous mode.

I found these functions useful and time-saving just as is out of the box for common tasks on Windows, like switching browser tabs and changing my PC's volume. Even the zoom function was useful when handling photos in Photoshop. I also made a custom command for switching brush size, too. Heck, when I was gaming and listening to Spotify, this dial was quite useful for jogging through the songs to my favorite parts. If you want, you even can set up the dial to control your microphone volume. The possibilities are almost endless once you dive into the Razer Synapse software.

Now onto the macro keys. There are eight total — three keys on the side and the M1-M5 keys on the top left. You can set these to certain tasks using Razer Synapse, which was helpful for swapping weapons, healing, and taunting in shooters. That's honestly expected for a gaming keyboard, but I never envisioned these macro keys being useful for work, too.

I set these M1-M5 keys for common tasks that I often find myself repeating in Photoshop, like changing the curves or contrast. As small as it seems, this ended up saving me a lot of time (and clicks) when handling multiple photos at once. As for the three side macro keys, I used those for common Windows tasks: the screenshot menu, Xbox Game Bar, and Task View.

I never envisioned the macro keys being useful for work outside of gaming.

You'll also see other keys on the right side, which is common in a lot of other gaming keyboards. There's the multi-function roller which I set up for mouse scrolling (volume by default) and the dedicated media controls. I didn't use this as much, but they can double as extra macros if you want.

Lighting effects: RGB lighting as bright as ever

• The keyboard has 38 glow zones
• The switches have a LED lens and transparent housing to brighten up the lighting effects
• It's per-key lighting, as usual

The other signature feature of the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro is the RGB lighting effects — Razer Chroma, as the company calls it. This keyboard takes some cues from the Huntsman Elite, and it can really put on a show. There's more RGB than ever, with 38 glow zones. While 20 are on the magnetic wrist rest, the others are balanced between the left and right sides of the keyboard. There's even a neat startup animation where the rainbow colors fade to the left and right as soon as the keyboard turns on.

This keyboard can really put on a show.

When I plugged in the keyboard for the first time, I was really blown away by how bright the RGB lighting effects are. A Razer spokesperson told me that each switch has an LED lens and transparent housing, causing the lighting to shine closer to the keycaps for even light spread.

Sitting on a desk for the photos in bright light, the lights evenly bled through the left, right, and bottom side of the wrist rest. During the night, things are understandably brighter, nearly lighting up my entire desk and slightly reflecting off my monitor. It's really awesome to use this keyboard, and the lighting effects just welcome you in to touch it. Of course, you can tweak the lighting through Razer Synapse. I kept mine in a rotating rainbow spectrum.

Performance and responsiveness: It doesn't get any better than this

• I am reviewing the keyboard with the Yellow Linear switches
• The keycaps are full height, doubleshot ABS plastic with a slight texture on top
• The audible sounds from typing and gaming are pleasurable

You can buy the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro with two different mechanical switch types: either the tactile and clicky Green switch, or the smooth and silent Yellow switch. Serious typists or gamers might want that Green switch for a louder keyboard, but someone like myself, who uses a keyboard mainly for work and light gaming, would rather have the Yellow smooth for the travel distance and lighter actuation force.

I included an audio clip of what the keyboard sounds like above. It's not that loud, but you do sometimes hear the spring action of the switches if the room is quiet enough. My specific model was really great for everyday typing as well as gaming. It has a 3.5mm travel, a 1.2mm actuation point, a 1.2 mm reset point, and 45 grams of actuation. The Yellow switches also have a sound dampener to quiet things down. I got to about 79 words per minute when typing with this keyboard in Bing.com's typing tests.

The green switches have 4.0mm of travel, a 1.9 mm actuation point, a 1.5 mm reset point, and 50 grams of actuation force. All models have the same doubleshot ABS plastic keycaps, which might be a little controversial. PBT keycaps are preferred by some gamers for durability and texture, and ABS keycaps are smoother for better and faster typing.

Personally, I go for the ABS plastic keycaps, so I didn't have any issues with the ones here. The keycaps do have a slight texture to the top that can grab your fingers as you slide between keys. Keycaps also didn't get too greasy during one week of use, and I didn't have to clean the keyboard. Finally, the overall spacing between the keycaps gives me plenty of room to not look down at the keyboard whenever I'm gaming. All switches have a 100 million keystroke lifespan instead of the usual 50 million lifespan.

Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro: Should you buy?

You should buy the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro if:

• You're a gamer, and you want a keyboard that gives you a lot of control and customization
• You want a keyboard with excellent RGB lighting effects
• You want a keyboard that has macro switches
• The Command Dial intrigues you

You shouldn't buy the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro if:

• You don't have $230 for a keyboard
• You want a wireless keyboard or something more portable

If you're wondering whether to buy the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro or not, then the answer is yes, you absolutely should buy it if you have the money. This keyboard packs in impressive RGB lighting and great keycaps. The macro keys as well as a Command Dial are not only useful when playing games, but can also make it easier to get work done. It's only the hefty size and weight and the lack of wireless connectivity that stop this keyboard from being perfect.