Razer Huntsman V2 is the rarest of beasts: an analog keyboard

Most mechanical keyboard switches have two states, on or off. Switches inside Razer’s new $ 250 Huntsman V2 analog keyboard sense degrees of movement, allowing users to set their own actuation depth, apply degrees of pressure like with an analog joystick, or even to have a key to perform several functions depending on the distance at which it is pressed.

One of Razer’s most popular keyboards is now slightly better and significantly different from traditional models. Using the same analog switching technology similar to the Wooting One keyboard I saw again in 2018, the Huntsman V2 Analog allows a degree of control unheard of in most consumer mechanics. Traditional keyboard switches trigger when pushed to a certain depth. Razer’s Analog Optical Switch measures a beam of light as it passes through a lens at the base of the switch shank. When the switch is lowered, the lens opens wider, letting in more light. By measuring the amount of light, the keyboard knows how far down the key is and can use that data to do cool things.

An example that comes up whenever analog keyboard switches are mentioned is the accelerator pedal of a car in a racing game. A standard keyboard switch offers no precise degree of control. Either you are pushing the gas or you are not. An analog switch can be pushed in a bit to give the car some gas, or it can be pushed in all the way for the ground. Your WASD keys can not only determine how you perform, but also how fast you perform. (One catch: Huntsman’s analog key support works by simulating gamepad button presses. If a game doesn’t support joystick and mouse / keyboard input simultaneously , since a few don’t, you won’t be able to use the analog keyboard features alongside a mouse.)

The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog also allows you to set your own depth of articulation. This is how far the key must be pressed to register as a press. If you have a light touch, you can adjust the depth more shallow, which requires less pressure to type. If you’re bossy like me, a deeper depth can keep you from accidentally pulling the wrong keys when your sausage fingers try to dance on the keyboard. Controlled through Razer’s Synapse software, each key on the keyboard can be individually adjusted, resulting in a keyboard whose sensitivity you can completely configure to meet your particular typing and gaming needs.

Even cooler, you can set a key to activate it at two different depths. This feature can be used to streamline actions in the game. You can set a single touch to, for example, equip a grenade with a light touch or throw it with a stronger pressure. For shooters with an ideal reload point, you can press lightly to start reloading, then harder to hit the correct spot on the meter. Or set a button that can target a specific player, then cast a healing spell. Of course, all of these things can be done with macros, but the addition of analog functionality adds an extra layer of control.

It’s nice to see such a big player in the gaming peripherals market embrace this niche technology. If anything could make keyboard and mouse gamers ditch their gamepads and go home, it’s analog keyboard switches.

It helps that these particular switches are installed on one of Razer’s best keyboards. The new Huntsman comes equipped with all the bells and whistles of older models such as Chroma lighting, fully programmable keys, built-in configuration profiles for gamers on the go, thick braided fiber cable and a handy USB 3.0 passthrough . The switches are topped with cute double textured PBT plastic keycaps. The top plate is made of aluminum, which gives the keyboard a good weight. The included magnetic wrist rest is not only comfortable, it also extends the keyboard’s under-glow illumination when attached.

And it wouldn’t be a modern gaming keyboard without the damn multi-function dial on the top right. I don’t hate the dial, nor am I a fan. I don’t know why a keyboard needs a dial. I use it as a volume control every now and then, when I haven’t forgotten it’s there. I convinced myself that this only exists because the dials look pretty cool and retro-tech.

If you don’t care about analog control, there’s no reason to buy this particular Huntsman model. At $ 250, it’s definitely on the more expensive side of Razer’s punching gear. If you’re interested in a keyboard with definable switch vacuum degrees, the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is the perfect tech to press.

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