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Razer Huntsman V2 review

With its highly effective sound deadening, the Razer Huntsman V2 is among the quietest mechanical gaming keyboards around, plus it looks might fine too.

Razer Hunstman V2 keyboard top down view

Our Verdict

84%

Stylish and whisper quiet, the Razer Huntsman V2 lives up to its name as a silent assassin of the mechanical keyboard world.

We’ve previously looked at the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog, but that keyboard is a surprisingly different beast to the rest of the current Huntsman V2 lineup. As well as its inclusion of analogue switches, that model has an illuminated wrist rest and lacks the sound deadening material and 8000Hz polling rate of the rest of the lineup.

It’s this Huntsman V2 sound deadening that really sets it apart from many other mechanical keyboards. It’s amazingly quiet, registering just 46dB from 20cm above the unit. That compares to typical readings of over 55dB for many of mechanical keyboards we’ve tested. The exact noise level will depend on your choice of switch but with the linear switches we tested there was essentially no discernible clicking or other higher-pitched noises, nor any resonance of the keyboard’s case.

What’s so remarkable is that there’s no dampening in the switches themselves, but just a thin layer of foam between the main PCB – through which the switches project – and the lower portion of the case. We have some concerns over just how long this thin, squished bit of foam will last but the initial results are undeniable.

Razer Hunstman V2 keyboard angled view

The actual construction of the keyboard isn’t exactly heavyweight, with an attractive but quite thin layer of brushed aluminium topping the chassis, and a basic thin plastic casing forming the underside. The rest of this design largely impresses with a very sleek, minimalist look that we’ve come to expect from Razer. As well as the clean all-black look, it’s the details that impress, such as the crisp font on the keys, the subtle RGB ring lights around the media controls, the neatly integrated Lock indicator lights and the muted default lighting modes.

Talking of media controls, you get a small cluster above the numpad, consisting of a volume wheel (tap to mute) and back, play/pause and forward media buttons. There are no extra programmable gaming keys, though. Another feature that’s lacking is a removable USB cable; the fixed, slim, braided cable sprouts from the left rear of the keyboard. It has just a single USB plug on its end, giving away that the board doesn’t include a USB passthrough.

One additional feature you do get, though, is a lovely wrist rest. It magnetically attaches to the front and it’s deep enough to offer meaningful support. Likewise, its cushioning is thick and very soft, providing a wonderfully cushioned landing spot for your hands. As with the sound deadening foam, we’re a little concerned that the soft wrist rest foam won’t hold up over the years – compared to stiffer gel wrist rests that last forever – but the initial experience is lovely.

The full Huntsman V2 lineup – which includes the Tenkeyless and 60 per cent Mini versions – also includes doubleshot PBT keycaps, so the keycaps will take longer to wear to a shine and their legends won’t wear away.

The Razer Huntsman V2 switches are of Razer’s own design and use an optical switching mechanism with either linear or clicky actions available. They’re rated to 100 million clicks and are compatible with most Cherry MX cross keycaps. We found the overall typing and gaming experience to be excellent using the linear switches.

Razer Huntsman V2 pros and cons

Pros

  • Amazingly quiet
  • Very stylish
  • Quality keycaps
  • Lovely wrist rest

Cons

  • No removable USB cable
  • Basic feature set
  • Expensive

Razer Huntsman V2 specs

The Razer Huntsman V2 specs list is:

Dimensions (mm) (mm): 445 x 240 x 38 (W x D x H)
Weight 913g (without cable)
Format Full size (105 keys)
Connections USB (tethered)
Switch type Razer optical Red linear or Purple clicky
Switch life 100 million keystrokes
Backlighting RGB
Extras Media controls, cushioned magnetic wrist rest, internal sound deadening

Razer Huntsman V2 price

The Huntsman V2 price is $200, making it an expensive gaming keyboard, but its PBT keycaps, wrist rest and sound deadening all add to its value.

Price: Expect to pay $200 (£200)

Razer Huntsman V2 review conclusion

For a $200 (£200) keyboard, the Razer Huntsman V2 feels like it’s lacking one or two little extra features to be considered great value. However, it looks fantastic, its typing experience is rock solid, you get premium doubleshot PBT keycaps, its wrist rest is wonderfully comfortable and its sound deadening is a revelation – we’ve seldom heard a mechanical keyboard so quiet. For more keyboard recommendations, take a look at our best gaming keyboard guide.