Anyone that knows me, knows I like to keep a low profile. That’s also particularly true of my choice of keyboards after being a Microsoft Surface user for long enough that those clicky little chiclet keys are music to my fingers. Low profile keys aren’t particularly common in the gaming peripheral space though, so I’ve typically had to settle for less. Those days are past now, thanks to our friends at Razer who’ve provided us with the new Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro wireless gaming keyboard with those sweet, sweet low profile keys.
The first thing you’ll notice about this new iteration in the classic DeathStalker line is that it’s nowhere near as in-your-face look at me, I’m gaming as most of the brand’s other keyboard offerings. It’s actually quite sleek and subtle and wouldn’t look a bit out of place in a plain, old office (provided you kept the RGB lighting off or at a minimum). It’s a slender and solid slab of aluminium alloy serving up its 104 laser-etched keys beautifully, resulting in one of the slimmest and most premium-feeling keyboards I’ve yet had the pleasure of using. Although there’s plenty more to talk about in regards to the DeathStalker V2 Pro’s actual functionality and performance, those all-important first impressions out of the box are very good.
Low profile keys are definitely a considered choice, but for my money they’re an excellent way to get both fast and responsive typing and lasting comfort thanks to lighter presses with shorter travel. This is compounded even further with this particular keyboard thanks to Razer’s optical switches, which use a tiny light beam inside each switch to detect a press as opposed to physical contact. In theory, that means presses are registered faster and more consistently with less force required, especially in this slimmer form factor. After using the keyboard for a few weeks I’m not only finding it vastly more comfortable to use for extended periods but moving between this and the chiclet-style keyboard on my Surface Pro is much smoother as I’m not adjusting the way I position my hands to account for thicker keys. If you work from home or in an office this is easily one of the best all-day typing experiences you could ask for.
I could seriously talk about the keys on the DeathStalker V2 Pro all day, not just because they’re a joy to type on but they’re also beautifully made. The laser-etched characters are razer sharp (get it?) and look positively gorgeous with some nice, subtle use of the per-key RGB backlighting. They’re surprisingly solid-feeling for low profile keycaps, and they have the frankly magical (read: perfectly scientific) ability to resist oil build up from your hands and fingers and continue to look as pristine as the day you brought the keyboard home. Razer sent us the version with linear and “silent” optical switches, which are definitely my preference regardless, but both the DeathStalker V2 Pro and wired-only DeathStalker V2 have an alternative option of a clicker version of the optical switches.
In terms of connectivity, the Pro model that we’ve been using is the top, wireless-equipped option and offers both Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4GHz Razer Hyperspeed Wireless technology with the proprietary dongle that Razer reckons is faster than other wireless tech. I’m in no way a skilled enough gamer to know if I’m getting much latency or not but from my use so far it’s been perfectly responsive using the USB dongle (which handily stows inside the keyboard when you’re not using it and can be paired with other Razer Hyperspeed Wireless products to save on USB ports). Also handy are the Bluetooth profile switches on the back edge of the keyboard that make it easy to switch connected devices if you are taking it to work or to different rooms on the regular.
Whichever connectivity solution you decide to go with, battery life is naturally going to be a factor and I’m so far pretty impressed with what I’m getting out of the DeathStalker V2 Pro. Razer boasts anywhere from 26 to 214 hours of use depending on the connection type and brightness setting on the RGB backlighting. I’ve had my keys on around 40% brightness using the Hyperspeed USB dongle and have yet to reach for the USB-C charging cable (which naturally doubles as a wired connection so you can keep on going) with a couple weeks daily use which I’m pretty happy about.
In terms of other, extra keys and functions it’s pretty light-on in keeping with the understated vibe, although the multi-purpose media key and volume scroll bar are incredibly handy to have. It’s also worth flicking through the user guide to check out all the shortcut keys that you can take advantage of including the ability to record macros on-the-fly, change lighting profiles, check your battery life and turn on a special Gaming Mode that disables things like the Windows key or Alt+F4 shortcuts to prevent accidents. I’m a huge fan of the way that holding down the FN key instantly turns off all key backlighting except the keys that work in combination with it, making it super easy to find the shortcut you’re looking for.
When it comes to setting all of this stuff up, Razer Synapse is the one-stop software shop for everything settings, macros, RGB lighting and more. It’s an incredibly useful little suite, especially if you’ve got multiple Razer products and want to sync everything up nicely. That said, it’s not without its faults and I’ve had more than a few frustrations with getting lighting profiles to save properly and I’ve been stuck for days on trying to figure out why turning on my Razer Key Light also resets my keyboard backlighting. If I manage to fix the issues I’m having or they’re eventually ironed out I can see myself spending a lot of time in Synapse, and especially Chroma Studio, setting up unique profiles for games and productivity and really honing my desk aesthetic.
Final Thoughts
The Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro is by far the most comfortable, good-looking and versatile keyboard I’ve had the pleasure of using. Packed into its svelte, slender form are a vast assortment of features and connectivity options to compleiment its excellent optical switches and heavenly typing experience. That all doesn’t come cheap, with a price tag of $359, but if you can stomach the expense you’ll be rewarded with a keyboard that performs in just about every scenario and looks fantastic doing it.
Review units supplied by the manufacturer
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