In the world of gaming accessories, “budget-friendly” is not a word frequently used. Naturally, one of the biggest players industry, Razer, aims to change that with the Blackwidow X.
The newest set of keyboards added to their existing lineup, the Blackwidow X has changes made not only to improve simplicity, but to promote more competitive (e.g. budget-friendly) pricing for gaming keyboards, overall.
Starting at $130, it’s $10 cheaper than the previous generation, yet features a new in-house switch design called the Razer Mechanical Switch, which has a purported increase in lifespan of 80 million key strokes.
Some quick mathematics: 80 million key strokes is around 4-5 years of normal usage, or 2-3 years if used for gaming.
Also important is what Razer calls Chroma lighting — custom individual backlighting for each key — which stays in all of its colorful stupor despite the change in keyboard technology and price reduction.
However, there are some compromises: no USB ports on the keyboards or top body layer — essentially you’re getting a more minimalistic design. To compensate, the existing line of keyboards with the aforementioned features will stay.
The new line of (slightly) price conscious keyboards are now available at the aptly named Razer Store.