Razer keyboards have pretty much always been a mainstay on the desks of professional gamers. Today, the brand offers multiple options, but we see one that sticks out in the pro scene: the Huntsman V3 Pro TKL. This board follows Razer’s known design language and adds one all-important factor: customizable switches. Read our full Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL review to find out how the board performs, sounds, and feels.
At A Glance
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL Black
Used by 78 players ()-
NiKo
-
frozen
-
woxic
-
Jimpphat
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL is a best-in-class gaming keyboard. It’s also a very mediocre typing keyboard due to its loudness and subpar typing sound. I feel like those two sentences are the most important things to know for people who are considering purchasing this board.
Pros
- Comes with a wrist rest
- Good gaming performance
- Customizable switches + Rapid Trigger
- Comes with a multifuctional dial
Cons
- Expensive
- Typing sound is loud and not pleasing
- Wrist rest is of lower quality than on older Razer keyboards
Specs
| Form Factor | TKL |
|---|---|
| Switches | Razer Analog Optical |
| PCB | Non-Hotswappable |
| RGB | Yes |
| Height | 3.9cm |
| Width | 36.4cm |
| Length | 14.0cm |
| Weight | 720g |
First Impressions
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL is a slick looking product. It has a brushed aluminum top plate which, combined with the blacked out buttons and dials on the top right, gives the keyboard a stealthy and professional look.
The included wrist rest completes this aesthetic. I do have to say it immediately stood out to me as being of inferior quality to other Razer wrist rests I’ve used in the past, but I’ll elaborate on this further on in the review.
RGB
Razer has always been good at RGB, and that’s no different here. There are a lot of effects to choose from, and the keycaps display the light in a consistent and precise manner. Something to note is that, with a black backplate like on this keyboard, there isn’t much of an ‘aura’ effect where the lighting bounces off of the plate. That’s not a bad thing (whether you like that effect or not is down to personal preferences) but it’s good to note.
Packaging
Inside the box of the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL, you will find:
- The keyboard
- USB-C cable
- Quickstart guide
- User documentation
- Leatherette wrist rest
Something that I want to point out is how nice the quickstart guide is. It explains all of the on-board controls in a concise manner, and I love the fact that it’s included. If you read my other reviews you’ll know that I’m not a fan of replacing quickstart guides with QR codes, so I am happy that Razer is still adding a paper guide.
Something I would’ve liked to see is a keycap puller. I suppose pretty much everyone has multiples of those laying around in this day and age, but it would still be handy to help clean the keyboard for people who get this as a first keyboard. At an MSRP of over 200 dollars, I believe little things like that should be included.
Features and Build Quality
Materials and Design
Like most Razer keyboards, the case of Huntsman V3 Pro TKL is made out of plastic. On top of this thick plastic case there’s a brushed aluminum plate. This is quite a common look for gaming keyboard, and it’s executed well here.
The edges of the top plate are nicely chamfered and I did not find any imperfections or sharp edges on my copy. As an added bonus, the aluminum plate handles fingerprints and sweat well, which is something that I like.
The board is surprisingly light, but also very sturdy. There are no weak spots on my unit, nor are there sections that flex easily. This makes it a board that’s easy to log around to various LAN tournaments and the likes; it won’t be a big burden in your backpack, and it won’t break easily.
I tested the TKL version, which comes with a multifunctional dial and two buttons on the top right. There’s also a full-sized version (which adds one multimedia button) and a 60% version. You can always read our article explaining the differences between keyboard sizes if you want to learn more.
On the bottom of the plastic case are two sets of mousefeet, allowing for three different typing angles in total.
Wrist Rest
Included with the keyboard is a wrist rest. This attaches to the case by means of magnets. I always like the inclusion of optional extras such as this one, but I also have to say that I find the wrist rest to be a little disappointing. I’ve reviewed Razer keyboards with added wrist rests in the past, and those felt a lot thicker and more luxurious.
Sure, having a wrist rest is better than not having one at all, but this one feels like a plastic sheet with a thin layer of leatherette material stretched over it. It doesn’t feel like the cushy, comfy wrist rests I am used to from Razer.
It could of course be that customers complained about those previous rests being too soft or something like that, but I personally prefer the older styles over what they’re doing now.
Keycaps
The included PBT keycaps have a rather noticeable amount of texturing on the surface, and I like them. They handle sweat and finger oils nicely and the added grip that you get from the texturing is a welcome touch on a gaming-focused keyboard.
The font on the keycaps is neutral enough to satisfy everyone, and the RGB (when active) shines through evenly.
I don’t have a lot to say here: the caps are quite simply nicely executed.
Customization
Customization of the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL can be done in two different ways: via the on-board controls and via Razer’s Synapse software. Recently, Synapse has been pretty annoying for me when setting up devices (needing multiple restarts etc.) but once that’s done I have no complaints about this software.
Everything is easy to understand, and Razer does a good job at explaining more complicated concepts like the customizable actuation points with graphics. Anything that you’d want to do with a gaming keyboard (rebinding keys, creating macros, …) is possible within the software.
Officially, there’s room for 5 profiles on the keyboard’s on-board storage. However, in practice this is limited to 4 profiles, since the default profile cannot be edited. Four profiles is plenty for me though, and switching between them is very easy.
All in all, the board is easy to customize and use. Even if you don’t want to use software, you only have to install it once and then save your profile(s) to the device’s storage.
Switches
Like any recent gaming keyboard worthy of the name, the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL has customizable switches. Unlike most other keyboards, though, Razer doesn’t use magnets in order to detect movement, but rather light. Both technologies achieve the same result; they allow you to tweak the actuation point of a switch, and modify other switch behaviors to match your preferences. I’ll talk more about why that matters further down in the review.
The switches themselves are the second generation of the Razer Optical switches. What’s unique here is that each individual switch has its own ‘stabilizer bar’. This bar does a good job at reducing stem wobble (though I should say that I am not someone who is easily bothered by stem wobble) and does not interfere with the top of the switch, meaning you can use aftermarket keycaps if you want to.
All in all, the switches themselves feel fine and smooth to use. Do note that they have a rather low overall actuation force which makes them feel very sensitive at first. Whether this is a good thing or not comes down to personal preferences (some people like heavier switches, others like lighter switches) but it’s good to know.
Typing and Gaming Experience
Gaming Experience
In case you’re not familiar with the advantages of customizable switches like the Razer Analogs, I recommend you to read our introductory article on them.
The Huntsman V3 Pro TKL is a gaming keyboard first and foremost, and it delivers in spades. Functions like Rapid Trigger feel smooth, consistent, and precise. The per-key customization is reliable and stable. To top it all off, Razer also has a bunch of extra stuff for you to configure. It’s possible, for example, to configure the downstroke separately from the upstroke when customizing the switches. This gives you an even greater range of customization.
In short, I can say that Razer’s Second Gen Optical Switches work flawlessly.
As for the question of whether or not this keyboard will make you a better gamer, I can confidently answer ‘yes’. Once you get the Huntsman V3 Pro TKL dialed in to match your preferences and playing style, it can and will make you a more consistent (and thus better) player. This goes for all boards with similar switches (that have them implemented properly) but I just want to emphasize that all of this is not a gimmick.
Actions such as counter-strafing in CS2 or VALORANT simply feel a lot more snappy, natural, and responsive with features like Rapid Trigger activated. Even if you ignore all of that (which you shouldn’t, to be clear) the simple fact that you can tweak the sensitivity of your keyboard on a per-key basis makes it fantastic for gaming. Always fat-fingering your ultimate? Raise the actuation point. Want movement keys to be more sensitive? Lower it.
Typing Experience
While the gaming experience that the Huntsman V3 Pro TKL offers is up there with the very best, I have to say that the typing experience doesn’t really follow suit. The switches feel smooth and pleasant to use and the stabilizers sound okay-ish for a mass-produced gaming keyboard, but that’s about it.
If I had to describe this keyboard in one word it would be ‘loud’. The board sounds thin and hollow, and in general it just doesn’t sound very pleasing to me personally. Your opinion on the sound signature might be different, but I don’t think anyone can argue with the volume. I don’t recommend using this in an office setting or near people who aren’t gaming with you, as it’ll become grating quickly.
The multifunctional dial that’s found on the top right of the board feels good to use, and both media keys actuate with a tangible click, but they’re not enough to save the typing experience for me.
Sound Test
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL Alternatives
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro vs SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is extremely similar to the Apex Pro TKL, but I’d give the edge to the Razer when it comes to gaming. The gaming performance feels better as well as more customizable, and it also comes with more useful media keys whereas the Apex Pro TKL comes with a rather gimmicky OLED screen. With all of their similarities, deciding between the two boards will also come down to their price in your location, as well as their availability, but if we’re purely talking about gaming I’d choose the Razer.
See our SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL review
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro vs Wooting 60HE
Since the Wooting 60HE is the benchmark for keyboards of this kind and I know people will want to learn about how it stacks up to the Huntsman V3 Pro I am adding it to this review. With that in mind, it should be noted that both boards are very different. Aside from the customizable switches, there’s not a lot that makes them similar, as they have drastically different form factors and overall features.
Looking purely at gaming performance, there’s not a lot to separate the two. I don’t have high speed cameras or laser equipment to compare their performances in a lab environment, but using my calipers and other rudimentary means of measuring, I couldn’t find any big differences between the two keyboards.
The Wooting does have the superior driver program (Wootility is a browser-based program) and has a better typing sound if you ask me.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL vs Meletrix BOOG75
The Huntsman V3 Pro TKL performs better ingame and is more configurable, but the BOOG75 has it beat on other fronts. It has a much better sound profile, better build quality, and is more user-friendly with its browser-based configuration software. The design of the board might not be for everyone though, and it’s not readily available.
See our Meletrix BOOG75 review
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL Review – Conclusion
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL is a best-in-class gaming keyboard. It’s also a very mediocre typing keyboard due to its loudness and subpar typing sound. I feel like those two sentences are the most important things to know for people who are considering purchasing this board.
If you don’t care about the sound and you want fantastic gaming performance in a TKL form factor, you should go for it. If your gaming is done more casually and you want a nice blend between acoustics and performance, there are other keyboards to consider.
With all of that said; the Huntsman V3 Pro is a gaming keyboard. Razer doesn’t market it as anything else. And as a gaming keyboard, it’s one of the best products you can buy right now. If you’re looking for pure gaming performance in a TKL form factor, go for this one.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
