f you want a premium keyboard from the most recognizable gaming brand on the market, the Razer BlackWidow has always been the way to go. And this year's Razer BlackWidow Elite ($170) is the best the keyboard has ever been.
The BlackWidow Elite corrects a lot of small annoyances from other Razer keyboards. You'll find discrete media controls, a no-frills wrist rest and pass-throughs for both USB and 3.5 mm audio. You won't find extra (and usually underused) macro keys making the keyboard big and unwieldy, or deeply recessed keycaps that hide the gorgeous backlighting.
While the BlackWidow Elite isn't perfect, due to a few oddities in the software and cable management, it's pretty darn close. Razer gearheads in the market for a new keyboard need not hesitate; the BlackWidow Elite is what the whole line has been building toward for years.
Design
If you're familiar with Razer's recent Huntsman Elite keyboard, you've already seen the BlackWidow Elite’s basic design. The plain black plastic chassis is nothing special, but the elegant, elevated keycaps reflect subtle backlighting back onto the keyboard's surface.
Off on the left side, you've got a USB pass-through and a 3.5 mm audio cable pass-through. In the upper right, you’ll find discrete media controls, with aesthetically pleasing circular buttons, and a ridged dial that you can use to control either the volume or the lighting levels. It's an attractive package all around.
At 17.5 x 6.5 inches (without the wrist rest, which adds about 3.5 inches), the BlackWidow Elite isn't the smallest full-size keyboard out there, but you should have no trouble fitting it on a standard desk. Some users may miss the row of dedicated macro keys, but it's easy enough to reprogram the top row of Function buttons to the same effect.