Razer Ornata V2 gaming keyboard review

In 2017, Razer attempted to bridge the gap between mechanical and membrane keyboards with the Razer Ornata Chroma. Featuring custom "mecha-membrane" switches, the Ornata Chroma wanted to capture the clicky feedback of a mechanical keyboard without the stiff resistance that typically accompanies it. It did just that, impressing me with both its performance and its comfort.

Three years later, Razer has decided to refresh the Ornata design in the form of the Razer Ornata V2. While it doesn't break any new ground this time around, it makes enough improvements to earn its spot among the best hybrid gaming keyboards on the market.

Design

Design

• Maintains the clean and simple style of its predecessor
• New multi-function wheel and media keys are great additions
• Leatherette wrist rest is as comfortable as ever

• Read more about the Razer Ornata V2's design

  Razer has played it fairly safe with the second revision of the Razer Ornata. It's still a full-sized wired keyboard replete with the mecha-membrane switches and magnetic wrist rest that I so appreciated on its predecessor. In fact, the overall design is nearly identical, sticking with a simple, all-black colour scheme that looks just as natural on a work desk as it does alongside a gaming rig.

  Unlike a lot of mechanical keyboards, the Ornata V2's frame is pure plastic. This keeps it light and makes it easy to carry around. While it's not quite as sturdy as a metal-based keyboard like the Roccat Vulcan 120 AIMO, it's resilient enough that it doesn't feel cheap or flimsy.

  The original Razer Ornata Chroma came with one of the most comfortable wrist rests I've tested, so it's great to see the accessory make its return with the Ornata V2. As before, its leatherette surface is cool and soft to the touch, with the cushioning beneath providing firm support to your wrists. And because it attaches to the keyboard using a magnetic strip, you can easily set it aside if you can't spare the desk space.

  To further enhance the Ornata V2's ergonomics, Razer has laid the keys flush with the wrist rest. This promotes a flatter, more-relaxed hand position when gaming and typing. Because you don't have to arch your hand as much to reach the keys, it places less stress on the wrist and reduces the chance of strain or injury. Unfortunately, since the keys are recessed within the body of the Ornata V2, it's possible for food, dust and other contaminants to get stuck beneath the keycaps. Keep that in mind if your desk is a hotspot for fluids and foodstuffs.

  While the Ornata V2 doesn't stray too far from its forebear, there are a few welcome improvements to its design. It now sports a handy multi-function wheel that can control volume, RGB brightness or any other function you want to map to it. Next to the wheel are three new dedicated media keys for controlling audio and video playback.

  Instead of increasing the size of the Ornata V2 to accommodate these new keys, Razer has nestled them at the top-right of the keyboard where the status lights for Caps Lock, Num Lock and Game Mode used to be. Those lights now sit above the arrow keys, which I found made them easier to glance at, even though they are markedly smaller than the lights on the original Ornata Chroma.

  The final design tweak that the Ornata V2 brings to the table relates to cable management. While the USB cable itself is the same braided cord it was before, Razer has added three grooves to the underside of the keyboard so you can direct the cable out the top-left, top-right or the top-middle. It's not a mind-blowing addition by any stretch of the imagination, but it is more convenient than the side grooves on the original Ornata Chroma.

Performance

Performance

• Mecha-membrane switches deftly balance comfort and performance
• Feels significantly more resilient than a traditional membrane keyboard

• Read more about the Razer Ornata V2's performance

  Like its predecessor, the Ornata V2 features Razer's custom mecha-membrane switches. By combining the firm, clicky feedback of a mechanical switch with the softer feel of a membrane keyboard, mecha-membrane switches deliver a truly distinct typing and gaming experience, one that I find tremendously satisfying.

  Every keypress produces a clear and responsive click that leaves no room for ambiguity. Switches bounce back with just enough force to keep your momentum going, whether you're quickly bashing out an email or delicately dancing around the battlefield in Halo 3. The membrane layer, meanwhile, cushions each keystroke to minimise finger fatigue over long gaming sessions.

  This hybrid approach deftly balances comfort and performance to produce a keyboard capable of serving multiple audiences. It's soft enough to entice folks who dislike traditional mechanical keyboards, while still offering enough punch to persuade those who typically shun the mushiness of membrane switches.

  With its plastic frame and membrane components, the Ornata V2 doesn't seem like it would be as durable as a traditional mechanical keyboard. While that's true on paper, the Ornata V2 showed no signs of wear or weakness throughout my testing. Combine that with the fact that the original Ornata Chroma that I reviewed back in 2017 is still going strong to this day, and I'm confident the Ornata V2 can survive plenty of heavy use.

Features

Features

• Fully reprogrammable keys and HyperShift support
• Deep RGB customisation options
• Razer Synapse app remains the gold standard for configuration software

• Read more about the Razer Ornata V2's features

  The Razer Ornata V2 packs plenty of features that enhance both its function and its aesthetics.

  On the practical front, every key on the Ornata V2 is fully reprogrammable. You can remap any key – including the new multi-function wheel and media keys – to mimic any other key or to assign it a custom function like opening a new browser tab or running a specific program. There's full macro support, too, so you can define complex key combinations or a sequence of actions to perform by hitting a single key.

  The Ornata V2 takes advantage of Razer's HyperShift technology to add even more versatility to your key bindings. By setting a specific key as the HyperShift key, you can give every other key a secondary function, accessible while holding down the HyperShift key.

  As I mentioned earlier, the Ornata V2's new multi-function wheel is a welcome addition that provides plenty of extra functionality. The wheel itself offers enough resistance to allow for precise adjustments. It controls system volume by default, with the ability to mute all audio by clicking it down. You can remap both scroll directions and the click to perform any functions you'd like, though, which relatively few keyboards allow.

  Game Mode is a mainstay of modern gaming keyboards, so it's no surprise to see the Ornata V2 support it. Rather than simply disable the Windows key, though, you can have Game Mode ignore Alt+Tab and Alt+F4 as well, saving you from accidentally minimising or quitting your current game by pressing the wrong key combination. And if you find yourself occasionally forgetting to activate Game Mode like I do, you can set Game Mode to automatically turn on only when you're playing games, which is handy.

  

  Like all Razer products, customising the Ornata V2 is done through the Razer Synapse app. Having tested plenty of such apps, I've found Synapse to be both the most intuitive and the most versatile. Configuration options are well-organised with clear and descriptive labels. Creating and switching profiles is a cinch, as is creating custom macros using the flexible recording tool.

  RGB customisation is just as deep. You can spruce up the Ornata V2 with preset lighting effects ranging from the basic breathing and wave patterns to reactive lighting driven by your audio. The real complexity lies within the dedicated Chroma Studio section of the Synapse app, however. Here, you can layer individual lighting effects on top of each other, tweaking their speed and colours and even which keys they apply to. The flexibility is seriously impressive.

  If building your own multi-layered lighting system sounds daunting, you can make use of Synapse's game integration feature to synchronise the Ornata V2's lighting with your games. Over 100 games support Chroma integration, with titles like Overwatch using different lighting patterns to indicate when hero abilities are charged or activated.

  Outside of games, Synapse also includes a "Chroma Visualiser" which syncs the Ornata V2's lighting to music or videos as you play them. Like Chroma Studio, there are plenty of settings to adjust if you want to dig a little deeper.

Should you buy the Razer Ornata V2?

If you're looking for a keyboard that delivers clear and clicky feedback without the stiff resistance of traditional mechanical switches, the Razer Ornata V2 is one of the best options currently available. It might not differ dramatically from its predecessor, but that's okay. The original Razer Ornata Chroma was already an excellent keyboard, and the Ornata V2 makes enough small yet smart improvements to justify the V2 moniker.

Pricing and availability

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Specifications

Finder score: 4

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