The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is an outstanding wireless mechanical gaming keyboard. It has full RGB backlighting and macro-programmable keys, which are customizable through the companion software. Unlike the Razer BlackWidow Elite, the V3 Pro supports Bluetooth and Razer's proprietary Hyperspeed technology via its dedicated receiver. Despite its straight design, the ergonomics are still decent due to the two incline settings and detachable wrist rest. We bought and tested this unit with clicky Razer Green switches, but it's also available with silent linear switches. Unfortunately, the clicky Razer Green switches feel inconsistent both in how they sound and feel.
Our Verdict
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is outstanding for gaming. It has exceptionally low latency, full RGB backlighting, and macro-programmable keys, which are customizable in the Razer Synapse 3 companion software. The keycaps are made of doubleshot ABS plastic, and gaming feels comfortable thanks to the detachable plushy wrist rest. Unfortunately, the clicky Razer Green switches sound and feel inconsistent.
- Full RGB backlighting.
- Low pre-travel.
- Plushy detachable wrist rest.
- Macro-programmable keys.
- Good build quality.
- Razer Green Switches sound and feel inconsistent.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is a good office keyboard. Despite its straight design, the ergonomics are acceptable due to the two incline settings and the detachable plushy wrist rest. That said, it's also available with silent linear switches. The build quality is excellent, and the doubleshot ABS keycaps feel great to touch. Unfortunately, the clicky Razer Green switches sound and feel inconsistent. That said, this keyboard is also available with quieter linear switches instead.
- Plushy detachable wrist rest.
- Good build quality.
- Razer Green Switches sound and feel inconsistent.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is an acceptable keyboard for use with your smartphone or tablet. You can pair it over Bluetooth, and it has a multi-device feature, but it's too big to travel with. The body feels very sturdy and the battery is rechargeable.
- Multi-device pairing.
- Bluetooth support.
- Razer Green Switches sound and feel inconsistent.
- Large and bulky.
- Companion software limited to Windows.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is a great keyboard for programming. It has full RGB backlighting, and all the keys are macro-programmable, which are customizable in the companion software. The ergonomics are acceptable , thanks to the detachable wrist rest and two incline settings. It has an excellent build quality, and the doubleshot ABS keycaps feel good to touch. This keyboard is available with linear Razer Yellow switches or clicky Green switches. Unfortunately, the Green switches sound and feel inconsistent while typing.
- Full RGB backlighting.
- Plushy detachable wrist rest.
- Macro-programmable keys.
- Good build quality.
- Razer Green Switches sound and feel inconsistent.
- Companion software limited to Windows.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is good for use with a home theater PC. You can connect it over Bluetooth or via its USB dongle, which is great if you're worried about tripping over wires. It has dedicated media controls, and the keys are easily visible in the dark thanks to its full RGB backlighting. Unfortunately, you need a separate mouse to navigate the user interface because there's no trackpad.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 29, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3.1, which adds a new estimated PCB latency test to the Single-Key Latency section and a new Analog test to the Switches section of this review. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Oct 30, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3, which overhauls how key input is evaluated. We've added new tests for Single Key Latency, Multi Key Latency, Data Transmission, and Chord Split. We've also introduced a new Raw Performance usage and adjusted how the Gaming and Office usage scores are calculated. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Jun 15, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update introduces new Backlight Features and Backlight Clarity test boxes. We've also added a new Switches test box, added additional test comparisons to our Hardware Customizability test box that we introduced with our last Test Bench. For an in-depth look at our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Jun 12, 2023: We've added a link to the ASUS ROG Azoth in the Wireless Versatility section of this review.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro with Razer Green switches (tactile and clicky), and it's also available with Razer Yellow switches (linear and silent). It's the wireless variant of the Razer BlackWidow V3. You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro Wireless is a great wireless keyboard. It's quite similar to the Razer BlackWidow Elite in many respects, but it has wireless support via Bluetooth and its proprietary receiver. Like many Razer keyboards, this is a standout choice for gamers due to its exceptionally low latency and customizability features.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming keyboards, the best RGB keyboards, and the best mechanical gaming keyboards.
Overall, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is better than the Razer Huntsman Elite. The V3 Pro has wireless connectivity, which means it can be used with a wider range of devices, including smartphones and tablets. The Elite feels a bit more responsive because its Linear Optical switches have a shorter pre-travel distance and much lower operating force than the Razer Green switches on the V3 Pro. However, they might be too sensitive for general typing and can lead to more typos.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro and the Logitech G915 LIGHTSPEED are two fantastic wireless gaming keyboards. Even though the Logitech's low-profile switches have a shorter total travel distance and lighter operating force, the Razer provides a much better typing experience. The Razer also has better build quality, and all its keys are macro-programmable, while the Logitech only lets you reprogram the dedicated macro keys.
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro and the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro are mechanical gaming keyboards in the same lineup. The V4 Pro is the newer version and is a wired-only model. It features several improvements, including foam dampening foam layers, eight dedicated macro keys, and a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz. On the other hand, the V3 Pro is a wireless model. Both keyboards are available with clicky Razer Green or linear Razer Yellow switches.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro and the Razer Huntsman V2 are comparable mechanical gaming keyboards, but the BlackWidow V3 Pro is wireless while the Huntsman V2 is wired. You can use the BlackWidow V3 Pro wirelessly via its USB receiver, or you can pair it with up to three devices at once via Bluetooth. It's available with clicky Razer Green and linear Razer Yellow switches. On the other hand, the Huntsman V2 is the first Razer board with an 8000Hz polling rate, and it has slightly lower latency than the BlackWidow V3 Pro. Also, it comes with PBT keycaps instead of the ABS keycaps on the BlackWidow V3 Pro. It's available with Razer Linear Optical and Razer Click optical switches, which is advertised to be more durable and faster than standard mechanical switches.
Test Results
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro Wireless is a rather large keyboard due to its full-sized design, and it takes up even more room if you use the wrist rest. If you prefer a compact size, check out the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro has good build quality overall. It's made largely of plastic with an aluminum faceplate that exhibits very little flex. Keycaps are made of doubleshot ABS plastic and feel superior to the ones on the Razer BlackWidow Elite. There's some minor wobble to the keys, most noticeably with the spacebar, shift, backspace, and enter keys. Also, the stabilizers rattle when you shake the board. The incline feet are grippy enough to keep it from sliding around, and they feel more solid than the ones on the Elite.
However, the clicky Razer Green switches on the keyboard we bought and tested have different click sounds, and some don't produce a clicking sound at all. Many of the switches also require noticeably different levels of force to operate. Note that we experienced similar issues with the clicky Green switches on the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed as well.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro's ergonomics are acceptable. It has a typical straight board design, but the two incline settings and detachable plushy wrist rest should make it comfortable to use.
If you want to replace the stabilizers on this keyboard, the switches must be desoldered first.
This keyboard has full RGB backlighting that's very similar to the Razer BlackWidow Elite's, only not as bright. The brightness is controlled directly on the keyboard using FN+11 and 12 to decrease and increase respectively. The colors, effects, speed, and brightness are customizable through the companion software. If you're interested in a similar gaming keyboard with low-profile keycaps that allow more light to shine out from the switch housings, check out the ROCCAT Vulcan II Max/Mini.
This keyboard comes with a detachable braided USB-C cable. It's not as thick as the Razer BlackWidow Elite's but is of good quality, despite being rather kinky.
This keyboard has outstanding wireless versatility. You can connect to it over Bluetooth or its proprietary receiver, and it pairs with up to three different devices. You can switch between paired devices via a switch on the left side. If you prefer a wired-only keyboard, check out its variant, the Razer BlackWidow V3. If you're looking for a wireless gaming keyboard with considerably longer advertised battery life, check out the ASUS ROG Azoth.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro has nice extra features. Every key is macro-programmable, and there's even a hotkey to record and save macros to the board. It has dedicated media keys and a volume control wheel, which is also programmable. If you prefer a keyboard with additional dedicated macro keys, consider the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro or the Corsair K100 RGB.
- Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro keyboard
- Detachable wrist rest
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Wireless receiver
- Razer stickers
- Quick start guide
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro provides a good typing quality overall. The doubleshot ABS keycaps feel good to the touch, and while there's a slight wobble to the keys, it's not noticeable while typing. The ergonomics are decent and shouldn't cause any fatigue or pain.
Unfortunately, the clicky Razer Green switches produce different click feedback, and some keys don't make a clicking sound. Many switches also require different levels of force to operate, making typing feel somewhat inconsistent. Note that we observed this same issue with the clicky Green switches on the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed we bought and tested as well.
The Razer Green switches on our Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro are loud and clicky, which may disturb those around you. That said, it's also available with Razer Yellow switches, which are silent and linear.
Our Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro uses Razer Green switches, which are tactile and clicky. They don't require a lot of force to actuate, which gives them a very light feel. If you don't like the feel of tactile switches or want something quieter, it's also available with silent linear Yellow switches.
The latency is superb. It's recommended to use the USB dongle for gaming, although the Bluetooth latency is pretty good too and should be fine for slower-paced games.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is compatible with the outstanding Razer Synapse 3 companion software. From here, you can set macros, reprogram keys, and customize the RGB backlighting. It doesn't require an account, and you can set an unlimited amount of profiles.
This keyboard is fully compatible with Windows, and the software is only available on Windows. On macOS, all default button functions work as intended except for the 'Scroll Lock and 'Pause/Break' buttons, which adjust your screen brightness if you're using an Apple display. On Linux systems, all default functions work.
On Android devices, all default function work as intended except for the Windows key, which opens an assist application. On iOS and iPadOS devices, the Insert, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, and Print Screen buttons don't work.