Razer Ornata V2 Mecha-Membrane Keyboard Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The Razer Ornata V2 RGB Mecha-Membrane Keyboard is available right now for around £99.99 in the UK and $99.99 in the US. That’s about what I expected really, it’s a premium keyboard with some unique features and I think the price reflects that. Sure, £80 would be even better, but Razer has a rock-solid brand name that can easily command that price.

Overview

There are quite a few hybrid switch keyboards on the market these days, and more often than not they’re just plunger switches. However, there’s nothing quite like the Ornata V2, other than say… the V1? And the was the switch behaves, feels and sounds is pretty unique. Those wanting the quiet performance of a membrane keyboard won’t find that here, it has more in common with a Cherry MX Blue clicky switch, but in my opinion, it’s not quite as loud as the keys don’t bottom out the same way.

Performance

The switches are super responsive though, and the tactile feedback they give you means you know 100% that you’ve hit the key. This is great for gaming with high APM too, as the keys have a really snappy return. It feels tight and fast for gaming, but light and comfortable enough for those long MMO gaming sessions too. The wrist rest certainly adds a lot of value in my opinion, it’s extremely comfortable.

The addition of everything being fully programmable, and those added multimedia controls are certainly welcome additions too.

Build Quality

It’s rock-solid, no doubt about that. Everything feels really well put together, from the chunky frame, right down to the dust cap on the USB header. You get braided cables, a magnetic wrist rest with soft padding, removable caps, durable kickstands. It’s exactly what you would expect from a big-name brand and one of their premium products.

Overview

I really like what Razer is doing here, and as great as the original Ornata was, the small improvements are certainly welcome. I wouldn’t think Ornata owners would be itching to upgrade to this one, but as a jumping-off point for a fully programmable, per-key RGB lit keyboard, with some really unique switches, it’s a really cool choice.