While there are hundreds of mechanical options that can usually make it difficult for general buyers to decide which keyboard to buy, the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is a pure gaming product, for all the good and bad that may bring. It asks for a high price, no matter which of the options you choose from, but if you only use your PC for gaming, it could be a good investment.
Straight out of the box, the Huntsman V3 Pro feels and looks premium. However, considering the keyboard will set you back roughly $250 if you go for the Pro variant, it should feel premium for the asking price. Unfortunately, it’s never a certainty that a high cost will always bring the best feel, but the Huntman’s doubleshot PBT keys feel wonderful to type on, and the backlit keys look just as wonderful as Razer’s usual offerings.
Unfortunately, that premium focus doesn’t apply to the included wrist rest. Unlike the one found in the Blackwidow V4 75% or the Blackwidow V4 Pro that I’ve recently been testing, the wrist rest here feels a bit cheap, sliding away too easily and just feeling uncomfortable during long sessions. I’m usually not a fan of wrist rests regardless, but this one is… not good, to say the least.
Compared to Razer’s Blackwidow line of keyboards, the Huntsman V3 Pro uses optical switches. Unlike mechanical switches which have a set reset and active point, optical switches allow you to adjust the actuation point using software. Thankfully, the Huntsman offers a small display above the arrow keys to help you select your profile and make adjustments. The keyboard also lets you use Rapid Trigger, which gives you faster responses for numerous key presses.
One thing you’ll instantly notice with the Huntsman V3 Pro is that it’s very, very loud. It’s almost impressive how loud it is when typing, and while it’s primarily a gaming keyboard, I usually like my keyboards to be useful for office-like situations. Unfortunately, when typing on the Huntsman, I typically get dirty looks from people in my home wondering why I need the keyboard to be so loud. It’s something I’ve noticed with a lot of Razer keyboards in general, but in reality, the issue is less noticeable than other Razer switches, such as the Orange or Yellow mechanical switches.
However, thanks to the analog optical switches, it’s easily one of the most responsive keyboards I’ve used. When the stars align, and you customize your experience to suit your needs, it can truly change your performance. For example, pressing down the W key while playing a game can change from walk, to jog, to sprint depending on how much force you press.
While it’s certainly a nice feature, and it feels great to use, there’s no major advantage to using Rapid Trigger. It’s a neat feature, and technically on-paper, it should make it easier to strafe in ultra-competitive FPS games like Valorant or Counter-Strike 2. But, in reality, you probably won’t notice any major change compared to a mechanical keyboard unless you’re a pro gamer, which I’m certainly not.
Of course, that means using Razer Synapse. Some people don’t like Synapse, and I don’t blame them - it can be quite clunky, and difficult to navigate, but it’s certainly not the worst software out there. However, the issues are certainly alleviated if you have a full set of Razer peripherals or if you enjoy tinkering around in Razer’s software yourself.
Overall, the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is a great keyboard for the most competitive gamers. It feels responsive and each key feels amazing to press. However, the loud keys, high price, and the disappointing wrist rest make it difficult to fully recommend to general audiences. This one is solely for the biggest gamers.
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