When tailoring your PC gaming setup to your own specifications, one of the essential aspects is the keyboard. Razer is one of the leading brands in PC gaming hardware, but while their mouse accessories can be programmed, are their keyboards hot-swappable to suit any preference? Here’s our guide to everything you need to know for customizing Razer keyboards.
Are Razer keyboards hot-swappable?
Some Razer keyboards, like the Huntsman range, can be hot-swapped but only with Razer’s own brand of optical switches. This allows players to choose Razer Clicky optical switches or Razer Linear switches. Razer keyboards can not be hot-swapped with optical switches from any other manufacturer. Some Razer keyboards, like the Ornata range, cannot be hot-swapped at all. Razor also makes keyboards with Analog Optical Switches where the pre-travel and reset points of every switch can be adjusted.
The benefits of hot-swappable keyboards are that they’re easier to maintain. If a switch starts to break, players can replace individual keys rather than have to pay out for an entire keyboard. There’s also the ability to swap out keys of different types for a different feel when using the keyboard. Unfortunately, Razer doesn’t factor hot-swappable keys into the majority of their models and certainly doesn’t make it easy for those where the keys can be swapped.
When will Razer make hot-swappable keyboards?
Razer has not announced any hot-swappable keyboards and it’s unknown whether they will add in the ability to hot-swap for any future products. Their latest keyboard, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed, gave a choice of two types of optical switches while the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog came with customizable analog optical switches. This is the closest players will likely get to a Razer hot-swappable keyboard for the foreseeable future.
In the latest gaming news, Valve has added the ability to add free-to-play games and content directly to a player’s library. Elsewhere, EA has announced a collaboration with Marvel for FIFA 23 Ultimate Team.
