Razer Ornata V2 Mecha-Membrane Keyboard Review

Performance

The first thing you’ll see when you power up the Ornata V2 is the lovely RGB lighting tech. It sparks to life with some rich and vivid colours. However, where brands like Corsair have REALLY bright LEDs, and a HUGE font on the caps to let lots of light through, the Ornata V2 feels a little more subtle and less blinding. Of course, both approaches are fine, but I do like what Razer is doing here.

What does stand out is how rich the colours are. They have real depth and an almost pastel quality to them thanks to that milky white reflective surface.

Of course, the keyboard is fully per-key RGB, so you can dive into the software and customise until the end of time. There are some built-in profiles, but if you’re like me, you can set your favourite colour, adjust the brightness, and just leave it alone. That’s the joy of RGB, you have options, and don’t just have to go down the “ooh it’s a rainbow” approach.

The ergonomics of the keyboard are very comfortable. Actually, they haven’t really changed since the old model, that was a nice keyboard to use and so is the V2. The keyboard is pretty flat right out of the box, but there are two levels of height adjustment at the back, giving you more angle should you need it. Of course, the wrist rest helps promote a slightly raised hand position too, which is great.

Want to record macros on the fly or adjust brightness? There are a few FN-shift functions, which light up when the button is held.

The switches are really interesting. They’re membrane AND mechanical. It is basically a short actuation plunger design with a clicking mechanism. They’re pretty unique, giving you the mechanical click and a really swift return, but also a shorter travel distance you would expect from a membrane. It actually reminds me of an electric typewriter.

The multimedia controls are awesome, as I listen to music while I work and game, so having quick control is very welcome. The volume wheel is nice and responsive and can be clicked to mute it too. However, there’s a lot more to it…

All of the keys on this keyboard can be reprogrammed, including the multimedia controls. You can set these up as macros, shortcuts, launchers, have the wheel as a zoom tool in Premier or Photoshop, etc. I doubt many people will change them, but it’s cool that you can.