Razer built a light-based key switch for its newest mechanical keyboards

Razer has added a couple of new mechanical keyboards to its growing line of planks, but what separates these newest models from the pack are the key switches. Both the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite, as they're called, feature Razer's new opto-mechanical switch.

Unlike most mechanical key switches, the opto mechanical ones have an optical light sensor inside to register key presses. According to Razer, this design enables a faster and more consistent response when mashing keys, especially in a frenzied firefight.

"Using optical technology, an infrared light beam inside each switch precisely detects actuation when a key is pressed. A 1.5mm actuation point allows the Razer Opto-Mechanical Switch to actuate 30 percent faster than traditional clicky mechanical switches," Razer says.

These are clicky switches, similar to Razer's Green switch (which itself is like Cherry's MX Blue switch), with tactile feedback. The optical portion works in parallel with the switch, so the claim is you get the same general feel as a Razer Green, just with a separate mechanism to instantly actuate a key press.

They're also supposedly durable, in part because of a metal stabilizer bar that flanks both sides of the switch. Razer rates its opto mechanical key switches for 100 million keystrokes.

The regular Huntsman is the less expensive of the two at $149.99. It's built with an aluminum matte top plate, features Chroma (RGB) backlighting, and on-the-fly macro recording, though there are no dedicated gaming/macro keys.

Razer's Huntsman Elite costs $199.99 and comes with a few additional features, including a magnetic wrist rest, underglow lighting, and separate media controls with a scroll dial in the upper-right corner.

Both keyboards are available now. If they don't float your boat, here's our guide to the best gaming keyboards out there.

Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).

Latest in Gaming Keyboards
The Razer Huntsman Mini 60% gaming keyboard floats in the teal PC Gamer deal void. The per-key RGB lights are on.
The most adorable Razer keyboard features not only an almost half-size form factor, but an almost half-size price at only $70
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 on a blue background
My favourite rapid trigger keyboard is back at its lowest price and comes with a cute OLED screen to show game info (or a cat)
a picture of Attoparsec's 'ten hundred letter getter', a keyboard with 1,000 words on it.
'I made the world's worst keyboard': This YouTuber's homemade board has over 1,000 keys and types in words, not letters
The Cherry MX 8.2 Wireless Xaga gaming keyboard sits on a large mouse mat depicting a nebula. This visual motif ties into the shooting star design on the keyboard's space bar. The keyboard's RGB lights are on, but the design on the space bar is opaque, so the RGB lights only shine through the frosted sides of the keyboard's alphanumeric keycaps.
Cherry MX 8.2 TKL Wireless XAGA review
The Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL gaming keyboard on top of a mouse pad depicting a nebula. The keyboard is grey with red accent keys, a grey braided wire, and the bright RGB lights switched on.
Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL review
The Corsair K70 Pro TKL gaming keyboard seen from above, with the wrist rest attached, on a well-lit desk. Game mode has been activated, bathing every key in red light.
Corsair K70 Pro TKL review
Latest in News
A female Zoi making two hearts with her fingers.
Following 24 hours of Denuvo-based backlash, Inzoi is taking a surprising step and removing it entirely: 'We want to sincerely apologise for not aligning more closely with player expectations'
An image of a Helldiver from Helldivers 2 shooting at a red dragon from Dungeons & Dragons.
'Ok, so dragon builds are a thing now': galaxy-brained Helldivers 2 player incinerates a bile titan with a hover pack and a flamethrower
An ancient, angry stone mech from No Man's Sky's new Relics update
No Man’s Sky lets you unearth ancient, angry mechs in the astro-archaeology filled Relics update
Assassin's Creed Shadows promo image
Ubisoft scores a legendary ratio against Elon Musk on his own platform—which hopefully marks a final end to all the Assassin's Creed Shadows' culture war nonsense
Tzarina Katarin Bokha, the Ice Queen of Kislev
Total War: Warhammer 3 rolls out a cool Kislev overhaul, changes befitting Tzeench’s magic, new projectile units and creakier skeletal horses
An image of a golden first place award from Geoguessr
'We're actually getting GeoGuessr on Steam before GTA 6': the Google Street View puzzler arrives on Valve's platform this April