Chaos Hour

Razer Arctosa Gaming Keyboard Review

The Razer Arctosa Has Some Great Elements However Some Other Features Let It Down.

The Arctosa Keyboard is one of many gaming keyboards produced by Razer. With their high end gaming peripherals and accessories we are expecting some good things.

Design

The Razer Arctosa comes packaged with all the goodies you need to get going and ofcourse, some extras. Included in the box is the authentication certificate as well as pre-made drivers ready for your computer to download. Sealed away underneath the packaging is the Arctosa itself ready to emerge.

Upon inspection the design elements to the Arctosa has both its advantages and flaws. For starters the keyboard is thin compared to some other gaming keyboards on the market and doesn't rise too far from the surface which is great. The keys themselves are smooth and not intrusive when typing. However the bad news is, due to this keyboard having no back lit keys the black gloss and matte finish to the overall design makes the keyboard very dark.

Usually this is not a problem for most gamers however, this can cause an issue with not so experienced pc users which struggle to find certain keys during game play. The Arctosa is relatively light which gives the impression that the keyboard is flimsy and weak. But after bending and applying some force on certain points you can immediately tell that the Arctosa is far from cheap.

Comfort

To become a great gaming keyboard the Arctosa has to withstand lengthy hours of game play regardless of the game type as well as functioning fully as a typing keyboard for both gamers and bloggers.

The keyboard is comfortable and after you find your home point your fingers will naturally find the keys they want regardless of how dark the keyboard is. The keys are responsive and caused no issue in writing this review in terms of functionality.

Features

The Arctosa is minimal but effective when it comes to extra features. The keyboard layout is pretty standard however you do have the addition of some multimedia keys which are located in the top right corner. No additional keys or macro keys are given to the user which is a shame as most games can take advantage of extra buttons for competitive gaming.

The keys are super responsive thanks to Razer's Ultra responsive technology and each key can be programmed with macro properties. This is done by installing the latest drivers from Razer. From there you can record any amount of keystrokes you want. It is easy to use and does the job well. Also the keyboard has some built in profiles which you can take advantage of when swapping between games.

In Practice (Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars)

Although the keys were responsive, the lack of extra programmable keys is a big disadvantage compared to other keyboards on the market. Competitive gaming with strategy games is so much easier when you have certain buildings and groups linked to extra keys on the keyboard.

In Practice (Guild Wars 2)

While embracing the lands of Tyria the Razer Arctosa makes a great companion with those long hours of gaming. The only slight disadvantage is sometimes you can lose yourself due to the keypad being so dark to see. However this didn't cause too much of a frustration. The Media buttons did well to help change your music files while not interrupting game play

In Practice (League of Legends)

This is where the Razer Arctosa really shined. Due to League of Legends not requiring much coverage on the keyboard the sensitivity and instant key presses helped gain the advantage on the battlefield. Each key press required so little force that it was easy to execute your combo without messing up accidently which ensured me a kill every gank.

Conclusion

The Razer Arctosa has a tough market of gaming peripherals to contend against and in some areas it falls short. However what the Arctosa does do, it does well and you cannot complain with that. Extra keys would have been a better selling point for strategy gamers and the darkness to the keyboard is an issue. Saying that though you can easily pick up a version of the Arctosa with a white key covering to make the keys easier to read.

Although the keyboard is a little dated it has an amazing price tag of only £35-45 on most online retailers. This makes this gaming keyboard a bargain for most entry gamers which are new to PC Gaming. Yes it has some flaws but for the average gamer then it will see you to victory for a small price tag. This is why we have awarded the Razer Arctosa with the 'Supreme Value' Award.

If you are looking for something with a little more 'umph' then Razer have the stunning Razer Black Widow Ultimate available which will cover all your desires.