Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro Optical Wireless Keyboard Review: Ticks All The Right Boxes

So we’ve been using the brand new Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro for about a month now and we’ve got to say that it’s definitely surprised us way more than we thought it would. If you didn’t know, it’s been about a decade since the previous Deathstalker keyboard was around and that was a totally different design with a chiclet style layout and there was even a version with the Switchblade UI. Incidentally, I personally do still have the chassis for the original Razer Blade here with that very same UI. But we now finally get the V2 and it’s a whole family of low-profile, wireless, optical gaming keyboards. So let’s take a look at the Deathstalker V2 Pro.

When you first take this out of the box, you’re definitely going to notice just how slim this is but yet still feeling really sturdy, really premium. It features a 5052 aluminum alloy top plate that provides most of the rigidity and heft, with durable plastic adorning most of the bottom, most likely for better wireless strength. Here is also where you’ll find huge rubber feets and flip out feet that will incline the board at the usual 6 and 9 degrees respectively.

Overall, it’s still going to have that signature Razer design language with the all black look, minimalistic logos and of course, that Chroma RGB.

But the Deathstalker V2 Pro definitely has a much more unique profile compared to the Huntsman or the Blackwidow. It feels kind of like a fusion between a professional office style keyboard and a gaming keyboard and we do feel Razer has somehow managed that sweet spot here. And to note, that slight curve at the edges doesn’t only just give it that unique shape but also allows you to easily grip the keyboard and move it around, a nice touch for sure.

By now you might’ve noticed that instead of the usual LEDs for Caps Lock, Num Lock and such on the top right corner, Razer has instead placed a Multi-Function Roller and Media Button. By default, they are your media controls. Volume up, Volume Down and Mute for the Roller and Play/Pause, Next Track and Previous Track for the Media Button. Really nifty and definitely used it for volume adjustments almost all the time. But if you would like to assign different functions instead, that is all available via Razer Synapse. Anything goes, your choice.

Now as mentioned, this is a wireless keyboard and so you do get Razer’s very own HyperSpeed Wireless as well as Bluetooth 5.0. It’s up to you to choose whichever you prefer for the kind of environment you are in, but we’ll definitely recommend using HyperSpeed Wireless wherever you can. In addition, the dongle for that can be tucked away in its own compartment on the underside of the keyboard, making it great for travel, and it also does have Multi-Device Support with other supported Razer peripherals. Again, great for travel as well and does save you a USB port, especially important for a laptop.

But should you be using Bluetooth, you’ll be glad to know that you can also seamlessly switch between devices via the 3 dedicated profile buttons.

At this point, we definitely want to touch on battery life for it’s gonna be a huge concern especially if you’re going to be gaming quite a bit. On top of that, if you hadn’t yet realized, this is an optical gaming keyboard, not a mechanical gaming keyboard. If you know the basic differences between an optical switch and a mechanical switch, you will quickly know why most companies don’t use optical switches for a wireless keyboard.

But yet here we are and Razer is touting some seriously impressive battery life especially for what it is. Using HyperSpeed at 50% keyboard brightness, you can expect about 45 hours of battery life on a single charge and if you were to roughly spend 6 hours a day with it, you’ll only need to charge every week or so. But if you’re like me, and you simply want the best battery life possible, just turn off all the RGB and you’ll be able to achieve nearly 200 hours of battery life on a single charge. If you use the keyboard 6 hours a day, it can last you a month, easily.

Razer also includes a nifty shortcut function for you to check the remaining battery life at a glance, which is a really nice touch. Now is it the best battery life for a wireless gaming keyboard out there? No, of course not. There are better ones out there. But again you have to remember that these are optical switches, not mechanical ones, and to still achieve this amount of battery life is nothing short of amazing.

So now let’s talk about those keycaps and switches.

For a start, you do get the standard ANSI layout which is nice and the keycaps used here are made of ABS. Surprisingly however, they aren’t doubleshot ABS but rather standard ABS that are laser-etched with a unique ultra-durable coating that’s supposed to be tougher than double ABS.

I’ve actually met with the people over at Razer when they were introducing this very board to me and they do emphasize that these keycaps really do last better than their doubleshot ABS and even their doubleshot PBT. So far, we can definitely say that after a month of use, it is still looking brand new. But of course, only time will tell. Regardless, the legends are nice and crisp, the low profile nature is really comfortable and the texture feels smooth and gentle to the touch.

But now let’s talk about those switches.

These are Razer’s new low-profile optical switches and they are currently available in either red or purple, linear or clicky respectively. Linears are definitely superior in our opinion so that’s what we have with our board. If you’ve ever tried the Huntsman series of keyboards, these basically feel just like those except they are low-profile and they also feature silicon dampeners just like in the latest revisions of the standard-profile. Pair that with the low-profile keycaps and it makes for a really comfortable typing experience and arguably, it’s also going to be a keyboard that will allow rapid inputs without delay in the heat of gaming.

Now if we were to nitpick, the stabilizers aren’t anything to write home about. They are decent and they just work, but don’t expect any lubrication and those keys will have that rattle when you tap on them. But if you’re wondering how this keyboard sounds like right out of the box, well, let’s get into the sound test

Overall, it’s been a pretty great experience using the Deathstalker V2 Pro and this entire script was in fact, typed using this very keyboard. Even after hours of use, my hands didn’t really feel much fatigue and even during my occasional gaming sessions in Genshin Impact and the likes, not once did I experience any kind of input delay or loss of connection using the HyperSpeed connection.

Everything just felt awesome and responsive, exactly like it would be with a wired keyboard. The only thing we can really say is that if you’ve been using standard height keyboards for the most part of your life, this will take time getting used to. But once you’re used to it, it’s going to be fantastic for documents, homework, gaming, you name it. Heck, this is probably the most useful to pair with a home theatre PC.

If you’re looking to purchase one, the full sized Deathstalker V2 Pro will set you back 249 US Dollars or 319 Singapore Dollars. If you want the TKL version, that’ll set you back 219.99 US Dollars or 299 Singapore Dollars. And if you simply want the low-profile nature of the keyboard, but none of that wireless capability, there’s also the standard wired Deathstalker V2 that will set you back 199.99 US Dollars or 249 Singapore Dollars.

All in all, Razer has definitely impressed us with this well needed refresh for the Deathstalker. It looks great, it performs great and it really is that one keyboard that’s perfect for office use and gaming use.