The Razer Huntsman V2 is an expensive gaming keyboard but delivers with premium features, like programmable keys that can store up to two functions, robust media keys and premium keycaps atop admirable optical mechanical switches. But most won’t notice the 8,000 Hz polling rate, and there are no macro keys.
Razer introduced its new priciest keyboard this year, the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog, but for many gamers, its pressure-sensitive switches would go to waste. The Razer Huntsman V2 ($190 as tested with linear switches / $200 for clicky switches) drops the analog switches, as well as the USB passthrough and RGB wrist rest. But it keeps many, more broadly appealing features, like a tactile, precise and reprogrammable volume wheel. The Huntsman V2 also arrives to replace the Razer Huntsman Elite, a tough act to follow, considering it was the top-selling keyboard in 2020, according to The NPD Group.
Razer tries to make the Huntsman V2 worth it by giving it an 8,000 Hz polling rate, meaning the keyboard sends a report to your PC up to 8 times more per second frequently than a standard gaming keyboard. That may go unnoticed, but the quality of the optical mechanical switches that characterize Razer’s Huntsman lineup won’t, especially with the sound dampening foam.
