Mac games In recent years, it has become more and more serious, and a series of AAA game Finally logged into macOS. If you want a top-of-the-line mechanical keyboard to play these games, Razer’s new Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless might be your answer.
With high-quality build materials and plenty of customizable features (even including the ability to change how hard you press each key to activate it), this is a device for the most discerning Mac gamer. But does its high price and lack of software support make it a questionable choice for Apple fans? let’s see.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Price and Availability
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless costs $219.99 / £219.99 and is available from Razer and third-party retailers.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: My favorite
The pricing of the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless falls into the high-end market, and you can definitely get a high-end product at a great value for money. The body is made of solid plastic with an aluminum top panel that doesn’t flex or buckle no matter where you look. There’s also a clear LED display above the arrow keys that indicates which profile is in use, whether Caps Lock or Game Mode is enabled, and more.
Razer chose textured PBT keycaps, which have a slightly rough texture but feel great in hand and will not become shiny over time. They are also backlit, which makes the lighting very bright and clear, making the keyboard easy to use in a dark room.
Underneath the keycaps are Razer’s analog optical switches. They’re linear, meaning there’s no tactile feedback when you press each button, and they offer very fast response – perfect for high-intensity gaming. Unlike some linear switches, they’re still very comfortable for long periods of typing (although more tactile switches are still better suited for this).
The keyless form factor is more compact than a standard keyboard layout (it removes the numeric keypad) and offers a good balance between typing and gaming. In the upper right corner is a volume knob with a built-in mute button, as well as buttons for media controls and turning on the Xbox Game Bar in Windows (this does nothing in macOS). Like almost all other keys, these can be remapped in the Razer Synapse app in Windows (but not in macOS).
As we’ll discuss in the next section, Razer’s Synapse app (which allows you to customize many of the keyboard’s features) doesn’t work on macOS. But Razer has a solution, and you can use keyboard shortcuts to adjust key actuation, switch profiles, and enable and adjust quick trigger and quick click features. It’s a little more clunky than using the app, but it means Mac users won’t miss out on these features entirely.
The ability to adjust a key’s actuation level (i.e. how far you need to press a key before its input registers) is useful because it means you can make the keys feel as heavy or light as you want (and they can be very light). To use this feature in macOS, press the Function key, the Tab key, and then turn the volume knob or use the arrow keys. The LED display shows the key drive level you selected (for example, “1.2” means 1.2 mm). You can also press a key to test your chosen driver level, then press Esc or Function and Tab to save the changes directly to the keyboard (which means they will carry over to any Mac or PC you connect the keyboard to).
Quick trigger mode has a similar feature, allowing you to reactivate a key without fully letting go and allowing it to return to its unpressed position. You press Function, Caps Lock, and then Caps Lock again to highlight the currently active quick trigger keys. Turn the volume knob to adjust its sensitivity, or try clicking on them to test them – their backlight turns green when the keys activate and red when they reset.
Likewise, press Function and Left Shift to enable Snap Tap. This allows you to hold down one key and then tap another key, and the two keys will alternate (for example, hold A and tap B, the output will be ABABABAB). Unfortunately, without Synapse, you can’t tell when it’s on or off unless tested, as there’s no visual indication.
Finally, you can also switch profiles using just your keyboard. Press the function key and one of the six buttons in the upper right corner (Home, End, etc.) – each button has its corresponding profile number printed on its keycap. When you change the profile, the LED display’s profile icon will change color. You can choose from five pre-made profiles, each with custom driver levels, quick trigger settings, and more. These include profiles for FPS games, racing games, high-sensitivity modes, and more Profile.
Being able to customize it using just the keyboard takes away a lot of the pain that comes with a lack of Synapse compatibility, and Razer’s implementation is very easy to use and understand. While we prefer using Synapse, adapting the keyboard itself means you don’t miss out on many great gaming features.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: What I don’t like
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Razer Synapse. Razer’s companion app is used to customize all of its products, and the Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless is no exception. You can use Synapse to change key driver levels, enable features like Snap Tap and Rapid Trigger, adjust lighting modes, and more.
question? Synapse is not available for macOS. This means that Mac users lose access to quite a few features (many of which are core elements of Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless). This includes enabling continuous rapid trigger (but not regular rapid trigger) mode, remapping keys, creating new profiles, setting macros, and creating advanced lighting modes. As we’ve seen, though, the good news is that Synapse is not required to enable many of the keyboard’s basic functions. However, you may feel that the price of the keyboard is a bit too high without Synapse.
There are other issues worth noting. There is only one switch option (linear) and the switches are not hot-swappable. The sound of typing may also displease mechanical keyboard purists – it’s loud, clunky and heavy. The palm rest is also very sturdy (some people will like this and some may not). While it magnetically attaches to the keyboard along the top edge, it doesn’t have a clip to hold it in place so it can slide from side to side. Finally, the macOS keyboard layout cannot be enabled, so some keys (such as Command) are not where you expect them to be.
But none of these issues are as pressing as the lack of Synapse support in macOS. We’ve discussed this with Razer several times in the past, and they’ve always assured us that macOS support is on their to-do list. We followed up again with the Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless and received the same response: support may be available in the future, but nothing confirmed yet. The sooner support arrives, the better.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Competition
this SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is another keyless mechanical keyboard with customizable actuation and quick trigger features. Like the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless, it comes with backlit PBT keycaps, an adjustable stand, and an onboard display. It’s a bit more affordable at $189.99/£189.99.
If you’re not too keen on the gamer aesthetic but you still want many of the same features as a Razer keyboard, then Keychron Q1 HE QMK It’s a more low-key thing. You still get the control dials and customizable actuation points, but the look is more mature. It also features a hot-swappable switch with magnetic activation, a spacer-mount design, and buttons for switching between macOS and Windows layouts. Priced at $219/£193.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if…
- You’re looking for a premium touch on your keyboard
- You seek professional-grade gaming features
- You want to quickly customize your keyboard without using software
You shouldn’t buy this if…
- Your budget is tight
- You like using the companion app to configure your keyboard’s features
- You need mechanical key switches with a clicky feel
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Verdict
A really solid keyboard with some great high-end gaming features and tons of onboard customization. What’s holding it back is mainly price and macOS’s lack of support for Synapse apps.