The Razer Ornata Chroma gaming keyboard is excellent. It has one-of-a-kind switches that combine the feel of membrane and clicky mechanical switches. However, the pre-travel distance is a little deeper than on other switches, which may make it feel a little more difficult to actuate. On the plus side, the board is reasonably well-made and includes full RGB lighting that can be customized via software.
What’s the deal with Razer’s Ornata Chroma? Switches that combine the, uh, key features of the consumer keyboard market’s dominant typing technologies. Razer refers to the technology as “Mecha-Membrane,” and it is exactly what it sounds like: a combination of its own proprietary mechanical switch and a silicone dome. The mechanical switch depresses the dome to register the stroke when you press a key. This eliminates the need for a full version of either type of switch while still providing some of the alleged benefits of both.
But it all happens under the hood. The updated keycaps, which are roughly half the height of traditional keycaps, are one thing you’re more likely to notice. In addition to requiring you to move less weight with each press, Razer claims that the shorter cap “reduce[s] the time it takes for your actions to register,” allowing you to type faster and land more hits in games that require quick reaction.
Razer also includes a large padded wrist rest that attaches to the magnetized front of the keyboard, providing a place to rest your hands when the action slows down. Despite this, the keyboard supports 10-key rollover and 10-key anti-ghosting. The Ornata Chroma appears to be a standard no-frills gaming keyboard in every other way.
Its dimensions are unremarkable, and it’s all black except for the backlighting, which can be customized using the downloadable Razer Synapse software to appear in any of 16.8 million colors, a variety of preconfigured patterns, or a custom layout. This level of customization is uncommon on keyboards in this price range. Other worthy models, like the SteelSeries Apex M500 and the Corsair Strafe Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, are only available in one color.
