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Mac gaming has been getting serious in recent years, and a number of AAA games are finally making their way to macOS. If you want a top-of-the-line mechanical keyboard to blast your way through those titles, the new Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless could be the answer.
With high-quality build materials and many customizable features (including the ability to change how hard you press each key to activate it), it’s a device for the most demanding Mac gamer. But does its high price and lack of software support make it a dubious choice for Apple fans? Let’s find out.
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: What I love
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless is priced at the high end of the market and you definitely get a premium product for your money. The body is made of solid plastic with an aluminum top plate, and there’s no bending or sagging anywhere you look. There’s also a crisp LED display above the arrow keys that shows what profile is in use, whether caps lock or game mode is enabled, and more.
Razer opted for textured PBT keys with a slightly rough texture, they feel great in use and will resist gloss over time. They are also backlit and the lighting is beautifully bright and clear, making the keyboard a breeze to use in a dark room.
Underneath the keycaps are Razer’s analog optical switches. They’re linear, which means there’s no tactile feedback with each press, and they offer a very fast response – perfect for high-intensity gaming. Unlike some linear switches, they’re still quite comfortable for long typing (although more tactile switches are still better for that).
The tenkeyless form factor is more compact than the standard keyboard layout (it chops off the numpad) and is a good balance for both typing and gaming. On the top right is a volume rocker with a built-in mute button, plus buttons to control media and open the Xbox gamepad on Windows (it does nothing on macOS). As with almost all other keys, they can all be remapped in the Razer Synapse app on Windows (but not on macOS).
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As we’ll discuss in the next section, Razer’s Synapse app—which is used to customize many of the keyboard’s functions—doesn’t work with macOS. But Razer has a solution in that you can adjust the key controls, switch profiles, and enable and adjust the Rapid Trigger and Snap Tap features using hotkeys. It’s a little more clunky than using the app, but it means Mac users won’t lose out on these features entirely.
The ability to tweak key actuation levels – that is, how far you have to press a key for its input to register – is really useful, as it means you can make the keys feel as heavy or light as you like (and they can be incredibly light). To use this feature on macOS, press the function and Tab keys, then turn the volume knob or use the arrow keys. The LED display shows your selected key activation level (eg “1.2” for 1.2mm). You can also press a key to test your chosen level of control, then press Esc or Function and Tab to save the changes directly to the keyboard (meaning they’ll transfer to any Mac or PC you connect the keyboard to).
A similar feature is available for the quick launch mode, which allows you to reactivate the key without fully releasing it, allowing it to return to an unpressed position. Press Function and Caps Lock, then press Caps Lock again to highlight the currently active hotkeys. Turn the volume knob to adjust their sensitivity, or try tapping them to test them – their backlights turn green when a key is pressed and red when it’s reset.
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Similarly, Snap Tap is activated by pressing the Function key and Left Shift. This allows you to press and hold one key, then tap the other and the two keys will alternate (eg hold A and tap B and the output will be ABABABAB). Unfortunately, without Synapse, you can’t tell when it’s on or off except by testing because there’s no visual indication.
Finally, you can only switch profiles using the keyboard. Press Function and one of the six keys in the upper right corner (Home, End, etc.) – each with a corresponding profile number printed on its key. The profile icon on the LED display will change color when you change the profile. You can choose from one of five preset profiles, each with their own activation levels, Rapid Trigger settings, and more, and profiles include profiles for FPS games, racing titles, High Sensitivity mode, and more.
Being able to customize things with just the keyboard takes a lot of the pain out of Synapse’s lack of compatibility, and Razer’s implementation is very easy to use and understand. While we’d prefer to use Synapse, adjusting things on the keyboard itself means you won’t miss out on many of these excellent gaming features.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: What I don’t like
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the Razer Synapse. Razer’s companion app is used to customize all of its products, and the Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless is no different. With Synapse, you can change key control levels, activate features like Snap Tap and Rapid Trigger, tweak the lighting mode, and more.
Problem? Synapse does not work with macOS. This means that a significant range of features – many of which are core elements of the Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless – are not available to Mac users. This includes enabling Continuous Rapid Trigger mode (but not regular Rapid Trigger mode), remapping keys, creating new profiles, setting macros, and creating advanced lighting patterns. However, as we’ve seen, the good news is that many basic keyboard functions can be activated without the need for Synapse. Still, you may feel that the price of the keyboard is a bit too high to justify without the Synapse.
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There are a few other problems here. There is only one switch option (linear) and the switches are not hot swappable. Even mechanical keyboard purists might not like the typing sound – it’s loud, clunky and heavy. The palm rest is also very firm (some will like it, some won’t). Although it attaches magnetically to the keyboard along its top edge, it lacks clips to hold it in place, so it can slide from side to side. Finally, there’s no way to enable the macOS keyboard layout, so certain keys (such as Command) aren’t where you’d expect them to be.
However, none of these issues are as pressing as macOS’s lack of Synapse support. We’ve talked to Razer about this repeatedly in the past, and they’ve always assured us that macOS support is on their to-do list. We followed up with the Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless again and got the same response: future support is possible, but nothing is certain yet. The sooner support arrives, the better.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Competition
The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is another non-keyboard mechanical keyboard with customizable controls and a quick launch feature. Like the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless, it comes with backlit PBT keys, an adjustable kickstand and an on-board display. It’s slightly more affordable at $189.99 / £189.99.
If gaming aesthetics aren’t your thing, but you still want many of the same features as a Razer keyboard, the Keychron Q1 HE QMK is a much more subdued affair. You still get the control wheel and customizable control points, but in a more advanced look. It also features hot-swappable switches with magnetic activation, a seal design, and a button to switch between macOS and Windows layouts. It is priced at $219 / £193.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Should You Buy It?
You should buy it if…
- Looking for premium keyboard keys
- You’re looking for pro-level gaming features
- Want to quickly customize your keyboard without using software?
You should not buy this if…
- You’re on a tight budget
- You prefer to set the keyboard functions using the companion application
- You want clicky, tactile mechanical key switches
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless: Verdict
A really solid keyboard with excellent high-end gaming features and plenty of on-board customization options. it’s mostly just the price and lack of macOS support for Synapse that hold it back.