Thinking of getting yourself a gaming keyboard sometime soon? Not sure what to get? Razer's freshly-released hybrid might appeal to you.
Razer just announced a new line of gaming keyboards that it dubbed the "Ornata," which features the company's new "mecha-membrane" technology. As the name suggests, the Ornata keyboard is a cross between a membrane rubber dome design, which is known for its comfort, and the technology behind mechanical keyboards that provides gamers with a unique tactile feedback and faster actuations.
Aside from the mecha-membrane, Razer also designed the Ornata to have a mid-height keycap. Razer claims that by melding all of these designs and technologies together, the Ornata can deliver soft, cushioned touches and crisp, tactile clicks that make for a comfortable and unique typing experience.
"The Razer Mecha-Membrane is the result of years of research and development that we've dedicated to build the best keyboards for gamers," says Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan while noting that the Ornata was created from learnings of real-use scenarios. The CEO points out that the new keyboard is a great example of how feedback can push innovations.
"In this case a solution that melds two seemingly disparate keyboard technologies for a phenomenal experience," Tan adds.
However, bear in mind that while it's said to be more comfortable than most mechanical keyboards, the Ornata isn't any quieter. In fact, it is much louder, as the video below demonstrates.
"It sounds like I'm typing like a madman! It sounds like I'm popping the world's tiniest bubble wrap at 1,000 bubbles per minute," comments Paul Miller of The Verge.
Aside from the unique sound, which some love and others hate, the Ornata also features fully programmable keys, a dedicated gaming mode, 10-key roll over and 10 simultaneous key presses, thanks to its anti-ghosting capabilities. It will also ship with a magnetic detachable ergonomic wrist rest, green monochrome backlighting that can be configured using Razer Synapse and a $79.99 price tag.
An RGB version, the Razer Ornata Chroma, is also available but is priced much higher at $99.99. Of course, just like most Chromas, this one gets individual backlighting for each of its keys, which is customizable using various effects and 16.8 million colors. Lighting profile presets for popular game titles, such as Overwatch, Blade and Soul and Call of Duty: Black Ops III are also available.
Both the Razer Ornata and Razer Ornata Chroma can be preordered through Razer's online store. Razer looks to fill retailers' shelves worldwide by October.
