No sense crying over spilled milk, as the saying goes. Razer's new keyboard will definitely survive spilled milk, beer, water, soda, or basically any beverage gamers guzzle up whenever they're playing on their PC.
Razer makes keyboards of different kinds, none of which are particularly tough — accidentally spill drinks on it and it's kaput. That won't be a problem for its new BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard, though, since it's rated with IP54 water and dust resistance.
Razer BlackWidow Ultimate
That rating ensures the BlackWidow series keyboard will still function properly even when someone spills moderate amounts of water on it — but don't ever throw it in the pool since it'll be toast. Smartphones that work underwater are rated with IP67 or more, so don't get any ideas.
"We've never stopped making improvements to our gaming keyboards," said Razer cofounder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. "The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate is now more durable than ever and our first mechanical keyboard to incorporate water- and dust-resistant features."
Beyond its IP54 water and dust resistance, the BlackWidow Ultimate is basically similar to any run-off-the-mill Razer keyboard, complete with mechanical switches, 10-key anti-ghosting, plus full programming support. Backlight is restricted to green, unfortunately, though it does support different effects like ripples and waves. Waves — get it?
Pricing And Availability
The keyboard is now available for purchase via Razer's store for $110 and should hit retail shelves worldwide before the year ends. Other features of the keyboard include Razer Synapse, 1,000 Hz Ultrapolling, and a Gaming Mode option. With a life span of 80 million keystrokes, it'll last long too.
It's perfect for those who often eat lunch in front of their computer or those who work — and drink — on a terribly narrow table, which is basically an invitation to accidents. If the keyboard, however, is too expensive, try looking into Corsair's K68 keyboard, which is cheaper than Razer's at only $99. While it's not as tough as the BlackWidow Ultimate with its lower IP32 rating, it should still save people from minor water mishaps that occur in their workstation.
Even still, Razer is the more popular gaming accessories brand of the two, and the inclusion of water resistance is bound to make the feature more commonplace on its other keyboards, plus other brands as well. Imagine if keyboards are all water resistant in the future. Or even waterproof. Gaming pool parties? Yes.
What do you make of Razer's BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
