The company has taken the wraps off two new keyboards: the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite, both of which are wired gaming keyboards that feature Razer’s new Opto-Mechanical switches. What makes these switches different from regular keyboard switches is that it involves the use of a light beam. This light beam is connected when the key is pressed which then sends a signal to the computer to let it know that it has been depressed.
According to Razer, the new Opto-Mechanical switch is said to be 30% faster compared to traditional keyboard switches. They have also been designed to be relatively light with 45g of actuation force, meaning that you won’t need to press down so hard to get the keys to register. Also because it ultimately uses less moving parts compared to a traditional switch, in theory it should last longer, with Razer touting a lifespan of 100 million keystrokes.
Both the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite will feature the same hardware, with the latter offering more features such as an RGB underglow, a wrist rest, and also additional media control keys. The Huntsman is priced at $150 while the Elite model will retail for $200.