Gaming peripherals maker Razer has announced a new keyboard, the Huntsman, which marks the first outing for the company's own-brand 'Opto-Mechanical Switch' - boasting, the company disingenuously claims, 'key actuation at the speed of light'.

Designed, the company claims, with gaming firmly at the forefront, the Razer Huntsman Elite offers the usual raft of features you'd expect from one of the company's flagship keyboards: Chroma-compatible RGB backlighting, four-side 38-zone customisable under-lighting, detachable wrist-rest with a further 24 under-lighting zones, dedicated media keys, multi-function dial, 10-key rollover, sleeved USB cable, and programmability via the Synapse 3 software package.

Where it differs from the company's previous keyboards, though, is in ditching traditional mechanical switches for optical switches based on detecting the interruption of a beam of infra-red light. Triggering at a 1.5mm actuation point, Razer claims the new switches offer 30 percent faster activation compared to its mechanical switches while offering a similar finger-feel and double the lifespan at a 100 million keystroke rating.

'We have amassed years of experience developing and manufacturing our very own Razer Mechanical Switches designed specifically for gamers,' claims Razer chief executive and co-founder Min-Liang Tan. 'This focused expertise has now expanded upon our brand’s legacy with the new Razer Opto-Mechanical Switch that delivers an all-new level of performance that is optimised for top-tier eSports competition.'

The Razer Huntsman Elite has been priced at £199.99 (inc. VAT) in the UK, with a non-Elite Razer Huntsman also launched at £149.99 (inc. VAT) and coming without the under-lighting, media keys, wrist rest, and digital dial features. Both models are available now at the company's own web store, with more information available on the official website.


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