Review: Overwatch Razer Gaming Gear

It’s fair to say that this year has been dominated by Overwatch. The hype for this game was enticed by the many animation shorts and comic books revealing more about character’s background. Themed events like the Olympics which ran over the duration of the summer Olympics, and the more recent Halloween event. Each event brought new skins, emotes and sprays (if you were lucky enough to get them). That’s quite a lot to pack into a game that only launched in May this year and with the reveal of the 23rd character at Blizzcon, it’s clear that Overwatch has made its mark to stay. With that in mind, we finally got our hands on the Overwatch Razer BlackWidow Chroma Keyboard, the Overwatch Razer Goliathus Speed Pad and the Overwatch Razer Man O’War Tournament Edition – Gaming Headset.

Overwatch Razer BlackWidow Chroma

The noob that I am, I wasn’t too familiar with mechanical keyboards. It was quite the change for me going from my standard membrane keyboard to probably my new favourite play toy. I know for a lot of people that their main issue with mechanical keyboards is the clicking sound but for me, I can’t stop typing. Assignments will be that be more enjoyable now.

What I found to be the major difference between my old keyboard and the Blackwidow Chroma is the striking of each key. It does take time to get used to it, especially if you’re not familiar with using mechanical keyboards. It certainly wasn’t an issue though when it came to playing in-game. The beauty of using this keyboard is the mechanical switches that each key has. If you’re like me who was raised in the world of high latency, then you won’t have to worry about your keystroke not getting registered. The keyboard also boasts a long lifespan with up to 80 million keystrokes. This comes down to the design of the mechanical switches and allows a more accurate execution of your commands.

Razer actually designed two types of mechanical switches, the Razer Green and the Razer Orange. The Razer Green switches in the BlackWidow Chroma feel very similar to Cherry MX Blues. They require the same actuation force—a fairly heavy 50cN—and they exhibit the same “clicky” tactile feedback.

The software that comes with the keyboard itself allows the user to not only customise the colour profile for the background lighting but can alter keys for other key or mouse functions. I don’t see myself using them now but I can see the use for it down the line. It also includes a function key that allows you to use OS related commands like muting the volume or skipping through songs. I love seeing these features on keyboards. It’s a small thing but something I use quite frequently.

The most enjoyable part of the keyboard is the Overwatch profile. The Overwatch addict that I am, I was hypnotised when I was scrolling through each character and seeing the rainbow effect on the keyboard. Each character has their own unique colour when you hover over them. Once you’re in-game, each ability key is highlighted in a different colour. Once you activate it the cooldown takes effect and the key starts to blink until it’s ready again. As enjoyable it is to watch, it isn’t practical when you’re trying to take the enemy control point.

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Overwatch Razer Goliathus Speed Pad Extended

It’s been a while since I’ve used a mouse pad. I usually prefer using my desk surface over a mouse pad so it took a while for me to get used to it. My first issue with the pad was the size. It’s 36 inches wide so you best be prepared for a desk that you can fit it on.

Other than that, However, I adjusted to it quite comfortably. I never found the pad to move or slip when in-game or even when I would be cleaning around my desktop. I didn’t find any major issues when it came to my accuracy in-game when moving my mouse over the pad. Given its size, it offers the people who prefer low sensitivity for their mouse plenty of space to work with.

The design of the pad itself boasts a large Overwatch symbol on the pad with a black background. It’s simple in design but works perfectly together with the rest of the Overwatch themed hardware. Given the fact that I’m at my desk more than anywhere else it was only a matter of time before I spilt a drink on the mat. Fortunately, I haven’t noticed any fraying or noticeable damage.

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Overwatch Razer Man O’War Tournament Edition

The one thing I believe when it comes to having a gaming setup is having a good headset. There are many reasons why. First, comfort is a major factor. If you’re one to be up till all hours on a gaming binge, then having a comfortable headset is essential. There have been many occasions where I take a break because my ears were becoming incredibly irritated from my headset. Second, is clarity. Hearing your enemy’s footsteps around the corner and knowing that can be the moment between victory or defeat. These are always the main concerns I have when getting a new headset and so I tried out the Overwatch Razer Man O’War Tournament Edition.

The first thing that surprised me about the headset was the size. It was a lot bulkier than I anticipated. Regardless of its size, the headset itself was very comfortable to wear. The large, plush cushions fitted perfectly on my ears and blocked out most background noise. They proved to work well for long gaming sessions too which are perfect when you’re up late grinding on your placement in competitive for Overwatch.

After testing its comfort I immediately opened my Spotify playlist and began listening to my favourites. I was pleasantly surprised by the clarity of the music. I did test out different songs and one thing I did find was the bass wasn’t as strong as I would have liked. Regardless of that, I tested the headset in-game too and the sound was crisp and I didn’t notice any tearing.

I find myself on occasions to use my microphone heavily but most the time I’m a lone wolf but having a microphone is handy. I tested out the quality of the mic in-game and found that my voice came across clear with minimal background noise. I didn’t have to change any settings to boost my voice or reduce echoing. It was a nice surprise to have a microphone that when I needed it, I could rely on it.

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Each item is equipped with a durable braided cable. They feel solid and I don’t see them breaking anytime soon. This is a big problem with a lot of the products on the market these days. There is no form of cable management included other than the twist ties that came with the packaging, I would have like to have some sort of velcro-wrap cable tie as they are cheap, efficiant and easy to use. They can be bought for fairly cheap online but considering the price of each product it would have been handy if at least one was included for each item.

After several long gaming sessions, I found myself quite attached to each item. I’ve been using them in my daily life as well as in-game. The constant clicking sound when you type can be tedious when you’re writing but it hasn’t worn on me yet. I have yet to put down my headphones from discomfort and the mouse pad has convinced me that they are worth having.