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Razer has announced a new member of the Hunstman family of keyboards, the Hunstman V2 Analog. Unlike most traditional keyboards, this new version has analog key switches, allowing for different levels of pressure to be detected, which the company claims can improve the precision of gaming controls.
Razer calls the new switches Analog Optical Switches because they"re based on its existing switches that use light to detect keystrokes more quickly and without physical contact. That concept holds up in this new concept, but now, the switches can not only detect when light is passing through the switch, they can also detect how much is passing through, thus detecting how far the keys are being pressed. Plus, because they"re still light-based and no contact happens for keystrokes to register, Razer claims longevity of up to 100 million keystrokes for the switches.
The analog switches mean that, in games, you won"t necessarily be limited to 8-direction movement with the WASD keys, but instead get more precise 360-degree control similar to what a controller"s analog stick allows. This can be beneficial for certain games that rely on the added level of precision, such as racing games. On top of that, the analog switches allow users to customize the actuation point between 1.5mm and 3.6mm, and even set up dual actuation steps, so keys have two different functions depending on how hard you press them.
Aside from the new switches, the Hunstman V2 Analog also packs doubleshot PBT keycaps, which are supposedly more durable than the ABS keycaps Razer typically uses. The new keycaps are available for regional layouts including the UK, German, French, Nordic, Russian, Spanish, and Japanese, in addition to the U.S.
Additionally, the keyboard has a braided cable and comes with an adapter that allows it to plug into USB Type-A or Type-C ports based on your preference. It also supports USB 3.0 passthrough with a second cable. And of course, it wouldn"t be a gaming keyboard without RGB, so it supports Razer Chroma.
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To round things out, the Huntsman V2 Analog packs the same features as its predecessors, including a digital dial for media controls, programmable keys, storage for up to five keybinding profiles, N-key rollover, and a 1000Hz polling rate.
The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is available today from Razer for $249.99/€269.99, and other resellers will have it from February 9.
If you"re looking for something completely different, Razer also announced the new Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma, with four Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which used to connect to the PC), three USB type-A ports, Ethernet, 3.5mm combo audio, SD card reader, and barrel connector for power. It can drive up to two 4K displays at 60Hz and it also supports passthrough charging.
If you don"t need as powerful of a setup, there"s also the new Laptop Stand Chroma V2, which turns a USB Type-C port into a hub with two USB Type-C ports (one exclusively for power delivery), two USB Type-A ports, and an HDMI port, while also raising the laptop to a more comfortable position. It can drive up to two QHD displays at 60Hz, or two FHD displays at 120Hz.
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As the names suggest, both of these support Chroma RGB lighting to add more flair to your setup. Both are supposedly available for pre-order today, with the Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma costing $329.99/€329.99, and the Laptop Stand Chroma V2 commanding a price of $149.99/€129.99. However, the latter is currently marked as being out of stock.