Razer’s first barebones kit is a big win for keyboard nerds and is cheaper than Corsair’s new one

It doesn’t seem like too long ago that myself and my managing editor Jacob Ridley (yes, two Jacobs—annoying, I know) were arguing over whether there’s still a distinction between gaming and enthusiast keyboards. I argued there was still a meaningful distinction, but if anything were to really solidify why I was wrong, it would be this: that gaming keyboards are now starting to come in barebones DIY kits.

The latest of these is the just-announced Razer BlackWidow V4 75% Barebones. Hit ‘Start Customizing’ and you’ll get to choose your body (black or white), your switch (Green, Yellow, or none), and your keycaps (black, white, or none). This means you can choose to have just the body, which costs $130, and then kit it out with your own hot-swappable switches and keycaps of choice.

Selecting switches and caps puts it to $250 on Razer’s site, making the board-only kit, but you can pick up some pre-built versions for $150 or less on sale, and the one we reviewed came in at $180. Those had different switches and keycaps, though. And whatever the case on the money front, you’re getting the option to customise things exactly how you want them.

Well, maybe not exactly how you want them, because this still isn’t quite the experience you get with something like a more assuredly ‘enthusiast’ keyboard like the Qwertykeys QK75N, which lets you choose between not only a ton of cases, but also PCBs and plates.

Still, barebones customisability like what Razer is offering is a definite step in the enthusiast (ie, keyboard nerd) direction. And what’s more, Razer’s not the only brand that’s been doing it.

Glorious has been doing it for a while; just look at its GMMK 3 Pro Barebones kit. That one gives you a choice of size and layout (ANSI or ISO). It even has a separate Hall effect barebones GMMK 3 Pro kit. Then there’s Corsair, which joined the party just last month with its MAKR 75 barebones kit. The options here are more extensive than for both the Razer and Glorious keyboards, though.

With the Corsair, not only can you select the frame colour but also an additional FR4 plate for more of a poppy sound (I knew those keyboard plate notes would come in useful someday) and a decent number of choices for switches, keycaps, and an optional wireless module. You also have the option to have it come pre-assembled, provided you’ve chosen a config that comes with switches.

Razer joining the party is just more confirmation of the same trend in keyboards moving towards improving things for keyboard nerds like me who really value customisability and feel.

The V4 Pro already had some of this in mind, at least on the feel front. Although our commander in chief Dave James had it crap out on him, when it wasn’t crapped out he could attest to it feeling pretty decent quality. Even the most enthusiastic of keyboard enthusiasts, mechanical keyboard YouTubers, seem to like it.

Razer says this barebones kit “marks a bold new direction” for the company: “Every detail of the chassis is engineered to elevate the typing experience such as dual-layer dampening foam that minimizes unwanted reverberation, factory-lubricated stabilizers for smoother keystrokes, an FR4 plate for a deeper sound profile, and a pre-applied tape that softens high-frequency clacks.”

The barebones kit, the company says, “retains the same build quality, while giving users complete freedom to install their own 3-pin or 5-pin mechanical switches and custom keycaps.”

It’s available for purchase now for $140 for the black version or $150 for the white one. That’s cheaper than both the GMMK 3 Pro Barebones and the MAKR75 Barebones (though not some non-Pro GMMK ones), so the space is certainly getting hotter, you love to see it.