Razer Pro Type Ultra Review

Introduction

The Razer Pro Type Ultra may be a slightly older model in the manufacturer’s lineup, but it remains one of the brand’s only options designed for typists.

It looks to offer a compelling choice for productivity users who want a keyboard with dual wireless connectivity, stylish looks and comfortable and quiet linear keyswitches. Since this ‘board’s inception a couple of years ago, we’ve seen a lot more wireless enthusiast-grade choices at a similar price point to the Pro Type Ultra’s £159.99/$159 asking price, making its proposition a little harder than it once was.

I’m thinking of the Lemokey P1 Pro or Drop CSTM80 which may come with slightly smaller layouts, but trade it for hot-swappable capabilities, potentially better acoustics and arguably even more versatility for a similar price tag. Or, the Cherry KC 200 MX, which goes without wireless connectivity and backlighting, but offers their newer MX2A switches for virtually half the cost of Razer’s option.

Whether the Pro Type Ultra has done enough to mark itself out as one of the best mechanical keyboards we’ve tested remains to be seen, though. I’ve been testing it for the last few weeks to see how well it fares.

Design

• Stylish design and solid construction
• Convenient full-size layout
• ABS keycaps are a let-down at its price

The Pro Type Ultra has a certain Mac-like quality to it, with its stylish silver aluminium top plate and white keycaps. It certainly won’t look out of place on any modern office desks, and integrates well into my own setup with a Logitech MX Master 3S and Philips Evnia 32M2N8900 with a similar colourway.

It’s a pleasant slab to have on your desk, and is rather sturdy. There isn’t any deck flex, and it remains in place on my desk well under usage.

The full-size layout here is convenient, giving you access to a proper number pad, nav cluster, arrow keys and fully-featured function row. No adjustment period to change to a different layout, which is always nice.

As solid as the general build quality of the Pro Type Ultra is, things are let down a little by its ABS keycaps.

They are doubleshot for added durability, but that’s about all I can say in their favour. The presence of ABS on a keyboard at this price is a shame, as key rivals use the much more durable and shine-resistant PBT. What’s more, the smoother finish that Razer markets as a ‘soft-touch coating’ only makes them feel cheaper; I’d much prefer textured PBT over these ABS ‘caps any day.

The interface here around the back is simple, with a USB-C port for charging, and a selector switch for wireless connectivity to allow you to choose between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz.

There is a small compartment on the underside for storing the receiver, along with two-stage adjustable feet to raise the keyboard up to a more comfortable angle if needed. The Pro Type Ultra benefits from an additional wristrest that, while not magnetically attachable to the keyboard itself, can do a handy job for aiding comfort.

Its packaging is reasonably sustainable, with the keyboard coming without the plastic cover Razer used to put over them, although both the wristrest and USB-C charging cable come in plastic wrap, which is a bit of a shame.

Performance

• Yellow switches offer a responsive typing feel
• Acoustics are sub-par
• Solid connectivity, but potentially weaker battery life

Where the previous Pro Type model had Razer’s soft-tactile Orange switches inside, the newer Ultra variant has opted to go for their Yellow linear options, which Razer says are dampened for a quieter keypress. They feature a lighter 45g actuation force, so they should feel equally at home for gaming and typing.

The Yellow switches themselves feel pretty good, and I had no issues using them for typing up thousands of words for work. The lighter force meant they were easy to use without much fatigue, and while I usually prefer a soft-tactile bump under finger, the Yellows were quite responsive. You’ll have to like these switches though, as this keyboard isn’t hot-swappable.

The problem I have is with Razer’s claim of the Pro Type Ultra being a quiet keyboard, because it isn’t. Granted, the switches do have some kind of dampening, as you can feel a certain softness about halfway down the travel, but that’s about it. The switches are otherwise quite loud thanks to some pinging of keycaps off the aluminium top plate. while its metal stabilisers lack any form of lubrication and dampening, so there is a certain amount of rattle and ping, not least from the Space bar.

If anything, this cheapens the feel of what should be a more premium mechanical option, given its price tag. Even more affordable mechanical choices targeted more towards enthusiasts, such as the Epomaker TH80 Pro V2, featured lubed switches and lots of sound dampening inside the case which go a long way for a much better sound profile.

Connectivity is a strong point with the Pro Type Ultra, with it being able to work with up to three devices at once over either Bluetooth or 2.4GHz. Pairing is easy, with the Fn key and either 1,2, 3 depending on which channel you want to use. For its receiver, this keyboard uses Razer’s Productivity Dongle, which can act as a unifying receiver with the Pro Click Mini, the matching mouse to this keyboard, so you can have both devices connected to one receiver as a handy desktop set.

The Pro Type Ultra is plagued with the same issue of battery drop-off as the older BlackWidow V3 Pro when using its backlighting. If used with it off, Razer says you’ll get up to 214 hours over Bluetooth and 207 over the 2.4GHz receiver.

On its own, this stands up well, giving you weeks’ worth of use before needing to charge the keyboard back up. If you want the backlighting on though, you’ll have to be content with a lot less time between charges, as the Pro Type Ultra will last for up to 13 hours, which is quite meagre.

Software and Lighting

• Decent software integration with Synapse 3
• Clean, white backlighting

As with Razer’s gaming peripherals, the Pro Type Ultra features software accompaniment from Synapse. The software offers a means of remapping keys and programming macros, as well as dealing with the brightness and effects of the keyboard’s white backlighting. For office users, it does the job, although more advanced tinkerers may be happier with one of the many enthusiast-grade keyboards that support either QMK or VIA flashing.

The Pro Type Ultra goes without any flashy RGB lighting, instead keeping it cool with a white backlight that complements the overall aesthetic. It gets decently bright and does a solid job of keeping keys backlit when needed.

Should you buy it?

FAQs