Razer has just unveiled the Pro Type Ergo, its first attempt at an ergonomic keyboard in the same vein as the classic Microsoft Natural keyboards. Although predominantly meant as a comfortable typing tool – thus the “Pro” in the name – Razer has also added a smattering of gaming features that could mean this works as a keyboard for all purposes.
In terms of pure performance, there’s a good chance this new Razer keyboard won’t be troubling the top choices on our best gaming keyboard guide, but if you’re looking for the best ergonomic gaming keyboard, well then, I have my hopes.
The core of this board is, again, the classic layout and features of a Microsoft Natural board. The main section of keys is split and angled backwards, to have your hands sit at a slightly more natural angle. Meanwhile, the front of the keyboard incorporates a large padded wrist rest that can be raised up, along with the rest of the keyboard, so that it slopes down towards the back, again making for a better angle for your wrists.
Unlike some ergo keyboards, this one doesn’t split in half for complete freedom of hand placement, but as someone who mained a Microsoft Natural for over five years, I can attest to this style of board providing decent comfort levels. Perhaps more of a stumbling block for gaming is that the numpad can’t be removed, so you can’t get a super compact keyboard setup that frees of mousing space – you’ll want a second 60-75% keyboard, such as the Monsgeek Fun60 Ultra, for that.
Razer has added a few extra comfort aids, too. The B key is repeated so that both hands can access it, plus there’s a second backspace key in between the two parts of the split spacebar. That’s an arrangement that could take some getting used to, but I can definitely see it being a useful addition.
On the gaming side of things, Razer has of course added a boatload of RGB, although it’s only split up into an unspecified number of zones, rather than being full per-key lighting. Razer has also added a media/volume dial to each rear corner of the board, along with playback buttons in the top right and a row of M1-5 programmable keys down the left side.
Those latter keys could actually be the reason I might not stick with this board, if I ever do try it, as I tend to find I hit these accidentally when going for keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl+X/C/V or when aiming for the Tab key. However, it remains to be seen with this keyboard, and your mileage may vary.
The Razer Pro Type Ergo can connect to your PC via Bluetooth or its USB-C dongle and uses an internal battery for up to three months of use between charges. As you might expect, this means ultra-fast polling rates are not a feature of this board.
Similarly, when it comes to keyswitches, this board uses scissor membrane switches, rather than some ultra-responsive mechanical options. Razer points out they offer “shorter key travel to reduce finger movement and effort on every keystroke,” but it remains to be seen how responsive and long-lasting the switches are. I am glad to see the company has added sound-dampening and is using tuned stabilizers, though, so it should be a quiet board.
So far, so intriguing, but there is one crucial problem for me at least with this keyboard, which is that it’s only available in a US layout. If you prefer a UK layout, German, or any other regional style, you’re out of luck.
Available now on Razer.com as well as other retailers like Amazon, the Razer Pro Type Ergo price is $189.99 / £179.99 / €199.99, making it a fairly premium option for this style of ergonomic keyboard. However, if it can deliver on comfort, a quiet typing experience, and the extra functionality promised by its extra buttons and dials – and if its membrane switches don’t wear out too quickly – it could be a worthwhile investment.
