For some gamers, a normal keyboard simply doesn’t have enough buttons. For those wonderfully committed individuals, Razer has a new toy: the Razer Tartarus V2 Pro, a one-handed gaming keypad with 31 programmable controls, analog optical switches, a proper thumbstick and enough customization to make a regular keyboard look positively underemployed. It is available now for $199.99 in the US.
This is a keyboard, a controller, and a command centre in one
The biggest change is Razer’s Analog Optical Switches Gen-2, which allow the actuation point to be adjusted between 0.1mm and 4.0mm. There is also Rapid Trigger, which can reset a key with as little as 0.1mm of upward movement. In practical terms, that means players can tune the keypad to react to feather-light inputs or require a deeper press, depending on the game and preference. Razer rates the switches for 100 million keystrokes.
Then there is the rather important full-sized TMR thumbstick. Instead of the directional thumbpad found on older Tartarus models, the V2 Pro offers analog movement, with three dedicated buttons around it. That makes it particularly interesting for MMOs, where a pile of abilities and shortcuts can quickly turn a keyboard into alphabet soup, while also giving FPS players another way to handle movement and secondary controls.
Razer has also thrown its 8,000Hz HyperPolling technology into the mix. That’s eight times the conventional 1,000Hz polling rate, while the keypad gets Razer’s Snap Tap, Snap Flex, Dynamic Keystroke, and Dual-Keypress Priority features. The real-world benefit will depend heavily on the game and setup, but competitive players now have considerably more control over how inputs are registered.
And then Razer went a little wild with customization
The Tartarus V2 Pro can save up to 24 keymaps across three onboard profiles, so players can build different setups for different games. Actuation and Rapid Trigger settings can be tweaked directly on the keypad, while doubleshot PBT keycaps, foam-dampened switches and a redesigned wrist rest that slides, rotates and tilts add some welcome comfort.
At $199.99, this is definitely specialist gear, but Razer isn’t just throwing buttons at a problem. With analog optical switches, a TMR thumbstick and 8,000Hz polling, the Tartarus V2 Pro sits somewhere between a keyboard and a controller. It’s niche, pricey, and a little gloriously over-the-top, but for gamers who want their entire arsenal under one hand, that’s exactly the appeal.
