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Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro Review: More Control and a Warm Underglow

Razer’s latest iteration of its function-rules gaming keyboard atones for some sins of the past and adds some new tricks.

Razer’s customizing-comes-first mechanical gaming keyboard line, BlackWidow, hits its fourth generation with the BlackWidow V4 Pro, a $230 ( 230, AU$400) full-size model with some notable improvements over its predecessor. These improvements include expanded lighting, more programmable controls, USB passthrough and an improved wrist rest design. These are all notable updates, but while I welcome all the changes in spirit, I’m not thrilled with the execution in a few cases.

Nothing has changed in its fundamental keyboard aspects, with the exception of a boost of the maximum polling rate to 8,000Hz, something I’m not sure you really need here. The switches and keycaps remain the same: You have a choice of the latest generation of Razer’s tactile Green or linear Yellow switches and Razer’s durable DoubleShot ABS keycaps.

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro

$230 at Razer
$230 at Amazon
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Like

  • Good, durable switches
  • Expanded lighting zones
  • More programmable controls
  • Vastly improved magnetically attachable wrist rest
  • Added USB passthrough

Don’t Like

  • Buttons on left side are really easy to hit accidentally
  • Multicontroller roller is too low relative to the height of the keys

There are a lot more lighting zones thanks to the addition of underglow strips on the left and right, plus a front strip on the wrist rest, five new backlit macro keys down the left side and a new programmable control dial in the upper left corner.

Razer says it’s added lenses to the individual backlight LEDs, which does seem to improve the focus in particular directions. I also think it’s made a difference in the number of perceptible brightness levels — if you need that level of granularity. I wish you could take advantage of that by controlling the brightness levels for individual or groups of keys the way you can control colors: That way the keys you need most frequently could be brighter as well as a different color, but not completely dark.

The new control dial allows you to map zooming, scrolling and other customization to your profiles. For example, the mappings default to zoom, keyboard brightness, task switching and track jogging. That’s becoming a more common feature these days, and it’s a useful one that extends beyond gaming. The physical control is fine, if a bit hemmed in. The downside is there are no presets beyond the basics — usually these controls come with sets — which means it requires a lot of time-intensive setup for a control you may end up not using.

There are also three new switches on the left side. I love the idea, but not so much the execution. I constantly make microadjustments to the location of keyboards — a nervous tic when I’m not actively typing — and so I end up hitting them a lot. It doesn’t help that I’m also adjusting to avoiding the left-side macro keys when reaching for alt-tab, where my compensation means my ring and pinky fingers naturally fall on those switches. And they’re too easy to activate, which may probably be a more broadly applicable issue.

These aren’t really complaints, since it’s certainly not the first keyboard to put the macro keys down the left side, but if you’re used to other layouts your muscle memory might need some retraining.

Then there’s the redesigned multicontroller, the roller bar with a bank of five, tall, round buttons above the number pad. It’s similar to the design on other keyboards, but the location and elevation don’t work, at least for my hands. The keys are so tall, relative to it, that it’s awkward to use. And remapping the control dial to do the same things, like adjust audio volume, isn’t quite as convenient, since you have to press it to cycle through the different mappings.

Like a lot of the programmability, you have to be running Razer’s Synapse utility for your customizations to work; you can’t save a lot of them to the internal keyboard memory. On the other hand, when you cycle through the mappings for the control dial there’s a popup telling you what the setting is and what the rotation does. There’s also a backlight color attached to each mapping but it’s not persistent, so you don’t know which setting the dial is currently mapped to with a glance.

The USB passthrough is a nice-to-have, and the new wrist rest is a lot more comfortable than the old one, plus it now attaches — pretty strongly — to the keyboard. If you’re sensitive to textures in a «I wear my shirts inside out because the seams make me crazy» kind of way, the bumpy faux leather may bother you, though.

It’s still big and heavy, but solidity in a keyboard isn’t something to complain about. Razer has upped the switch rating to 100 million keypresses, but they’re the same switches as before — they’ve just been tested more. I don’t put a lot of stock in durability ratings, but it’s nice to know that pounding on the keys won’t kill them any faster than it used to.

I’ve been using optomechanical switches for so long — and, more recently, linear ones — that going back to the feel of the tactile mechanicals has required some adjustment. But it’s nice to know that my fingers won’t accidentally trigger strokes if I rest them on the keys. That’s one of the perks that I miss with other types of switches.

For games where fast keyboard combos you can program are more important than single-key quick responsiveness, the BlackWidow V4 Pro makes a lot of sense. But unless you’re on board with how all the controls work, $230 might feel too expensive for your needs.

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Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Dec. 1, #904

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Dec. 1, #904.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a tricky one. You’d better know the works of a legendary author to nail the blue group, and the purple group is one of those tough ones that hides the relevant connections within four of the answers. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Spin around.

Green group hint: Not square or triangular.

Blue group hint: Novelist Franz.

Purple group hint: Think of the alphabet.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Complete turn.

Green group: Circular things.

Blue group: Kafka works, with «The.»

Purple group: Starting with letter homophones.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is complete turn. The four answers are circuit, lap, orbit and revolution.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is circular things. The four answers are full moon, LP, pizza pie and pupil.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Kafka works, with «The.» The four answers are Castle, Judgment, Metamorphosis and Trial.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starting with letter homophones. The four answers are eye contact, pea soup, sea change and tea leaves.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

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Technologies

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Are Down to $349 for Cyber Monday — Score Excellent ANC for Less

Bose’s top‑rated ANC headphones with USB‑C lossless playback and immersive audio just got a $100 discount.

Today is Cyber Monday, and most of the best deals from Black Friday will stick around for an extra day. There are still plenty of amazing items on sale right now, and it’s a great time to pick up a fantastic headphone deal— even at the high end.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Headphones (2nd Gen) are down to $349 at B&H in Midnight Violet — a $100 discount off the usual $449 list price. That’s an excellent deal on some of the best active noise-cancelling headphones money can buy, and the lowest full‑warranty price I’ve seen so far.

CNET highly recommends the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, which holds the top spot in our best headphones roundup, so you can be confident this is money well spent.

These headphones not only look the part (they’re gorgeous) but they also have the features to match. Hybrid noise‑cancelling technology ensures that you hear only what you want to and nothing that you’d rather avoid. Meanwhile. Immersive Audio and Cinema Mode spatialize the sounds you’re hearing and make them appear as if they’re coming from beyond the headphones themselves. It makes for a more natural sound, especially when listening to compatible music.

Other notable features include multipoint Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity so you can use your new headphones with multiple devices, USB‑C wired audio mode for lossless playback, and up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge (23 hours with Immersive Audio).

Looking to make calls with your new headphones? No problem. The QuietComfort Ultra headphones have no fewer than 12 microphones for crystal‑clear audio, and they deliver excellent voice calling performance, as we noted in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra review.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

A great pair of ANC headphones can make a huge difference when you’re trying to get work done in a noisy office or block out the chaos of your commute. Bose consistently delivers some of the best ANC on the market, and this Cyber Monday deal means you can get in on the action for $100 less than usual — with full warranty coverage.

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Technologies

Snag Apple’s AirPods Max for $150 Off This Cyber Monday, While You Still Can

Apple’s premium wireless headphones are down to just $400. Grab them while you still can, before the holiday savings end.

Apple’s AirPods Max are an easy recommendation if you’re in the Apple ecosystem. Between premium design, high‑end sound and seamless integration with Apple devices, there’s a lot to like — except for the price.

But this Cyber Monday deal slashes the cost of the headphones from their usual $550 down to just $400 at Best Buy. No coupons or discount codes needed, and you’ll also get three months of Apple Music free with your purchase. Be warned, this deal won’t last much longer. If you’ve been eyeing a headphone upgrade, it’s worth grabbing now as we head toward the end of the sales period.

The AirPods Max (USB‑C) stick close to the previous generation in terms of features, but they now use USB‑C instead of Lightning. That change makes life easier since the same cable now works across newer Apple devices like iPads, Macs and iPhones, plus their accessories.

Performance is still top-tier with pro‑level active noise cancellation, quick pairing and smooth device switching powered by the Apple H1 chip. You also get personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, Dolby Atmos support and the clear Transparency mode. Looking for personalization? AirPods Max now come in five stylish colors — each with a color‑matched Smart Case.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Apple discounts are rare, especially ones this steep. Saving $150 on the AirPods Max makes this one of the best opportunities to snag Apple’s premium over‑ear headphones rather than risk missing out. With USB‑C charging, improved convenience and Apple’s best audio features, this Cyber Monday deal is a standout.

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