HARDWARE REVIEW

Razer Cynosa Chroma Gaming Keyboard Review

by Luke Walsh, March 19th, 2018

Much like the recently reviewed Razer Electra V2, the company has been looking at expanding its range of budget gaming peripherals in the likely event that it will attract more gamers with a more versatile price range. It’s their newest keyboard and comes in two slightly different versions, the Chroma at £64.99 and the Chroma Pro version which costs £15 at £79.99. We are reviewing the standard version but for the extra cash, the only addition is the underglow lighting.

Membrane keyboards are almost a dying breed being overtaken by their “better” mechanical counterparts for gaming. However, as I type on a hybrid mechanic/membrane keyboard the Ornata it seems like membrane keeps are putting up a decent fight as to why they should still be a consideration for gamers. The Cynosa Chroma and Cynosa Chroma Pro seem like your standard computer keyboard but with backlighting, Synapse compatibility and the Razer touch.

From a design perspective, it shows the usual signs of a Razer keyboard being all matte black with their logo that is positioned at the bottom of the keyboard. From the get-go, it does look like a sleeker office keyboard with RGB lighting, but unlike other Razer boards, it does not come with wrist support which is a little disappointing. Resting your wrists aside, it also forgoes the parts of a gaming keyboard which is usually offered for gamers, macro keys. There’s also no sign of dedicated media controls either but much like the Ornata, not every gamer will need these or use them if they did. It does, however, have an FN macro recording key which means you can sort them on-the-fly.

RGB lighting is featured on both the normal and pro version of the Cynosa which both support individual lighting on each key. This is something you sometimes don’t even find on some mechanical gaming keyboards, so it’s a nice touch for the membrane alternative which is probably one of very few that offers it. The Cynosa Pro as mentioned earlier has the underglow lighting, which is a light bar similar to their Razer Firefly mousemat which offers the same sort of ambience on your desk. If you have Chroma stuff already and want to complete the look, the Cynosa won’t look out of place on your desk.

For anyone who types on a mechanical keyboard knows the pains of noise from those that can be quite loud, looking at you greens switches. Then it’s no surprise that the Cynosa’s membrane keys are soft and quiet when compared to a mechanical switch. Even with the softer design, there was still a little bit of tactile feedback thanks to the longer travel distance. They also tend to bounce back pretty quick compared to some mechanical keyboards making typing a lot faster. I could write 104 words on the Logitech G910 Chroma 110 words on my Ornata but 115 on the Cynosa. General day to day use and office work is quite nice when using this device.

The lack of wrist rest really is a shame but luckily, the keyboard is not unusable without it. As it sits fairly flat angle, your wrists are not too far from the desk to make it painful. Anyone who is used to support though probably will want to get one so that feels more natural. Even though Razer is trying to make it budget friendly, it would be nice for them to throw in a rest more so if you purchase the “pro” version.

Like the other keyboards in Razer’s line-up, you can use the Synapse software to control the usual parts of the keyboard. This includes lighting, macros and other configuration options which are a lot easier to manage in the latest update. Each device which is compatible with the software will be available to manage and functionality is broken into modules like Chroma. Hypershift is also included in Synapse 3 which allows you to double up on the keys by setting one key to do two things swapping them at the click of a button.

With the Cynosa I tried it with the range of usual games which are used for every device tested; Overwatch, Battlefield 1 and Fallout 4. Coming from the usual array of mechanical devices the tests were better than I expected for a membrane. As they are quick to respond with a nice travel distance playing games that require a fast reaction such as Overwatch was a positive experience. Battlefield 1 and Fallout 4 were the same but in the interest of being fair, it is no replacement for my mechanical keyboard.

Even though it was capable, I could tell the difference to my Ornata which is the hybrid and a full mechanical keyboard like the BlackWidow Chroma. With the mech switches, everything seems a little more accurate and control compared to the rubbery feel of the Cynosa. Even with this, it did not really alter my performance all that much and I think if you were to get used to playing with it then it should be a capable device for casual gaming.

How much is the Razer Cynosa Gaming Keyboard?

At the time of writing the Cynosa is priced at £64.99 which you can buy from the official Razer Store. The Pro version which comes with the underglow lighting is priced at £79.99 and can be purchased in the same way. If you want it for a little cheaper through, the normal Cynosa is priced a little less on Currys at £62.99.

In the end, the Razer Cynosa is nice to type on and offers independent lighting on each key which is rare for the membrane market. It is on the more budget end of the price band but is a little costly for a non-mechanical keyboard. If you do want a high-end membrane device for your gaming though this is worth a look at.