Razer Arctosa

Razer gaming hardware has graced our desks many times, and generally it’s all top-notch stuff, so it was with relatively open arms that I welcomed the Arctosa keyboard into my life for review this month.

Some gamers might remember the popular Tarantula gaming keyboard from Razer, which has now been phased out and replaced with the Arctosa, and the more expensive Lycosa ($149).

The first thing you’re likely to notice about this keyboard is the slim keycaps. A lot of gamers prefer this type of key because of the shorter travel distance before actuation, plus the Arctosa uses Razer’s patented Hyperesponse technology to reduce key latency and maximise response, along with 1,000Hz ‘Ultrapolling’ which sends a signal from the keyboard to the PC every millisecond – a lot of boards will only send a signal every 2ms and some wait up to 8ms.

Next on the list of cool things about the Arctosa is anti-ghosting around the WASD key cluster. Ghosting is what happens when you push too many buttons at once and the keyboard won’t register some of the key strikes. It’s quite expensive to get around this so it’s good to see this feature included in a “budget” gaming board, even if only around the WASD keys.

The board layout is fully standard, with seven basic media control keys in the top-right corner. There are no USB ports for external devices, no audio jacks, and no backlighting on the Arctosa. It does have a removable wrist-rest, though.