Introduction
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The best thing about the Huntsman Elite peripheral is that it employs the use of optomechanical key switches, and they do incredibly well when it comes to both gaming and volume typing. You can also control media features using a few cumbersome on-board shortcuts, reprogram all the keys on the board as well as customize the RGB backlighting profiles. Unfortunately, though, a lack of a numpad, and the like, can greatly help reduce the board’s productivity. Furthermore, while the key switches are cool, they don’t really provide the user with a tangible advantage and they aren’t necessarily way better than the more traditional mechanical switches Razer usually use.
Wooting One
The Wooting One peripheral is basically for those of you that that want to game with it. This gaming board’s main aim is to offer its users new levels of control as far as in-game movements are concerned. They achieve this by giving gamers both hard key press as well as gentle key press options. The build of the peripheral itself makes this happen because of the analog-based mechanical switches on it, something that you generally won’t see in most of the gaming keyboards out there. While most of the gaming devices you’ll find operate largely in binary states, this board’s analog switches give the user more effective and better gaming experiences because they’re manufactured and designed from the-ground-up.
Design
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The Tournament Edition gaming keyboard is a plain, small and sleek gaming device that measures 14.0×5.5 inches and won’t take up too much room on your desktop. It also doesn’t have the extra keys that often bog full-sized keyboards down. It has a black chassis made using plastic material and a small Razer logo is branded above the arrow keys. Yes, this model doesn’t have that flair Razer are traditionally known for, however, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t easy on the eye, either. Another interesting thing about the Tournament Edition gaming peripheral is the removable USB cable. Like most tenkeyless boards out there, the Razer Huntsman TE’s USB cable is removable so that gamers can fling the device into their laptop bags or backpacks without being scared that they might damage it altogether.
This removable cord is also not your regular-old micro-USB and is instead a USB Type-C connection. Okay, it might not make much of a functional difference, however, it’s really good to see that Razer are trying to look to the future and embracing new and more efficient standards. Sadly, though, the USB cable doesn’t have any grooves for management, which means that optimizing your setup will be much harder, especially if you aren’t at home. Another glaring downside is that the Tournament Elite doesn’t have that sleek carrying case used to protect the keyboard during transportation. For its price, maybe Razer should’ve included one in the package.
Wooting One
The Wooting One board has this minimalist design to it, however, the Wooting brand found on the device’s frame is an exception. Furthermore, it also ignores many of those flashier features and accessories found on most of the other gaming boards available on the market. In fact, right now Wooting only offers this device in one form and doesn’t have other versions just yet. The Wooting One keyboard, instead, solely focuses all its energy on offering its users a well-built, incredibly satisfying tenkeyless gaming peripheral that can fine-tuned to meet all the needs and desires of its user.
The Wooting’s keycaps themselves show how strong of a build the board really is. The floating key switch design-style it has going on is complimented further by clean-cut, solid keys that never feel that heavy nor awkward. All key presses will offer the user satisfactory feedback responses, with different click volume levels, however, this will largely depend on whether you pick the Blue or Red key switches. But, it doesn’t stop there because the satisfactory feedback extends to the keyboard’s analogue modes as well.
Rather than the user look for the satisfaction of thousands of small clicks, the analog modes found on the Wooting One allows its users to experiment a little more during gaming as well as provide them with in-game control that can’t really be matched, let alone beaten. Stealth games will instantly become not only more enjoyable but way more viable as well if you happen to prefer mice and keyboards rather than gamepads.
Keys
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
Like we mentioned earlier, the best thing about the Razer Tournament Edition peripheral is the linear optomechanical switches. While the Elite uses tactile, clicky key switches, its tenkeyless variation employs the use of new switches, that are similar to Cherry MX Reds. You’ve got to completely depress the keys before the command you send is accepted. It’s also, in theory, a lot quieter than a tactile key switch. The linear switches are, in practice, very comfortable indeed, however, they aren’t that quiet. It does not have that machine-gun clickiness as well that its tactile switch counterpart has, however, it has an audible tap sound all the time a key is pressed. This can be very distracting if your using the keyboard in an office setup. Though, this wouldn’t be much of a problem if you’re using the device in a tournament or convention.
Wooting One
The keys found on the Wooting keyboard have a strong, sturdy build and they employ the use of Flaretech optical switches (of which one can either choose between Red and Blue switch variants). While the Red versions are way quieter than their Blue counterparts, they’re still as satisfying and offer fantastic feedback. If you’re going to be using the device in an office setting, then the Red switch variants should definitely be your go-to. As far as hardcore typing is concerned, the Wooting One peripheral can’t be beaten here because it gives volume typists the momentum they often desire, and this is something that’s hard to come by when concerning most of the other gaming keyboards on the market, the Huntsman TE included.
Features
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The Synapse software designed by Razer themselves is what the Tournament Edition peripheral uses. It’s a software that works brilliantly sometimes and other times it’ll need a reinstall to even run. With the Huntsman Tournament Edition, it seems like the stars were aligned because it works really well. You can use it to either create your own RGB lighting profiles or customize the already existing RGB lighting patterns from many different attractive presets. Also, every key on the board can be reprogrammed which makes it a lot more functional than the many other mini mechanical keyboards out there.
However, maybe the best thing about the Razer Huntsman is that alternate key commands can be programmed. While the TE doesn’t have extra key functions, a new set of key command functions can be programed to reveal themselves whenever a pre-designated button is held down. This essentially means that the number of key functions at the user’s disposal can be doubled. This can prove incredibly useful when productivity shortcuts are needed. It can also be very helpful when you might want to consider programming macros, which can be done easily with some Fn key commands located at the top. Even if the tournament you happen to be taking part in doesn’t allow you to use button shortcuts or macros, it could prove a nice way to practice.
Wooting One
Wooting proprietary software is called Wootility and this is what the Wooting One device uses. It allows the user to program different profiles all the while still allowing them to maintain the analog mechanical keys as well. Basically everything about this particular board is customizable, from its full RGB backlighting profiles to the keys’ sensitivity levels and actuation points. The software is relatively straightforward, although, if you intend on getting the very best out of it during gameplay, you’ll need to take some time and tweak all the options available to you before finding something that’ll suit you. For many, this might sound like a like a daunting and trick task to accomplish at first, however, you’ll be very pleased when you land on something that truly suits you.
The Wooting’s under-key RGB backlighting settings feel like something all modern-day gaming peripherals should have nowadays, and the one on this device works like a charm. By default, users are greeted by lovely rainbow designs that give out an absolutely gorgeous overall aesthetic, spanning all across the entire board. But, you can still use Wootility to customize the profiles on all the board’s keys, which means you can make them look and play however you want. Getting the Wooting will also mean you having access to Wooting’s unique Developer Portal.
Performance
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
The Razer Tournament Edition keyboard runs sessions of Final Fantasy, Age of Empires and Overwatch very well, without a hitch. We mentioned these because they’re some of the most popular RTS and FPS genres out there. Just like any other Razer keyboard, you can expect the Tournament Edition gaming peripheral to perform beautifully, and you can expect it to faithfully execute all your commands instantly as well. Whether your ordering workers to build more buildings or whether your swinging your flail around, you’ll never have to wonder whether your commands will be transmitted.
One glaring downside, though, is while optomechanical switches may parse commands faster, it’s something that can’t be tested in real-time. Razer claims that since they use light to make this parsing happen, optomechanical switches will, theoretically, process key presses faster than the more traditional mechanical mode.
Wooting One
The analog-based mechanical key switches found on the Wooting board work incredibly well in titles such as Fortnite, Hitman and the like, where character footsteps can help give positions away. It’ll take one a sufficient amount of time before they can confidently say they’re completely used to it, but, once this happens they’ll get to witness and experience some huge results. You also get different gaming experiences with the pressure-sensitive keys, especially in racing titles. This peripheral will allow you the opportunity to finesse around sharp bends and corners using subtle movements that are one-of-a-kind to this keyboard. Most of the things this board allows you to do, as far as racing games are concerned, can only be done using gamepads or racing wheels.
Furthermore, there’s most likely a high-probability that you will not be using the Wooting peripheral solely for gaming, yes? Fortunately, the company didn’t forget about this and designed the keyboard in such a way that it can be sued for both gaming as well as volume typing as well.
Rather than the user look for the satisfaction of thousands of small clicks, the analog modes found on the Wooting One allows its users to experiment a little more during gaming as well as provide them with in-game control that can’t really be matched, let alone beaten. Stealth games will instantly become not only more enjoyable but way more viable as well if you happen to prefer mice and keyboards rather than gamepads.
Verdict
The Tournament Edition by Razer has clear-cut value propositions. For starters, you’ll be getting some of the fastest switches on the market in a compact, tiny package. This device by Razer has a specific audience it’s looking at and has been designed to cater for them. It’s no doubt among one of the best tenkeyless gaming keyboards out there. However, with that saud, the Wooting One just has too much going on its arsenal and the fact that it performs extremely well during gaming as well as typing makes it edge out its Razertenkeyless counterpart.
