Among the impressive lineup of Razer keyboards, the Cynosa line is a budget option compared to its more premium and sophisticated siblings. Even so, the keyboard has earned many praises for its reliability and ability to ‘get the job done’ for an affordable entry-level gaming keyboard.
Now comes the Cynosa V2, the budget gaming keyboard armed with multiple improvements while still faithfully upholding the legacies that built its predecessor’s good reputation. The V2 looked pretty much the same as the first edition at first glance, but it does come with some noticeable upgrades of its own.
Unlike its predecessor, the V2 comes loaded with full backlights underneath the keys. Use it with Razer’s Synapse software and you can choose/adjust how the lights would behave. Users can even customise the individual colour for each key if they want, though I can never be tempted to do it. I would sooner subscribe to the gaming profiles from the Chroma Workshop, which by the way, also works with the Cynosa V2.
The new media buttons are a much-welcomed addition and offer tremendous convenience. I was celebrating the fact that I could access my music playback settings including volume, pause, replay, etc without having to switch tab while gaming. This isn’t anything new, but the fact that the V2 has it is still something I appreciate, especially for a budget range keyboard.
Key wise, the V2 is a membrane keyboard. There’s no snappy feeling crunchy sounding sensation when using it, but it didn’t affect my experience with it much. The keys are smoothly responsive and quiet. I was worried about the keys feeling too mushy but It didn’t, or perhaps not yet because I haven’t spent enough time on it.
I still played the same as I usually do, though I needed some time to adjust to the squishy membrane feel again after spending years on a mechanical keyboard. But if this is your first gaming keyboard, then you shouldn’t fret at all. You wouldn’t know the difference between a Mechanical and Membrane anyway. Heck, everyone in my generation played video games using keyboards much lesser than everything we have in the market today. The Cynosa V2 would be considered god-grade back then.
My biggest complaint about this keyboard is probably the quality of the plastic used for the keys. They feel cheap and gets greasy with print stains and stuff after a while.
If you are looking for a keyboard to fuel your evening ranked games run, you are better off gunning for a higher grade gaming keyboard, if not tournament-grade ones. The Cynosa V2 will not offer any advantage to a pair of seasoned hands. This is strictly an entry-level keyboard.
What I Really Liked About The Razer Cynosa V2:
[+] Decent build quality[+] Full key backlight with RGB
[+] Media buttons
[+] Affordable price range for a gaming keyboard.
What I Wish Was Better:
[+] Better material for the keys.[+] Rather bulky design.
There are Mechanical Keyboard fanatics who would swear their fingers will get cancer if they touch any keyboards other than mechanical ones. But I for one feel that Membrane vs Mechanical is a subjective matter because it ultimately comes back to the golden question of “what are you using the keyboard for?”
Not every gamers game on the highest level and therefore requires the absolute best gears or technical advantage that technology can offer. Some people just want an inexpensive yet reliable and good looking keyboard that can be used for both work and games. To that end, the Razer Cynosa V2 can be a great choice for a budget entry-level gaming keyboard.
