Razer Ornata V3 Tenkeyless Kuromi Edition Keyboard Review

Razer’s collaboration with Sanrio has been impressive to say the least, and their recent addition of a full Kuromi collection promises the same stunning, yet powerful features that one can expect from Razer.

The Ornata V3 Tenkeyless keyboard is among Razer’s best, offering PC gamers an ergonomic, low-profile build, though the Kuromi edition’s $120 price tag is a questionable price hike over the Ornata’s standard $70. Kuromi’s sassy visage is a big part of the higher cost, but there are a myriad of distinctive details included that more than make up for the increase.

I tested the keyboard over the course of a few weeks, using it for both work and gaming, mainly on two very different titles: Fortnite and Infinity Nikki. The Ornata V3 Kuromi Edition didn’t disappoint, but should you pick one up for yourself?

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Packaging & Presentation

It’s hard to imagine a Razer product arriving in bad shape, but the perfectly sized and protected packaging is still a welcome sight every time. The box contents for the Kuromi Ornata V3 are run-of-the-mill, but the packaging is surprisingly sustainable.

Each part arrives wrapped in bags that are made with at least 30% recycled content. There’s no plastic throughout the packaging, with the box and inserts being made of cardboard.

Style & Design

The quality of this keyboard is noticeable almost immediately. The clicky keys have a very soft, velvety finish. The lack of texture across all the keys can be something to get used to, but with its easy-to-use layout, you quickly learn to appreciate the ultra-smooth feel.

Each key is slightly concave, allowing your fingers to rest naturally, even as they jump around during gaming or work sessions. Little design features help keep your fingers aligned with the correct keys. For instance, the standard raised nubs on the F and J keys are right where they’re supposed to be, while the spacebar is just a hair shorter than the other keys.

The volume buttons at the top are surrounded by cute stars, but they’re also very useful, changing your volume level by two with each press. Next to these buttons is also a pause button. All three of them are just as responsive as the rest of the keyboard, instantaneously controlling your audio.

Along with these standard functions, the keyboard also comes with some gaming extras. There’s a macro button for recording shortcuts and a game mode for deactivating the Windows key to avoid mid-match accidents.

Thanks to an eight-zone lighting setup, the RGB shines through the rows of keys brightly and boldly, staying mostly true to color, although pink tends to struggle against appearing red or purple.

Software & Customization

Razer has some great software for their ecosystem of devices. If you already own some Razer devices, setting up the Kuromi Ornata V3 is as easy as plugging it in. However, if this is your first Razer keyboard, you’ll need to download a few things to get the most out of it.

For the RGB lighting, you’ll need the Razer Chroma app, though the Razer Synapse app is necessary to change the keyboard’s functionality. From the app, you can activate and adjust game mode settings, utilize extra key layouts through hypershift, and decide whether to turn on Snap Tap.

Customizing the RGB layout takes place on the Chroma app. The board’s lighting can be changed to just about any color and doesn’t look washed out against the pastel keys. It was a bit challenging to get the sound bar and keyboard colors to sync, as some of the lights on each device didn’t want to match exactly, but the colors ended up close enough to create a cohesive vibe.

Once you create a few RGB layouts, you can access them through Synapse, making it a little faster and easier to change up the look of your keyboard while adjusting your keys for your next match. You do need to keep Synapse running to keep the lighting and other customizations active, as there isn’t much on-board memory with this keyboard. At one point, I had to unplug the keyboard to reset the lighting, as it got a little confused after Synapse was closed.

Performance & Ergonomics

The keyboard has two adjustable legs that allow for a good amount of height and angle customization. The included wrist rest snaps into place with magnets, while PTFE feet provide extra stability. Throughout the entire testing period, the wrist rest was never disrupted from its place by accident.

The clicky keys are so responsive that a light touch is all that’s needed to activate them. This is especially true since the keyboard uses a low-profile build, boasting a slim total height of just 31mm. Of course, if you start using Snap Tap, you’ll have to be slightly more mindful about how far you press a key.

Regardless, when paired with the wrist rest and adjusted to a suitable angle, the concave keys are extremely comfortable to type on.

Is the Ornata V3 Tenkeyless Kuromi Edition Keyboard for You?

The Ornata V3 Tenkeyless gaming keyboard may stand as one of Razer’s more affordable offerings, but make no mistake: this keyboard is more than capable of tackling serious gaming and work tasks. The Kuromi edition doesn’t bring many extras beyond a stylish finish, but it is executed quite well.

Even if you aren’t a mega fan of Kuromi, or even Sanrio characters in general, it may be worthwhile to pick up this version of the Ornata V3. The purple and black color scheme is very unique within the gaming keyboard world, with similar colorways being available only through higher-end keyboards designed for maximum customization.

There are also the cute motifs scattered across the board to consider, plus the beautiful RGB lighting, and further punky art on the wrist rest. At the end of the day, the Kuromi Ornata V3 is one of the only chic gaming keyboards available at this price point.

If you’re looking to add some cute, yet dark aesthetics to your PC setup and still be comfortable and competitive, the Ornata V3 Tenkeyless Kuromi Edition Keyboard might be your best bet.

Try These Other Keyboards If You Don’t Like Kuromi

There are a handful of keyboards similar to the Kuromi Ornata V3, but none of them will have this exact Kuromi design. If you’re still interested in looking at other options despite that, here are some great choices:

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