Razer Ornata Chroma Review: Multiple Profiles for Gaming

The Razer Ornata Chroma is one of the best gaming keyboards if you’re on a budget. But, is it worth buying? Gamers know that cheaper keyboards typically sacrifice specific features to keep the price down. This is probably why the Razer Ornata Chroma uses hybrid switches.

Those of you who love mechanical keyboards, don’t click away yet!

Despite the keys, the Ornata Chroma has some pretty cool features for its price. For example. the full RGB backlighting powered by Chroma, and an ergonomic wrist-rest for extreme comfort.

Now, let’s dive into the specifics and see if this exceptional keyboard under $100 is worth it.

What Is a Mechanical Membrane Keyboard?

Firstly, the most controversial aspect of this keyboard, the mecha-membrane switches.

Mecha-membrane (or mem-chanical) keyboards have a hybrid between a membrane and a mechanical switch, as suggested by the title. These hybrid switches feature a combination of the rubber dome of a membrane switch and the clicking sound of a mechanical switch. Does the click do anything?

Unfortunately not.

Razer seems to have created these switches purely to satisfy the needs of those who prefer membrane keyboards, yet love the clicky sound. In this respect, it’s pretty much a rubber dome with a clicker. Unlike a Cherry MX Blue or Brown switch, the clicking noise on the Ornata Chroma isn’t an indication that a keystroke has registered. It’s purely there for the sound which doesn’t contribute to performance at all.

So, can Razer call this a “hybrid”?

Despite this fact, mecha-membrane keyboards are great for gamers and typists as they only actuate when you bottom out the key, meaning you won’t accidentally press them, resulting in errors. Trust me. Your editor will thank you for this one.

If you’re switching from a mechanical keyboard, you’ll feel the difference, though mecha-membrane keyboards can be just as good and muscle memory comes with time, so give these poor hybrid switches a chance.

Mid-Height Keycaps:

We mentioned above that mecha-membrane keyboards are great for typing without error, well, they usually are, just not on this keyboard – until you get used to it at least. The Razer Ornata Chroma features mid-height keycaps, which are the height between chiclet and full-height keys. This low-profile design contributed to the sleek aesthetic of the Razer Ornata Chroma, giving it a more premium feel despite its price point.

Although mid-height caps make it a lot easier to press the keys – increasing your chances of making mistakes – faster actuation allows for speedy execution and reduces finger fatigue, perfect for Cherry MX Red and Speed lovers. If you don’t know the difference, you might want to check out the Cherry MX Red vs. Brown debate.

Customizable Lighting

Moving onto the main selling point of this Ornata version, the Chroma lighting.

The Razer Ornata Chroma keyboard features customizable, RGB backlighting and game-specific lighting effects, allowing you to obliterate your enemies during late-night gaming sessions. With over 16 million color options powered by Razer Chroma, your imagination is the only limit when creating the perfect keyboard color scheme.

These vivid colors shine through bright due to the plastic backplate which illuminates the letters and numbers on the keyboard. On the topic of text on this Ornata, much like the Razer BlackWidow, all of the text, numbers, and symbols are positioned at the top of each key, rather than the center. Unusual character positioning, however, isn’t an issue.

Now, onto the range of lighting effects.

Lighting effects:

You can choose from the following eight lighting effects on the Ornata Chroma:

• Starlight – random keys twinkle
• Wave – a rainbow wave of RGB colors
• Spectrum Cycling – cycles through colors
• Breathing – fades in and out of 1 or 2 colors
• Reactive – keys react to a press
• Ripple – looks as though you’ve dropped something into the water when you press a key
• Static – 1 still color of choice
• Templates – FPS, MOBA, MMO, RTS, Dota 2, LoL, StarCraft 2

You’ll be able to gank your opponents without missing a key in League of Legends and Dota 2 with the Razer Ornata Chroma game lighting effects.

The great thing about Razer colors and effects is that you can sync all of your Razer Chroma enabled peripherals for full-color spectrum gaming – I bet you’ve forgotten about those hybrid keys now!

Razer Synapse 3

Another way this keyboard subtly shows off lighting is with the top right panel which displays when you have things such as macro keys and caps lock enabled, a handy feature to ensure you’re entirely in control. If you love having features like these on your gaming gear, why not check out the best mouse for Overwatch. It changes the way you play the game.

You may have noticed that the icon on the very end of the panel is a game mode icon. What is that you may ask? The Razer Ornata allows you to switch game mode on, using the F10 key. This is a great way to disable the WIN key and maximize the effect of anti-ghosting. This feature is perfect for gamers who can’t afford to lost keystrokes during ranked games.

The assigned macros mentioned above, as well as the ability to rebind buttons and save profile configurations to the cloud, are all powered by the cloud-based hardware configuration tool, Razer Synapse 3. We previously mentioned that you could sync all Razer Chroma peripherals together for a colorful setup which is also done through Razer Synapse. This tool features a dashboard of all of your Razer device, as well as the macro configurator, to customize everything to your personal needs. Perfect for Razer lovers.

Peripheral Lighting in Fortnite

We have discussed game-specific lighting created by Razer, now let’s jump into some lighting effects created by Epic.

Fortnite introduced peripheral lightning over a year ago, and it works great with the Razer Ornata Chroma. When turned on, lighting effects reflect upon what you do within the game, for instance, static colors change depending on the time of day (white during the day, yellow during the evening/night), while your keyboard shines a static purple color when in the storm, which you should probably get out of.

Cool, right? Well, for those who like these effects, unfortunately, there aren’t that many yet. Furthermore, an official staff member at Razer commented on peripheral lighting by stating that “Epic might release more Chroma updates for Fortnite in future patches.” These potential updates would be awesome to see on the Razer Ornata Chroma.

If you dislike this peripheral lighting and want to choose your custom effects, you can turn peripheral lighting off in the settings:

Go to Game Settings > Camera and Display > Peripheral Lighting

We mentioned some other great keyboards you can use to game within our best keyboard for Fortnite post – why not check it out?

Ergonomic Wrist Rest

Now onto the design, which may seem pretty standard on the outside, but don’t be fooled as the Razer designed the Ornata Chroma for comfort. While it’s not on our list of the best ergonomic keyboards, it’s certainly a nice alternative (and a less expensive one too).

Many of you may know that long hours of gaming can be tiring without something to lean on, which is why the Ornata Chroma includes a detachable, leatherette-covered wrist rest. This full-sized palm rest is as soft as a pillow to ensure you’re always comfortable, regardless of the number of hours you spend typing away.

Not only is the wrist rest comfortable, but it’s also sturdy. Magnets are used to attach the wrist rest to the keyboard, while the rubber bottom protects it from running off your desk during intense gameplay. We aren’t letting this go, Razer. The magnets used on the Ornata Chroma are a lot better than the typical plastic clips used to mount wrist rests to keyboards as they are long-lasting, adding to the quality despite the Ornata Chroma’s price.

Build:

Speaking of the price range, you likely won’t find a brushed aluminum keyboard for this price. Furthermore, the all-plastic chassis isn’t as durable as a metal-reinforced keyboard. As mentioned, the transparent plastic backplate enhances the LED lighting, making colors seem as though they could pop out of your keyboard.

For some, the Ornata Chroma might be too large. If you’re looking for a miniature gaming keyboard, jump over to our list of the ultimate gaming keypads.

Other Features

Cable

Many wired keyboards have a cable running out of the back that you can’t move to another stable position. However, the Razer Ornata features a braided cable that you can route through all sides of your keyboard. It’s designed to suit your personal needs.

This braided cable is thin enough to tuck away for perfect cable management, yet durable enough to last. Talk about value-for-money! If you’d prefer not having these cables around, check out the best wireless gaming keyboard on the market for more versatility.

Feet

For additional comfort, most keyboards include elevated rubber feet. The feet on the Razer Ornata Chroma, make this keyboard a delightful piece of kit to game on.

Final Verdict

The Razer Ornata Chroma is a well-designed, budget-friendly keyboard, suitable for gamers and typists. Although the main selling point of the Razer Ornata Chroma is the Chroma lighting, the original version features classic green lights for $20 less. The only thing you’ll be missing out on is the 16 million color options featured on the Chroma.

And, if you enjoy Destiny 2, you can now purchase a Destiny themed version of the Razer Ornata for just above $100. On this Razer Destiny 2 Ornata, the Destiny logo can be seen on the keyboard, as well as the wrist rest, ensuring everything in the box is themed. This does mean you’ll be paying more purely for the aesthetics of the keyboard. Yet if you’re into game-themed tech, it might just be worth paying a little more for.

Sources:

1. Razer Ornata Chroma, Razer Support