Razer Huntsman V3 HE Review: Jumping on the Bandwagon

Henri RobbinsGearJul 30, 2026 11:00 AMReview: Razer Huntsman V3 Hall Effect KeyboardRazer finally gave in to the trend and made its first Hall Effect keyboard. I dug into its switches, features, and gaming performance to see if it was worth the wait.Photograph: Henri RobbinsTriangleUpBuy NowMultiple Buying Options Available$140 at Amazon$140 at Best BuyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyRating:7/10Open rating explainerInformationWIREDHall effect switches. 8,000 Hz polling. In-depth software-based customization through Razer Synapse. Great RGB functionality. Aftermarket switch compatibility. Easy customization and repairs. Simple, no-frills design.TIREDWired-only connectivity. Plastic bottom case. Inconsistent switch feel. Occasional bugs during use.It finally happened. After years of standing by optical switch technology, Razer has finally jumped on the bandwagon and made its own Hall Effect keyboard.Razer still stands by its optical switches, at least according to its PR representatives. In the eyes of Razer’s engineers, optical switch technology is still superior to magnetic switches. According to Razer, an optical switch still has greater accuracy and is less likely to face interference from outside forces (such as electromagnetic fields or a metal desk). But, apparently, the demand for magnets has become so strong that Razer simply can’t ignore customer demand anymore. As a result, Razer’s first Hall Effect keyboard, the Hunstman V3 HE, came into existence.Being its first attempt, Razer didn’t try to do anything crazy. No screens, dials, or split spacebars. Instead, it offers a simple and basic Hall Effect keyboard that does exactly what it says on the box. And, as much as I like the new and bizarre, sometimes that’s all a keyboard needs to be.Smooth to a FaultPhotograph: Henri RobbinsThe most important part of a keyboard will always be how the keys actually feel during use. In this regard, the Hunstman V3 HE is merely fine. The switches are smooth when pressed, and the smoothness is consistent across most of the keys. Though some switches feel slightly overlubed, to the extent that the bottom-out of the keystroke feels mildly tacky. Because this keyboard uses a tray-mount system, there are also slight differences in the stiffness across the keys: switches closer to mounting screws will feel less flex when typing, and vice versa. The typing experience has multiple slight differences across keys that make it feel inconsistent, but these aren’t major enough to be irritating—or even particularly noticeable—during regular use.Razer Huntsman V3 Hall Effect KeyboardRating: 7/10$140 at Amazon$140 at Best BuyEach switch has a 40-gram spring, which feels comparable in weight to a Cherry MX Red when typing. They’re reasonably light and have limited wobble, but are slightly slow to return after being pressed. It’s not a major issue, they still return relatively quickly, but a more snappy spring would have been preferable.The typing sound can best be described as relatively “clacky,” with a clean, full tone and a significant midrange. The sound is clean overall, without any extraneous scratchiness, pinging, or other odd frequencies. There are noticeable differences in tone across the keys, especially on some of the outer ones, which end up taking on a noticeably deeper and duller sound. Compared with the rattly and atonal optical Huntsman V3, these improvements are night and day. But compared with the gasket-mounted Razer BlackWidow V4, there’s definitely still room to improve.Photograph: Henri RobbinsThe spacebar poses the largest issue, in both sound and feel. There are two strips of foam on the underside of it to prevent a hollow sound when typing. While this does work, it also results in a lower “thump” noise that’s significantly deeper than any of the other keys. More important, because the foam strips on my unit are too close to the switch underneath, they collide with the housing when pr