Is The Razer Ornata Chroma Good For Gaming?

The Razer Ornata Chroma launches a bet by offering a technology different from what we find in the sector of gaming keyboards. Usually, mechanical systems are favoured by gamers, but the comfort provided by this product may well satisfy many of them. Let’s see together through this review what the Ornata Chroma offers!

Features of the Razer Ornata Chroma

• Weight: 948 grams
• Operating System: Mac, Windows
• Keys: Mid-height
• RGB: Razer chroma backlight
• Wrist rest: Ergonomic and movable
• Personalization: All keys plus macro
• Anti-ghosting: Roll-over on 10 keys
• Xbox One compatible
• RGB lighting: 16.8 million colors
• Software: Razer Synapse

Is The Razer Ornata Chroma Good For Gaming?

The Razer company thinks outside the box by offering its patented mecha-membrane technology. It allows this model to be more efficient than a membrane keyboard while being a little less expensive than a pure mechanical keyboard – an almost perfect in-between but not without flaws.

Our full review of the Razer Ornata Chroma

An efficient classic design

The Razer Ornata Chroma offers a sober visual. There is a classic grainy black plastic envelope. It is compact, with a length of 47 cm and a width of 15 cm and will find its place on small desks without any problem. This keyboard is quite sturdy and will easily adapt to the roughest playing styles. It is resistant to pressure, torsion and medium impact.

The keys are halfway up, which can be a bit confusing at the start. They are covered with a coating which softens the grip but which should be cleaned regularly. The Ornata Chroma has two feet without skates to raise it. So beware of slipping unless you have the wrist rest which is installed using a system of magnets. In addition to being padded with one of the best comforts ever, the latter has four non-slip pads and largely compensates for the keyboard feet.

Regarding its handling, we find the comfort of a membrane keyboard and the performance of a mechanical. Some caveats remain despite everything. For starters, there are no multimedia or macro keys. Therefore, you will have to either assign them manually via the Razer Synapse software or use both hands to hold Fn while pressing the corresponding F. We also note the absence of additional USB ports, or headphone or microphone jacks. On the other hand, the RGB lighting is very well highlighted thanks to discreet white plates located between the keys to reviving the LEDs’ light.

A technology not without flaws

Let’s get to the heart of the matter on Méca-membrane technology. Here’s what the trick is rough: The keyboard keys have a membrane base, and a metal part added on top for strength to best explain it to you. We find the comfort of the flexible activation of a membrane and the sound of a mechanical touch. We would have preferred the opposite: the precision of a machine and a membrane keyboard noise. But hey, the execution speed is still there, which is the essential point for a gamer.

Another little minus, in my opinion, is the fact that the keys are activated on the outward and return journey. This makes for a rather noisy keyboard, which may disturb users without headphones. The switches are not Cherry MX but are still of good quality. The typing is still good, precise, fast and fluid. In short, it does what is expected of a gaming keyboard. In the end, the meca-membrane is not really a revolution and is more like a marketing attempt to offer other alternatives. It’s not bad, but it’s not revolutionary either.

To finish on the onboard techno, the keyboard has anti-ghosting with a roll-over on 10 keys. As a reminder, this corresponds to a technology developed to avoid the multiple activations of unwanted keys. In this case, it is possible to activate up to ten keys simultaneously (or almost), and these will be detected correctly by the keyboard.

Razer Synapse 2.0 management software

To accompany this purchase, you can go to the manufacturer’s website and download the management software: Razer Synapse 2.0. This tool is used to customize the entire keyboard. Many functions are available. First of all, it is possible to adjust the RGB lighting of the keyboard LEDs. We will find classic light animations such as fire, ripple, colour cycle effects… Each key can be assigned a specific colour and a specific effect.

The set-up can be a bit long, but the result is well worth it. Some games may benefit from special programming. For example, on Overwatch, the backlight changes from green to red depending on your remaining life points.

Finally, it is possible to modify the assignment of the keys at will. You can add all the macros of your choice, as well as those offered by the software. You can obviously save profiles that are automatically launched when the associated program starts.

Our opinion on the Razer Ornata Chroma

Overall, we like the Razer Ornata Chroma. It is a keyboard which today is accessible at a reasonable price compared to its beginnings with an interesting but not revolutionary on-board meca-membrane technology. In the meantime, this model will be perfect for an amateur gamer looking for a quality companion for his gaming sessions. Everything has been designed for smooth and pleasant use. With a little regular maintenance, this keyboard will last over time.