Razer and Pokémon are no strangers to collaborating. They already have a lineup of products inspired by the Kanto starters, and another inspired by one of my favorites, Gengar. The two have released another collection, this time based on the fan-favorite Eevee evolutions Espeon and Umbreon. The lineup includes:
- Razer Ornata V3 Tenkeyless – Espeon and Umbreon Edition ($119.99)
- Razer Cobra – Espeon and Umbreon Edition ($59.99)
- Razer Gigantus V2 (Medium) – Espeon and Umbreon Edition ($29.99)
- Razer Kraken V4 X – Espeon and Umbreon Edition ($109.99)
I have always appreciated Razer from afar and had been curious about their previous Pokémon collaborations. I can say this is a great collection for those who love Espeon and Umbreon, but it doesn’t always justify its price to me.
The Look
The highest praise I can give is that this entire collection looks amazing. Razer knows how to utilize whatever IP it’s collaborating with fully, and this collection shows that. The entire collection follows a purple-and-black color scheme and is adorned with imagery of stars and moons. Espeon and Umbreon are at the center of these designs in each piece, making for a visual treat. Each piece flows into the next, placing everything side by side; it really looks like all the stars and moons align. Now, if you don’t care for Pokémon, you probably won’t care for the visuals here even if you like the color scheme. Even if I don’t love Pokémon like I used to, I still adore the designs here, and it’s my highest praise for the entire collection.
The Razer Ornata V3 Tenkeyless
The first piece I want to talk about is the Razer Ornata VS Tenkeyless keyboard. It is the most expensive thing here at $119.99, not exactly a budget price point. I think the size and form factor are perfect, especially for my desk. My complaints start with the keys themselves. The keys use what Razer calls “Mecha-Membrane” switches, which seem to be just membrane switches with a mechanical click. It makes the keyboard feel cheap, which is a shame because the keycaps themselves are nice.
The keyboard comes with a wrist rest that actually feels great. My only problem with the wrist rest is that it’s magnetic. The magnet isn’t reliable and has trouble staying attached to the keyboard, especially if you move it. The Ornata V3 doesn’t feel like a $119.99 keyboard; for that much, you could get a proper mechanical one that feels better to use. The base model is $69.99, which is a much more appropriate price for this, but you shell out the extra money for the Pokémon design. As good as it looks, this is not worth the extra $50.
The Razer Cobra and Gigantus V2
The next piece I want to talk about is the Razer Cobra mouse. Sitting at $59.99, this is one of the budget items in the collection. The Cobra is a solid budget mouse that I can easily recommend to most people. It’s lightweight, smooth to use, and the button placement is very good. The 8500 DPI Sensor is also great, allowing for precise DPI adjustment so you’ll probably be able to find a setting that works great for you.
I do have one complaint about it, and it’s probably one of the biggest selling points for most people. My hands are a bit bigger, so I prefer a wider mouse, and the Cobra is just a bit too small for me. I can still recommend this mouse to most people, especially at this price point. The base Razer Cobra is $39.99, meaning the Pokémon markup isn’t egregious and is easier to justify.
The Razer Gigantus V2 is an easy recommendation and the lowest-priced item in the collection at $29.99. It’s medium-sized, has a soft cloth surface, and any mouse just glides on it. I normally prefer having a full desk mat, but this is still fine. Of the entire collection, I’ll probably use this the most because I like collecting mats and swapping them. The base Razer Gigantus V2 is $9.99 at this size, meaning the Pokémon markup isn’t that bad here either. It might also be the most justifiable for me, just cause of the art alone.
The Razer Kraken V4 X
The last piece in this collection is the Razer Kraken V4 X headset. The Kraken V4 X might be the best item here, but it’s not exactly a budget item, sitting at $109.99. Still, this is an easy recommendation for most people who want a headset for everyday use. The headset is wired, which may be a turn-off for some, but it still works with most setups. It also comes with a retractable cardioid mic that was better than I expected. The headset also supports 7.1 surround sound, and it’s honestly the biggest selling point here.
I’ve been using this headset a lot the past couple of days, and it’s pretty solid. Whenever I get new audio equipment, I do a couple of things to try it out. I listen to an album I love, play a couple of games, and watch a show or movie. It’s safe to say these headphones passed everything with flying colors. There were no dips in quality for me, and the 7.1 surround sound is a big plus. The microphone is also solid and more than enough for online games and Discord calls. Now, these won’t impress audiophiles, and the sound customization isn’t the best. This headset is still fine for most people, but I do have a few complaints.
I don’t like the placement of buttons on this headset. The volume and mic buttons are behind the left ear cup, and I kept pressing them while adjusting the headset. The cushions and padding are just okay, but I can see them deteriorating quickly. It was also a bit annoying to set up 7.1 surround sound; I feel like I should’ve been able to just download some drivers instead of new software. With all that, my biggest complaint is currently the price. A base Razer Kraken V4 X is $79.99, which feels like a perfect price point for this. At $109.99, this isn’t the biggest markup here, but it’s enough to question how justifiable it is. Especially since you are paying a premium for the design, something you won’t realistically see most of the time you use it.
It All Connects
One of the major selling points of Razer products is their software. All the products here (minus the mat) are compatible with Razer Synapse and Razer Chroma. Synapse is the software that lets you fully customize the keyboard and mouse buttons, while Chroma lets you adjust the lighting on everything. I do like Synapse, and it offers many ways to customize your technology. Chroma is fine; I never cared for RGB or lighting in my setup, but I understand many do.
I do find it annoying that these are two separate pieces of software. I’m frustrated with having to download multiple programs to use any piece of technology I get fully. After I set everything up, I still needed to download three different pieces of software and restart my PC. It didn’t take long, but it was still annoying, and I see no reason why Synapse and Chroma can’t be the same software, and why 7.1 Surround Sound couldn’t be a simple driver update. I understand this is more a personal issue, but it’s still one that annoys me.
Is It Worth It?
After all that, is the Razer x Pokémon Espeon and Umbreon Collection worth it? For the price, it’s hard to justify the full collection. Despite my complaints, these are all solid pieces of budget hardware that I can recommend to most people at their base prices. The problem is the jump in price for some of these takes them out of that budget category. I can still recommend the Cobra and Gigantus V2, even with the higher price point. The headset is harder to recommend, as it’s a bigger price jump even if it’s still decent overall. I can’t recommend the keyboard because the price jump is egregious, even if you love Espeon and Umbreon. While the whole collection looks great, you’re better off only getting one or two things here.
Disclaimer: Razer provided the Razer x Pokémon Espeon and Umbreon Collection for review purposes.
