ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has recently announced its collaboration with the hit anime series Evangelion, centred around the iconic EVA-02 and pilot Asuka.
This collaboration introduces a range of premium PC gaming components and peripherals with striking red and orange colour schemes, including Evangelion-themed decals and art.
For instance, the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero EVA-02 Edition motherboard features EVA-02’s signature colours and patterns, supporting 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processors and DDR5 memory for top-tier performance.
Source: ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG)
ASUS also boasts exceptional performance with the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 EVA-02 Edition graphics cards. They come with advanced cooling features and an EVA-02 colour theme, accompanied by Asuka art on the backplate.
The ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB EVA-02 Edition AIO cooler combines efficient cooling capabilities with Asuka-inspired artwork. The LED screen can display various Evangelion-themed animations.
Next up, we have the ROG Hyperion EVA-02 Edition chassis, a premium gaming case with an EVA-02-themed lighting panel. It has been designed to match the aesthetics of EVA-02 and house other ROG x Evangelion components.
Source: ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG)
As for fans and gamers seeking an ergonomic and high-performance keyboard, the ROG Strix Scope RX EVA-02 Edition may just tick the boxes. This keyboard spots an EVA-02-themed keycap, a red-and-orange aluminium case, as well as ROG RX optical mechanical switches for reliable and responsive keystrokes.
The last item in the ASUS ROG Evangelion lineup is the ROG Gladius III Wireless AimPoint EVA-02 Edition mouse. The brand claims that the mouse can provide precision and accuracy with its 36,000 dpi. ROG also offers Evangelion-themed mouse grip tapes for added customization.
At the time of writing this article, ASUS has not announced the official release date for the Evangelion lineup. If you are a big fan of New Evangelion, be sure to stick around to find out more!
Mechanical keyboards are the current fad. Everyone wants one, but not every person needs one. They are nice things to have, and the choices are currently endless, especially when you take custom keyboards into account these days.
Custom keyboards are complex though. You need to make endless choices between the huge selection of mechanical switches, to keycaps, to the case, plates, and even the circuit board itself. What if you just want a fuss free experience and get yourself a nice mechanical keyboard that games well and works for your daily use? Why not just get a Razer keyboard? Why not the latest Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro.
The BlackWidow V4 Pro, as its name suggests, is not necessarily a new series of keyboards from Razer. It is an evolution of one of their highest rated gaming peripherals, the quintessential gaming keyboard. The evolution added a new control dial on the top left corner of the keyboard too, which adds an extra layer of control from your keyboard.
The Command Dial
Source: Razer
They call it the Command Dial and they allow you to program it to whatever your heart pleases. They say you can program the dial with up to 100 different functions. Both clockwise and counter-clockwise movements could have different functions too, even if it is a regular volume-up or -down commands. For the creatives, you might find it useful for your creative applications. We can imagine programming the dial to scrub through video footages in Adobe’s Premiere Pro app. There is also backlighting for the dial so you can easily identify it even if you are working under less-than-optimal lighting conditions.
If you are not into customizing your own functions and prefer the simple plug-and-play solution, there are up to eight different default functions for the dial. You get to choose between window zooming to tab switching, giving you more convenience especially for research purposes. You can even toggle between its modes and functions by clicking the Command Dial. Each program has their own backlight colour too for easy identification. Alongside the Command Dial, lined up below, are five programmable macro keys you can program for easy access to differing functions in different applications or games. There are three more macro keys on the edge of the keyboard for even more quick-launch, or quick-access programmed into the keyboard.
Razer Chroma RGB
Source: Razer
Of course, the keyboard is not a Razer product without RGB. Specifically, you get Razer’s very famous Chroma RGB function built into the keyboard. It is a high-end keyboard after all, and that is why each keys get their own addressable RGB diode. There is even a 38-zone underglow RGB that can also be programmed separately. The included magnetic wrist rest extends the underglow RGB too. All the RGB is controlled by Razer’s proprietary Synapse program. If you have other Razer Chroma RGB peripherals, you can easily synchronize the lighting program via Synapse. Razer’s Synapse also works with other select addressable RGB products that are Chroma Connect compatible. You can even synchronize your RGB program to over 200 supported games for that matter.
The Mechanics
Source: Razer
Of course, the BlackWidow V4 Pro comes with mechanical switches. They are not ordinary mechanical switches though. They are Razer’s very own mechanical switches. You can choose between a Razer Green Clicky for a better tactile feel, or Razer’s Yellow Linear for smooth, silent functions. The switches are tested to up to 100-million keystrokes as well, so you know it will last you a while. We think the linear option will be the more popular one with gamers.
The keyboard is operable with USB Type-C connection to your PC. There is also a USB 2.0 passthrough on the keyboard. That also means that you might only need one cable running from your keyboard and mouse set-up to your PC. The keyboard is also made with up to 8000Hz polling rate, meaning it is one of the fastest responding keyboards you can find in the world today, perfect for gaming. All of these is packed into a 5052 aluminium alloy case that is proven to be durable. Within the case are two layers of sound dampening foam for better acoustics. The switches are also factory lubed for optimal acoustics. Of course, the keycaps are durable doubleshot ABS keycaps.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Price and Availability
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is now available in select markets on Razer.com, RazerStores, and authorized resellers. It is not yet available in Malaysia though; we are expecting it to be available within February or early March 2023. It retails for US$ 229.99 (MYR 1,019*) in markets where it is available. There are no colour options on it, as with most Razer ‘Pro’ products out there. You can find out more about Razer’s BlackWidow V4 Pro from their website.
When you think of gaming peripherals, there is always one name that will never escape your shortlist – Razer. To be fair, Razer is not just a peripheral brand anymore. It is a household name in all things gaming now. It is more of a gaming lifestyle brand more than anything.
If you want to game, you want a fast mechanical switch. For work, you want something that gives you good feedback but also comfortable enough to type for a long time. If you want a multipurpose keyboard, well, there is always some form of compromise. You do want something that is fast and at the same time comfortable enough to work with for a long time. That is what the Razer Ornata is made for.
Source: Razer
The Razer Ornata is a little unique for a mechanical keyboard. For one, it is a mechanical keyboard, but it is also a membrane keyboard. They call the technology Mecha-membrane. It is clever mix of mechanical switches and membrane switches. While it does sound odd, it is quite a unique switch that combines the best of both worlds. The Ornata V2 was launched in 2017, which was five years ago. While keyboard standards hardly change, the Razer Ornata is due for an upgrade.
Why else are we talking about the Razer Ornata? There is a new one, the third version of the unique Mecha-membrane keyboard. It is smaller, lower profiled, and it is still a full-sized keyboard.
The Ornata V3’s switches have not changed much since the V2. It is still equipped with Mecha-membrane switches that combines the best of both mechanical and membrane switches. It gets the quick precision and tactile feel of mechanical switches, at the same time it also gets a cushioned feel for extended use.
The V3 is also equipped with ABS keycaps for durability. The ensure that the keycaps do not wear off too quickly, there is a UV coating to protect the letterings on the keycaps. At the same time, the Razer Ornata V3 comes with Razer’s proprietary Chroma RGB system with 10 lighting zones. It also features dedicated media keys with a magnetically detachable soft-touch wrist rest.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
The Razer Ornata is now available via Razer’s online stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also find it sold in all Razer’s authorized retailers. It will set you back MYR 329, which is a lot less than plenty of gaming keyboards and even custom keyboards you can find in the market. For more information on the Razer Ornata V3 keyboard, you can head over to their website.
