Razer Lycosa Gaming Keyboard

Razer Lycosa

Manufacturer: Razer
UK Price (as reviewed): £49.99 (inc. Delivery)
US Price (as reviewed): $78.99 (inc. Delivery)

Something embarrassing happened to me when I first got hold of the Razer Lycosa gaming keyboard. I had just finished setting up my desk in our new offices when the package landed on my desk. I opened it up, looked at it and asked myself a question which, on reflection is actually quite a sad indictment of how shallow I am.

“Does this keyboard clash with the rest of my desktop?” – My God, what’s happened to me?

Whatever you think of me based on the last sentence and my sudden decision to care if my desk is colour co-ordinated or now, the conclusion was the same. Yes, the Lycosa does go with the rest of my desktop kit – mostly because a lot of my stuff is Razer and they have a predisposition to the colours black and blue.


Still, the Razer Lycosa is actually very different to the previous Razer keyboard I had been using, the Razer Tarantula. It’s smaller for starters and thinner too – sizing up as about 450mm by 200mm at the widest points. The whole thing is about a centimetre thick.

Unlike most gaming keyboards, which are often chunky, clunky and clumsy, the Lycosa is a tad more graceful. Part of that grace comes from the design – subtle curves cut up by strong edges, but a lot comes from the feel too.


You see, the feel of the Lycosa is really unlike any keyboard I’ve ever used. I don’t mean in terms of the response or tactile feedback – those are all just as you’d expect from a Razer keyboard; solid and smooth – I’m referring to the very texture of the keys. Running your hand across the buttons is like stroking a prize-winning kitten in a velvet smoking jacket, they feel that sensuous.

The texture is the result of a new rubber finish which has been applied to the keys to try and make them non-slip.

Personally, I’ve never had a problem with slippy keys before– and I’m well aware of the potential for innuendo there thankyouverymuch – and the finish actually seems to have the opposite effect here anyway. Keys are so smooth that you’d think they were oiled up like a bodybuilder doing a show in a chip shop, but the keys feel so nice that we’re inclined to let them off anyway.


Despite the non-slip claims, slippiness seems to have been the entire focus of the Lycosa, but in a good way. The entire body of the board is smooth and sleek, with the media keys located in the top right being touch-sensitive.

Yeah, touch sensitive – now we’re getting a little bit swish, eh?