Razer OrbWeaver Review

[xToFxREAPER]

Vaneth Reaper's (A.K.A xToFxREAPER) Review of the Razer Orbweaver Gameboard

@Analog @BurgerBum As per your requests here are your tags

 

Hey guys, Im back again with another peripheral review. A little bit of background and why i picked this product up in the first place, My family seems to have a curse. Most or all of us have arthritis and it typically starts at an unfortunately young age, Myself at the age of 19 started to show symptoms of it making pc gaming an increasingly painful hobby for myself and my father. At the current age of 21 its gotten pretty terrible almost on par with my fathers. I had ordered a Logitech G13 back when it started for a slightly more ergonomic and comfortable time gaming as well as the convenience of a huge amount of macroable keys. With that being said this will be my review of the Razer OrbWeaver gaming keypad (or whatever you want to call these damn things!) And why i switched from the Logitech G13

 

The packaging and my first impressions

Packaging wise its pretty standard for razer, Matte black box, Bright green plastic and a few pamphlets and stickers. The box itself is pretty well decorated with all sorts of information with most of it being pretty relevant for someone looking into a product of this type. The box was relatively easy to get into none of that crazy Fort knox stuff some companies have been doing lately. Once you got it open youll find your usual razer stickers, The "thanks for giving us your money" documentation, a quick start guide and of course the OrbWeaver itself. I was surprised at how light it was while remaining heavy enough that it wont move on you while your gaming. I set it down on my desk next to my G710+ where it now lives and set my hand on it. My first thought was "holy hell this thing is comfortable!" I was in love with this product within seconds.

 

 

Setup And Use

Upon plugging it in it will download razer synapse 2.0 (if you dont already have it that is) and which point everything's set. By default its using the wasd layout with everything in roughly the same position as it would be on a keyboard for the most part. it is intuitive enough that it would take you a very short period of time to get the hang of using the default layout but... Who the hell drops that much on a peripheral with 100% macroable keys and not make use of it?! I proceeded to make myself a layout for use in diablo 3. With Razer Synapse 2.0 being as simple as it is i was able to get everything mapped where i wanted within minutes and was pleased to see that having an .exe file attached to that profile also applied to my naga 2012 edition at the same time making things extremely simple with an added bonus, You can set the keys of your OrbWeaver (And naga if you desire) to launch programs, shortcuts, browsers what have you but when you launch a game with a profile tied to it, Every macro changes to support that rather then launching your programs! Now your probably thinking to yourself at this point "but diablo doesnt use many keys.. That would be a simple profile" and in that you would be correct. I proceeded to make myself profiles for a few others games ive been playing of late such as cod black ops (zombies is addicting!), Watch dogs, Far Cry 4 among others. I had quickly and easily made myself profiles for about 7 different games within an hour give or take counting play test and tweak time. I found with the logitech gaming software if i was popping in and out of it that often it would like to crash which is a problem ive had for years. It was nice to have the response and stability that synapse provided.

 

Ok But Is It Comfortable??

I decided to test the comfort on diablo 3 as that is the game i play the most making it easiest to spot a difference. I can spend hours on that game without even realizing how much time has really passed.. And that is exactly what happened. Before doing so i experimented with the adjustments that are available on the device, Wrist rest tilt function, The key spacing between the wrist rest and the thumb module spacing. Once i had it set the way i wanted it I sat down to play with a few friends at around 9pm, After running bounties, Rifts and Greater rifts for what felt like an hour or so i looked at the clock to realize it was already 5 in the morning! Now using the G13 or even my G710+ that would never have happened. I would have been getting up almost every hour to go grab some food, Go for a smoke any excuse really to let my hand stretch out and alleviate the pain from the arthritis. Even my friends have noticed and commented on the fact that i was suddenly able to marathon game with them. In the one week i have owned it, I have put a ton of hours into gaming that i physically couldnt have done before.

 

 

Why did you ditch trusty old Logitech

This was not done out of a hatred for logitech by any means. I LOVE logitech products for the most part as anyone who has read my G502 review would know. So why did i change from the G13? Well Ive had that board for about 3 years now and it was getting pretty worn out. Although i could have picked up another G13 I saw the OrbWeaver sitting beside it, I instantly pulled my phone out to see if @LinusTech had done an unboxing for it. Sure enough he

had done an unboxing for the 2012 edition. I gave it a quick watch while in the store and was instantly sold on it. The membrane switches of the G13 just took a bit to much force to actuate which resulted in far more pain while gaming then that of a mechanical switch and lacked the nice tactile feedback that a mechanical switch can provide. I was somewhat skeptical of Razer's proprietary switches but i took the dive and find they are fantastic. They arent to loud, They feel similar enough to a cherry and are cheaper to build making the 2014 model of the OrbWeaver that much cheaper then that of the 2012. With the much larger shape more orblike shape (pun NOT intended but its the best way to describe the shape and feel) It allows your hand to rest in a far more natural state then a traditional keyboard would with the same thing applying to the G13 as it is a pretty simple and flat layout.

 

 

Does it really enhance your game or is that a gimmick?

A friend of mine asked me this tonight while i was writing this review. We were on skype while i wrote this and he said "I noticed your playing d3 very differently since you picked that thing up, Is it because your hand isnt as sore or is it because of the game board iteslf?" I couldnt form an answer quite at that moment. I sat back thinking about it for a bit and decided to test myself a bit. I proceeded to remap my actually keyboard (through in game bindings) to be as comfortable and optimal as i could and ran through a greater rift. Sure enough by the end of that rift my hand was absolutely killing me. I used nVidia shadowplay to record the game footage so that i could go over it and watch how i was playing. I then reset the keybinds and went back to using the orbweaver as i had set it up to do another greater rift (at least i got to level up my legendary gems out of this!) also using shadowplay again. I watched my footage side by side on each monitor and noticed something, My friend was right. I was playing very differently and i dare say more efficiently with the orbweaver. Some of the simplest keybinds just couldnt be comfortably done on a keyboard in the same way. Something like the force stand still command is tough to map onto the keyboard in a way that you can keep your hands on all your skill keys as well for someone such as myself. With the orbweaver i can have that command resting right under my thumb while i have my other 4 fingers hovering over my skills and my potion button being only millimeters away from my index finger, making it extremely quick and efficient to get every command i could need without having to travel around a keyboard.

 

Ok cool.. Lets wrap this up why dont we

So your probably wondering now.. Who would i recommend this product to? is it right for you? would you like using a game board? Well if your someone like myself that finds themselves in large amounts of discomfort with even short gaming sessions then yes, i can whole heartedly recommend this product to you with one catch, If you dont have the patience enough to set up your keybinds and build your profiles, Test and tweak and rebuild when need then i would NOT pick this item up or anything similar to it for that matter. Yes profiles can be exported and imported so you could probably find a bunch online in the razer forums (i havent looked so dont hold me to that) however your still going to end up tweaking it and trying to learn what key does what. These are an outstanding and extremely under rated product in my opinion but do worlds of good for comfort, ergonomics and at least in some cases be it minor or great have the potential to enhance your gaming performance. They have so much potential and the usefulness of such an item is only limited by your imagination. I just wish there was a model with mechanical switches and rgb together

 

And this is where it will now live for the remainder of its life

 

I Hope this review has shed some light on the world of gaming keypads for you guys. If you have any questions, comments, Feedback or anything i forgot please feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. I did write this at around 5am so its very likely i forgot some things.

[NeatSquidYT]

Never really seen the use for these in my situation, but is pretty cool. nice review too.

[xToFxREAPER]

Never really seen the use for these in my situation, but is pretty cool. nice review too.

Thank you. For a 5am write up i cant complain about it at all. They have their use and to most its a novelty but for some they are a life saver

[Analog]

Nice review, man. I'm still not entirely sold on this, I had the v1 of this thing, the one that was a re-brand of Belkin, and although it was comfy I found myself not really using it once I bought the G710+. I also don't really enjoy having a lot of stuff on my desk, but that's just me. Your entire setup also looks pretty cool. 

[xToFxREAPER]

Nice review, man. I'm still not entirely sold on this, I had the v1 of this thing, the one that was a re-brand of Belkin, and although it was comfy I found myself not really using it once I bought the G710+. I also don't really enjoy having a lot of stuff on my desk, but that's just me. Your entire setup also looks pretty cool.

Its a very love it or hate it type thing for sure. i remember the rebranded belkin one from a few years ago as well. My desk is so massive it doesnt bother me Thanks though. I love this setup its a ton of fun, The tower really grabs peoples attention before they realize there are three monitors on my desk and a plasma tv to my right lol

[BurgerBum]

im sold. after i get my system built im getting one of these, and a new keyboard!

[xToFxREAPER]

im sold. after i get my system built im getting one of these, and a new keyboard!

Glad you liked it. Im surprised how well it turned out all things considered.

[Nup]

Nice review, have on myself, Wholeheartedly agree with your review  

[xToFxREAPER]

Nice review, have on myself, Wholeheartedly agree with your review

Good to hear They seem to be a very niche product

[Freaky_spider]

only one of your lightnings is WC? im confused

[xToFxREAPER]

only one of your lightnings is WC? im confused

ahah yeah, being a full time student with a part time job i have to make do with what i can afford i ordered the one when i could afford it because the system sounded like it was going to take off. The second card is living quite happily on air but if i can afford it before the block disappears from known existence im going to order a second.

[Psykomantis00]

I have an orbweaver as well and I love it. The ONLY game I use it for is LoL, but it's helped a lot since I've gotten it. It won't make you a better player, but it will allow you the proper button placement that the default controls lack. 

[KRImSIN]

Good review was wondering about the orbweaver.

[ShadowCaptain]

i have been interested in the orb weaver, nice review

 

I actually really want a g13 strangely, I prefer the flatter design and miss the display from my g15 (the screen is the main reason I want it haha)

[xToFxREAPER]

i have been interested in the orb weaver, nice review

 

I actually really want a g13 strangely, I prefer the flatter design and miss the display from my g15 (the screen is the main reason I want it haha)

I like the design of the g13 and really like the screen but comfort was the issue I had with it. I also think the membrane keys logitech used on it are just to stiff, that could also be due to using a mechanical keyboard for pretty much everything.

[ShadowCaptain]

I like the design of the g13 and really like the screen but comfort was the issue I had with it. I also think the membrane keys logitech used on it are just to stiff, that could also be due to using a mechanical keyboard for pretty much everything.

 

True, I will rarely use the keys though, probably just macro keys for photoshop/premier and the screen for monitoring stuff

[dragoon20005]

long snip

very in depth review

 

I do intend to get it as an add on to my original keyboard setup

 

the ergonomics of the Obeweaver do prevent RSI as your hand will be in a natural position

 

one question which I need to ask is how is good the thumb stick as the movement control instead of the WASD?

[Nup]

very in depth review

 

I do intend to get it as an add on to my original keyboard setup

 

the ergonomics of the Obeweaver do prevent RSI as your hand will be in a natural position

 

one question which I need to ask is how is good the thumb stick as the movement control instead of the WASD?

 

Actually, I don't know if Mr. @xToFxREAPER mentioned the thumb stick. (perhaps I missed it) Good question  

Would love to know what you thought! Did you find a use for it? 

[ShadowCaptain]

the ergonomics of the Obeweaver do prevent RSI as your hand will be in a natural position

 

Except for me who has tiny hands, its the same shape (mostly) as the nostromo and I actually cannot use that thing, if I rest my hand naturally on it, I can only reach the bottom row of keys ><

[TheGosuStandard]

Does that desk have a monitor stand or am I seeing stuff. 

[kwongger]

 

snipped

 

 

That black text hurts us Dark Theme users!  Please use the default.

[xToFxREAPER]

 

That black text hurts us Dark Theme users!  Please use the default. 

Im using black theme and its not showing up as black text Ill have to take a look and see if there is a sneaky BBCode in there. Thanks for the heads up

 

 

Actually, I don't know if Mr. @xToFxREAPER mentioned the thumb stick. (perhaps I missed it) Good question

Would love to know what you thought! Did you find a use for it? 

I knew i was forgetting something! ahah it seemed to perfect for a 5am review

 

 

very in depth review

 

I do intend to get it as an add on to my original keyboard setup

 

the ergonomics of the Obeweaver do prevent RSI as your hand will be in a natural position

 

one question which I need to ask is how is good the thumb stick as the movement control instead of the WASD?

I did try the thumbstick though i find it very inaccurate and awkward to use. If you were stubborn enough you could definitely use it for movement instead of wasd, After some time to adjust to it i think it would be a great things to use. Personally ive been using it for shortcut keys for weapons etc. On diablo im using it for things like my paragon menu, the enter key which is really useful when playing on triple surround and other misc keys that i tend to use.

 

Does that desk have a monitor stand or am I seeing stuff. 

You sir are seeing stuff, at least for now. I have a monitor stand in the mail. If what your referring to as the reflection in front of my center monitor its the center channel in my surround sound.

 

Good review was wondering about the orbweaver.

Glad i could be of service

[Guest]

i have been interested in the orb weaver, nice review

 

I actually really want a g13 strangely, I prefer the flatter design and miss the display from my g15 (the screen is the main reason I want it haha)

G15? Screen? I had the V2.

 

Jesus, now that I think of it, that thing was OLD.

 

Later I got a G19 and much later still I got a mechanical keyboard.

[ShadowCaptain]

G15? Screen? I had the V2.

 

Jesus, now that I think of it, that thing was OLD.

 

Later I got a G19 and much later still I got a mechanical keyboard.

 

yeah I have a g710+ and g502 at home i am using my g15 v2 at work though

[LongbowX404]

I always loving reading reviews on hardware like this and just computer stuff in general. Definitely giving me what will probably be the final push into getting one and trying it myself!