Product: Razer Turret for Xbox One
Type: Wireless Mechanical Keyboard and Mouse
Price: $429.95 RRP
Availability: Out Now
Link: razer.com/au-en/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-turret-for-xbox-one

When Microsoft announced that it was finally adding mouse and keyboard support to the Xbox One, the news was met with a resounding and polite “well I do say, it’s about time old chap”. It quickly resolved the whole ‘but will it be fair to competitive gamers playing on controller’ by stating that the functionality was there for developers to turn on or off or tweak as necessary – game by game or mode by mode. So far, the list of games that support mouse and keyboard isn’t massive, but with Sea of Thieves, Warframe, Warhammer: Vermintide II, They Are Billions, Fortnite, and more – there’s more than enough reason to connect the dynamic PC-duo to your nearest Xbox One console.

Designed specifically for Xbox One the Turret is a two-in-one device from Razer, and a pricey one at that. But that part of the equation quickly dissolves, at least partially, once the Turret immediately makes the case for itself as one of if not the very best couch gaming wireless keyboard and mouse combos available today. It does so by combining existing high-quality hardware, like the Razer BlackWidow and the Razer Mamba and combine them with enough features and design elements of its own to stand out. Oh, and full Windows 10 support make it a versatile and brilliant choice for couch PC gaming too.

Look and Feel

Sturdy is the word you look for when it comes to a mechanical keyboard, especially one that for the most part will sit on your lap as you strafe, dodging incoming fire. Or, move the camera around the post-apocalyptic zombie-filled future of They Are Billions. Weight has a big part to play, and the Turret’s 1.86 kg pushes things to what we assume is the limit before things might start to feel uncomfortable. When you first place the Turret on your lap and slide out the retractable mouse pad there’s the feeling that it’s a bit of a tank, or an old-timey typewriter. Albeit, one that doesn’t weigh you down.

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“The Turret immediately makes the case for itself as one of if not the very best couch gaming wireless keyboard and mouse combos available today.”

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The soft rubbery underside complements the hard surface and the floating key design. With full Razer Chroma support each key is individually backlit and even has something called Xbox Dynamic Lighting – for console specific apps, games, and features. The retractable mouse pad is suitably sturdy too, not huge real estate-wise but paired with a high-end 16,000 DPI offering from Razer precision isn’t sacrificed in the translation. In fact, one of the cool little touches is a mouse that sticks to the pad in a soft, magnetic manner. Which alleviates potential issues with it falling or sliding when shifting about or placing it on an angle as you reach for a snack. With the Razer Turret it’s great to see that things don’t need to be 100% little oil in the tube thingy level.

Specs

Razer Turret Keyboard (Xbox One Edition)

• Razer Mechanical Switches with 50 g actuation force
  
• 80 million keystrokes
  
• Xbox Dynamic Lighting powered by Razer Chroma
  
• Ergonomic wrist rest
  
• 10 key roll-over anti-ghosting
  
• Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording (PC only)
  
• Gaming mode option (PC only)
  
• 1000 Hz Ultrapolling
  
• Instant Trigger Technology
  
• Up to 11 hours battery life on a single charge with lighting or 43 hours battery with lighting disabled
  
• Dimensions: A194 mm (Length) X 390 mm (Width) X 36.93 mm (Height)
  
• Weight: 1860 g
  
• Cable length: 2 metres

Razer Turret Mouse (Xbox One Edition)

• Razer 5G Advanced Optical Sensor with true 16,000 DPI
  
• 1000 Hz Ultrapolling
  
• 7 independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons
  
• Razer Mechanical Mouse Switches with 50-million click life cycle
  
• Gaming-grade tactile scroll wheel
  
• Ergonomic right-handed design
  
• Xbox Dynamic Lighting powered by Razer Chroma
  
• Hybrid On-Board Memory and Cloud Storage
  
• Up to 30 hours battery life on a single charge with lighting enabled or 50 hours battery life with lighting disabled
  
• Weight (excluding cable): 106 g

Looking at the above specs and it’s easy to see where the underlying hardware for the Razer Turret comes from, these being some of the excellent keyboards and mice as mentioned earlier – the BlackWidow and the Mamba. The mechanical switches on the keyboard have a great feel, identical in a way to stuff we’ve been using form Razer – but now wireless. They’re clicky in sound in a way that puts them on par with Razer Green switches, and the actuation and force feel about the same too.

Outside of the little magnet what you get in the mouse department is essentially the Mamba Wireless, which we reviewed here. Spoiler alert, it’s one of the best wireless mouse choices out there. Specs-wise they’re identical – again, outside of the magnetic update. The impressive Optical 5G sensor, the mechanical mouse switches, the rubberised grips, the long-lasting battery, the wonderful ergonomics. Great stuff all round. Our only gripes being, the battery in the keyboard not being on par with the mouse and that the mouse’s charge cable (which connects to the keyboard) is too small for it to function at a play-and-charge level.

Point, Click, and Type

With the supplied USB-dongle, testing the Razer Turret with a PC performs flawlessly over the 2.4 GHz signal – bolstered by the excellent feel of the mechanical keyboard and the premium mouse. No real surprises here, the real test comes with the Xbox One and its mouse and keyboard support. Here the little Xbox Logo button brings up the quick menu at any point and the keyboard can be used to navigate the dashboard quite easily. So far, so good.

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“One of the cool little touches is a mouse that sticks to the pad in a soft, magnetic manner.”

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Firing up Sea of Thieves and outside of the 30 frames-per-second, the responsiveness is impressive and very PC like. You’ll be able to snipe skellies from a distance no problem. As we’ve been using mechanical keyboards and high-DPI mice in our PC setup for several years now, calling the Razer Turret PC-like is a compliment. Playing the RTS They Are Billions feels natural, so much so that we couldn’t imagine playing it otherwise.

And really, opens the door to games better suited to the keyboard and mouse input combo that we’d love to see come on over to the Xbox One. Perhaps the best test was the smooth 60 frames-per-second performance of Digital Extreme’s Warframe, which again was, well, just like it feels on a decent gaming rig. In the end, the Razer Turret for Xbox One has the premium feel, build quality, and performance to match its price. And in turn, is the couch gaming keyboard and mouse to beat.