

Razer announces the DeathStalker Ultimate featuring the all-new Switchblade User Interface with dynamic adaptive tactile keys Both the standard and ultimate iterations are set for a global launch next month, priced at $80 and $250, respectively. We still need more PC titles to offer up their own customizations, but users will soon be able to take matters into their own hands, as Razer has launched the SDK for its Switchblade UI alongside this new keyboard. While the chiclets may not be to everyone's tastes, -Razer already has their own range of mechanical keyboards - the keys on the ultimate version felt responsive enough during our brief play, and they still have the same optical effect found on the blade, meaning the image seems to float atop those LCD keys.

We're liking these style lines, and it all follows the same design lines and sentiment of the Razer Blade. Get our first impressions after our gallery and the break. The CEO explained that a player's custom layout and profile for the 'board could be stored online and then accessed from any computer it's plugged into, ready for your next (online) fight. The keyboard will also feature Synapse 2, Razer's new cloud-based settings service. It can also display your Twitter feed, game information and plenty more. Beneath that, a touchpanel LCD can act as a trackpad and accepts several gesture motions. They're still contextual, meaning if you launch the calculator from one of the keys, they will then transform into more appropriate calculator functions. The first part of this is ten LCD keys that can be customized to gaming buttons or more typical PC use. The standard issue packs three backlit color options, while the bigger board adds in Razer's light-up Switchblade UI, seen on its first gaming laptop. They both plump for chiclet-style keys and the pricier (and larger) Ultimate felt both light and slim.

Ready to accompany the accessory maker's Ouroboros gaming mouse (hands-on impressions coming very soon), the Deathstalker will arrive in Ultimate and Standard versions. It's pretty obvious from Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan's one-man presentation at Gamescom that he's buzzing about his new gaming keyboard.
