Razer Key Light Chroma
design
Razer have got a lot right with the build of the Key Light, even the way its packaged feels premium. It’s a shift away from the usual glossy black and green boxes to a more understated plain printed cardboard, but it’s cleverly arranged and everything has a neat compartment.
The quality continues to the Key Light itself, the metal back plate is a premium choice and helps give the entire unit a professional edge. Measuring in slightly larger than Elgato’s full size Key Light and more than 6 times larger than the excellent Elgato Key Light Mini, there’s a lot of panel here. It’s not bulky though, just under 4cm at its thickest point and cleverly there’s no buttons or cable inputs on the back so it’ll happily sit flush against a wall without compromise.
The included mount and desk clamp is sturdy, which is reassuring because the Key Light is surprisingly heavy. The clamping mechanism also lets you disengage the handle from turning the screw, allowing you to tighten in small spaces which is a very useful touch. It’s worth noting however the clamp will need at least 15cm of clearance under the worktop which may cause problems for desks with cable management trays.
performance
As a studio light, Razer’s Key Light is a strong option and stacks up well against competitors. The 2,800 lumens of power on offer is more than you’ll ever need and I never found myself using more than about 45% brightness. The total power does take a hit when using the RGB function however, with the app limiting output to 15% “to guarantee the optimal visibility of each effect”.
The Key Light delivers a wide colour temperature range with stepless transitions from 4000 to 7000K, giving plenty of control for proper white balancing in different conditions. With the backlight off, the Razer Key Light’s RGB options are surprisingly saturated and do still throw an impressive amount of colour. The full rainbow is available with a handful of basic effects by default plus more detailed effect control is available in the Razer Synapse desktop app.
Even the Razer Streaming mobile app isn’t without faults. Adding the Key Light was far quicker and easier here, but the connection is patchy and I was often greeted by the app being unable to find my light for around 30 seconds each time I opened it. This isn’t an issue I’ve encountered with Elgato’s Control Centre app, so there’s certainly room for improvement.
Even the Razer Streaming mobile app isn’t without faults. Adding the Key Light was far quicker and easier here, but the connection is patchy and I was often greeted by the app being unable to find my light for around 30 seconds each time I opened it. This isn’t an issue I’ve encountered with Elgato’s Control Centre app, so there’s certainly room for improvement.
summed up
The Razer Key Light has stacks of potential but it’s being badly let down by mediocre software and poor third party connectivity. For creators not looking for interactivity and simply wanting a set and forget option, the Key Light is a good proposition that will do a fine job of lighting a scene.
But at nearly twice the price of Elgato’s Key Light and with its only unique feature, the RGB Chroma Effects, rendered near useless by poor software, it’s hard to recommend the Razer Key light as the best option for most streamers.
It’s an easily remedied situation though, more robust software and proper integration with other apps would quickly propel Razer’s offering to the front.
