Should you buy a Razer Turret keyboard and mouse for Xbox One?

Recently, Microsoft rolled out the ability to use a keyboard and mouse with select games. Experiences like Fortnite, Metro Exodus, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, Warframe, and Warhammer: Vermintide 2 all support the input method, and often it works great. You can use almost any keyboard and mouse with an Xbox One, but if you want to elevate it further, Razer has you covered with a wireless option.

A few months ago, the gaming company released the Razer Turret for Xbox One. The package includes a mechanical keyboard and mouse. It has a magnetic mouse pad and a heavy base, so it rests comfortably on your lap if you’re sitting on a couch. However, the best experience is undoubtedly achieved by resting it on a desk. The Razer Turret weighs a couple of pounds, so you probably don’t want it on your lap for an extended period.

Razer has an exclusive partnership with Microsoft to incorporate features like “Xbox Dynamic Lighting” into its devices. This means that the keyboard backlight changes depending on which game you’re playing. The keyboard also has a dedicated “Xbox” button, which allows you to pull up the “Guide” and other features easily.

Instead of relying on a Bluetooth connection, the Razer Turret requires you to insert a dongle into one of the Xbox One’s USB ports. This transmits data over a 2.4 GHz wireless connection which I feel is better than Bluetooth because there aren’t any connection issues. What’s even better is that you only need one dongle to connect the keyboard and mouse.

The Razer Turret shines when you’re playing games that run at 60 frames per second (FPS) on the console. Using a keyboard and mouse for Minecraft or Warframe is incredible because you gain an added level of precision that was missing beforehand. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many titles that achieve this on the Xbox One and support keyboard and mouse input. Most of the time you’ll be playing games like Metro Exodus that render at 30 FPS. This makes using a mouse quite cumbersome. It’s better to just stick with a controller if a game runs at a lower frame rate.

There aren’t that many Xbox One games you can really use the Razer Turret for, but luckily it also works with PC. Just plug in the dongle and you’re good to go. If you’re a PC gamer, this is another reason to consider purchasing the device.

The Razer Turret is a premium accessory, but the keys are a little too “clicky.” When you’re playing a game and others are around, the sound of constantly pressing “W,” “A,” “S,” or “D” can be annoying. You definitely want to use the Razer Turret only when you’re alone.

The Razer Turret is an expensive piece of equipment because it costs $250. If you’re going to buy one, you only want to do so if you really like using a wireless keyboard and mouse for gaming. It’s hard to find fault with it, but the main issue here is its usefulness. If Xbox One accessories are supported on the next-generation “Xbox Anaconda” that is rumored to run games at 4K 60 FPS, then it’s worth it. If not, then you probably shouldn’t buy one because you can’t play that many games with it.

At the end of the day, it’s your decision. As a reviewer, it’s quite difficult to assign a score to such a device because it’s an excellent piece of hardware. However, just because it’s great, doesn’t mean that it’ll be of much use. Only you can decide whether it’s worth it because only a dozen Xbox One games support keyboard and mouse input at the moment.

See at Razer Store