Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% keyboard review

Cheap often means bad. I've spoken with friends who don't understand the value of a pricey piece of gear, and they've marveled at how something premium can change how well you play. Even so, there's something to be said about a good budget option. Razer is no stranger to those – my first keyboard was an inexpensive Ornata – but they've truly outdone themselves with this new model: the Razer Reclusa X.

Opening the box, you'll discover the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% keyboard and a USB-C to A cable. Small keyboard, small box, small contents. The most insane part is how tiny it really is; you can see in the picture below how even the Huntsman V3 Pro TKL dwarfs it. I know 65% should be the indicator of how small the keyboard is, but it still surprises you when you see it in person. If someone were looking to save a lot of space on their desk, this is a good option. It’s also the perfect travel keyboard; both solid enough to handle your backpack and at barely longer than a foot, it doesn’t take up much room.

Typing on it reminds me somewhat of the BlackWidow, as the Reclusa employs the orange tactile switches Gen-3. As much as I love Razer’s optical switches, these do work nicely. The little ticking noises they make aren’t too loud either, masked by dual-layer silicone dampening within the keyboard itself. It’s part of why this keyboard feels so dense – when you include the keycaps, there are seven layers to this cakey keyboard.

As this is an enthusiast keyboard, if you want to change out said switches, Razer has made it easy. The Reclusa supports both three and five-pin switches, and they can be swapped out in seconds. It’s awesome to have such freedom to get your keyboard set the way you want it. While you can obviously change out the keycaps, I do want to give Razer credit for the tri-tone color design; it looks slick, even without RGB lighting showing under them.

Of course, since this is a Razer keyboard, you know it’s going to have plenty of Razer fixings to boost your daily use. On top of the 1K polling rate (sadly no 8K on this initial model), Snap Tap and Flex are both available. These two features allow you to get the best counter-strafing in the business (but don’t use it on CS2) and prioritize your last input. Both are staples of the Razer experience, and it’s great to see them on a more inexpensive model. Also included is Dual-Keypress Priority, which lets you press multiple directional keys and have the keyboard maintain those even if you fat-finger another. The little things count, and Razer is trying to make sure you get the best performance out of the Reclusa.

You wouldn’t realize how much that last function matters until you use a 65% keyboard. As much as I’m not used to a TKL, this is another ballgame. All of the keys are crammed together, and I’ve had to relearn a bit of typing over the last week with this one. I’ve accidentally keyed a completely incorrect string of letters multiple times, just because I’m used to where the keys I should be pressing are. I don’t think it’s a huge issue as I’ve gotten past it by now, but do note there will be a short adjustment period.

All of these things come together to make a more than competent keyboard for both typing and gaming. Using this keyboard at my work desk and typing away at news and reviews (including typing for this one) was stellar. Gaming wasn’t the chore I thought it might be, as the squeeze of the keys doesn’t impact your finger placement while playing something like Counter-Strike 2. It might even work better for my smaller hands. I think I still prefer the Huntsman V3 Pro, but it’s built for competitive gaming. The Reclusa punches above its weight here.

I can’t ever leave a keyboard review without talking about RGB lighting, and Razer has done this right. That doesn’t change with the Reclusa, which features brilliant LEDs underneath the keycaps. The location of the lighting has been moved to the southern region of the switches, which allows the Reclusa to be compatible with more keycaps for customization. It’s a great choice that makes this keyboard worthy of the Razer name – we all know the R in Razer stands for RGB.

Rarely do I mention price when discussing gaming gear, as many balk at the premium costs, even when the item is clearly worth it. Razer isn’t asking that of you; the Reclusa X Mini 65% is only $49.99. Given certain amenities aren’t here, like wireless capability and 8K polling (which I do miss), I understand the decision to go so low, but man, does it feel like we’re getting a steal. As mentioned in my opening, I remember getting an Ornata, and that was at least $50 and a cheaper plastic. This is a stout keyboard for the price they’re asking.