“Which full-size mechanical keyboard with macro keys is best if you want a soft keystroke that isn't too flat?”
Five boardswith macro keys.
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro scores highest – 8.6 out of 10, with eight macro keys. Redragon, Corsair and Razer fill the rest of the top 5.
The short answer
- The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is the most complete board – eight macro keys, a command dial and a choice of soft linear or clicky switches.
- Soft means a linear switch at about 45 g; a bit firmer means a tactile switch at 50–55 g with a small bump.
- On a budget, the Redragon K550 – second in our scoring – gives you 12 macro keys and a 55 g tactile switch for about $70.
Four rules for this list: a full-size layout with a real number pad, dedicated, programmable macro keys, normal height – no low-profile boards – and a keystroke that is soft, or slightly firmer. This is not a lab test: we compared manufacturer specs with published reviews from Tom's Hardware, PC Gamer and others.
Soft or a bit firmer?
Two numbers describe how a key feels: the force it takes to trigger it (in grams) and how far it travels before it does. A linear switch at 45 g feels soft and smooth. A tactile switch at 50–55 g is a little firmer and gives you a small bump when the key fires – nice for typing, and harder to trigger by accident. Clicky switches add a loud click on top of the bump.
Soft is 45 grams. A bit firmer is 55 grams with a bump.
Scores and specs
Each board gets 0 to 10 points in four categories that follow the brief: macro keys (number, extras like a dial, recording on the board), feel (soft to a bit firmer, and whether you can change switches), features and build, and value. The total is the weighted average.
- 01Razer BlackWidow V4 ProBest all-rounder8.6/10
- 02Redragon K550 YamaMost macro keys8.5/10
- 03Corsair K100 RGBThe softest7.6/10
- 04Razer BlackWidow V4 XValue pick7.3/10
- 05Redragon K580 VataBudget pick7.0/10
Editorial score from manufacturer specs and published reviews, not lab measurements. Total = weighted average, rounded.
| Board | Macro keys | Switches (force) | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro | 8 + Command Dial | Yellow linear 45 g / Green clicky 50 g | $230 |
| Redragon K550 Yama | 12 | Purple tactile 55 g, hot-swap | $70 |
| Corsair K100 RGB | 6 + control wheel | OPX optical 45 g / Cherry MX Speed 45 g | $200 |
| Razer BlackWidow V4 X | 6 | Yellow linear 45 g / Green clicky 50 g | $130 |
| Redragon K580 Vata | 5 | Brown tactile 55 g / Blue clicky 60 g, hot-swap | $50–80 |
US prices at the time of writing. Euro prices vary a lot from shop to shop.
The five boards
1. Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro – the best all-rounder
Five macro keys on the left edge plus three on the side, a Command Dial, a media roller with four media keys, USB passthrough and a magnetic wrist rest. Pick the Yellow switch for a soft, quiet linear feel – Tom's Hardware found the Green version extra loud. The downsides: ABS keycaps, no hot-swap, wired only, and the highest price here.
2. Redragon K550 Yama – the most macro keys
Twelve G-keys, an aluminium top, a volume roller, USB passthrough and a detachable wrist rest. Redragon calls its Purple switch tactile and rates it at 55 g – exactly "a bit firmer". The sockets are hot-swap, so you can change the feel later. The software is basic, but at about $70 nothing else gives you this much.
3. Corsair K100 RGB – the softest
Six G-keys, a control wheel, an aluminium frame and PBT keycaps. The G-keys also work with Elgato's Stream Deck software. Both switch options are light, and the OPX optical switch fires after just 1.0 mm. Great for fast games – but if you like to rest your fingers on the keys, you will trigger some by accident.
4. Razer BlackWidow V4 X – the value pick
The same two switches as the Pro and six macro keys on the left, without the dial, the wrist rest and the extras. Macros can be recorded on the fly or set up in Razer Synapse. Often on sale.
5. Redragon K580 Vata – the budget pick
Five macro keys with on-the-fly recording and hot-swap sockets for three- and five-pin switches. Take the Brown version for a 55 g tactile feel. Tom's Hardware criticised the bare-bones software and the lack of onboard profile memory.
Not on the list
The Corsair Galleon 100 SD (about $350) is one of the most interesting boards of 2026, but its number pad has been replaced by a built-in Stream Deck with 12 LCD keys and two dials. There is a numpad mode, yet the digits sit on LCD buttons, not mechanical keys. Logitech's G915 X and G815 have G-keys, but they are low-profile – too flat for this brief.
Which one?
Lots of macros and every extra: the BlackWidow V4 Pro with Yellow switches. A slightly firmer, tactile key for little money: the Redragon K550. Not sure about the feel yet: buy a hot-swap board and change the switches later instead of the whole keyboard.