Razer Turret

We go hands-on with Razer's super portable gaming keyboard

Last week, I was sitting on my sofa watching TV, and I had an urge to play League of Legends on my PC. But the PC was so far away; the TV was so big and glorious, and the sofa was so very, very comfy

If only there were a keyboard and mousemat that would sit naturally on my lap, I thought, allowing me to play video games without having to sacrifice my slothlike couch-dwelling. Two days later, Razer gave me a call: “Hey Sean,” they say, “we have this really cool keyboard/mousemat combo that we’d like you to try.” Is this fate

Enter the Razer Turret. It was originally shown as a concept back at CES 2015, but it’s finally now available to buy in the US and UK. At first glance, it looks like a standard wireless keyboard, but it has a quirk: a fold-out mousemat that turns the Turret into a battlestation for your lap

The Turret is classic Razer design, insofar as it’s black with green trimmings. The actual keyboard is a typical chiclet-key affair, but it has two extra Android buttons – home and back – for pairing with a smartphone or tablet. The buttons are easy enough to press, and the spacing is good; it’s about the size of a MacBook Air keyboard

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The mousemat folds out to the right of the keyboard – lefties need not apply. It isn't huge, but it offers sufficient space for the sweeping motions that playing video games entails. Also particularly handy is that the mousemat is slightly magnetised, which means the bundled Razer Orochi mouse (also featuring some magnets) won’t constantly slide off the surface.

The underside of the Turret is coated in a grippy rubber to ensure that it doesn't slip off your lap. The hinge that joins the keyboard and mousemat is fairly rigid; it didn’t bend at all during the brief play I had with it

Also included in the box is a small 2.4GHz Bluetooth adapter. This can be plugged into the USB port of a laptop for instant connectivity. The Turret can also connect via standard Bluetooth, though, so you can easily pair it with your phone

Possibly the coolest feature of the Razer Turret is the bundled charging dock, which allows you to charge both the keyboard and Orochi mouse at the same time

Razer reckons the Orochi mouse offers a 40-hour battery life based on continuous usage. The keyboard, meanwhile, is estimated at a four-month lifespan based on one charge, although that will obviously depend on your use

Early Verdict

I’ve used the Razer Turret only briefly, but in that short time I'm of the opinion that it’s awesome. After all, I wanted it even before I knew it existed. It won’t suit everybody, but it’s the perfect accessory for desk dissidents who value comfort

The only downside is the price: the Razer Turret costs £149.99 in the UK and $159.99 in the US. However, there isn't anything like it on the market. If you really want to play PC games on your sofa then this is probably your best option