• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Thoughts on Razer Tartarus?

The Infectious Paradox

The Infectious Paradox

Gold Member
I have had my PC for a few months now. I default to using my Xbox controller for almost all my games. I'm not a huge fan of the keyboard for movements. However, I've had to in certain situations and I love the mouse for shooters. I want to do this especially knowing Stalker 2 is coming out soon. I found the Razer Tartarus that has the keypad as well as the analogue stick. Seems right for me. Only potential problem is I'm a couch PC player and I wonder if there's a cable extender. Any experience in its quality? Any other good options would be welcome too.

HBgJ2mE.jpeg
 
Last edited:
sodstall

sodstall

Member
Ive used one for the last 5ish years now and i really enjoy it when playing FPS and other action oriented stuff. You really get a lot more out of your left thumb but beware, some games and their mappings really cant be crammed onto the number of keys the tartarus physically has. Also that is more of an 8-way dpad than a analog or joystick, i remember trying to get it to behave like a left stick but it never felt quite right. Dont think an extender will get in the way either but razers software might disagree.
 
Last edited:
The Infectious Paradox

The Infectious Paradox

Gold Member
sodstall said:
Ive used one for the last 5ish years now and i really enjoy it when playing FPS and other action oriented stuff. You really get a lot more out of your left thumb but beware, some games and their mappings really cant be crammed onto the number of keys the tartarus physically has. Also that is more of an 8-way dpad than a analog or joystick, i remember trying to get it to behave like a left stick but it never felt quite right. Dont think an extender will get in the way either but razers software might disagree.
Click to expand...
That's frustrating. Seems like by now there would be some some sort of alternative to this situation. I just really hate the standard WSAD. Its not like I want it for competitive MP though. It just felt really good when I used it for Stalker CoP. Hell, I've even seen some people recommend the Wii controller lol. Obviously that's limited. I just so expected something to be out there for this solution. What games did you have issues? Also is it easy to map
 
hollams

hollams

Gold Member
I have the Razer Orbweaver, the previous version, and I love it. I have mine hooked up to a 15ft USB extension cable and I have had no issues.

I don't use the d-pad for movement, I still use the WASD. I never took the time to get used to the thumbpad for movement. For the thumbpad I map it to the 1-4 keys so I can switch through weapons quickly.

I also use Rewasd, which is a key mapper software, instead of Razer software to map the keys. It's easier to use and has way more functionality and I also use it for my controller remapping. The downside is it's not free but worth the $30 for all the features. The best feature of it though is I can group the orbweaver with my Logitech G502 mouse and use one of the mouse buttons to toggle to a different button profile on the orbweaver. When I press that button now my thumbpad is 5-9 keys so I can quickly switch between weapons and my WASD keys are mapped to other keys while I have the button pressed down, it's a very versatile solution. You can also do this grouping with the Razer software but you have to use a Razer mouse for that function to work. For Rewasd any mouse brand will work.

I do game on my couch primarily so I also have a Rewasd Windows profile for my Elite 2 so I can navigate windows pretty easily as long as I'm not having to type. In my browser I use Bookmarks for my sites so I can easily navigate through my websites so much quicker than a mouse/keyboard. If you go that route I can share my profiles with you.

I just bought the Vader 3 Pro controller which Rewasd supports so I can use Gyro feature when I press down the left trigger which works great on games that allow you to use mouse and controller at the same time.
 
The Infectious Paradox

The Infectious Paradox

Gold Member
hollams said:
I have the Razer Orbweaver, the previous version, and I love it. I have mine hooked up to a 15ft USB extension cable and I have had no issues.

I don't use the d-pad for movement, I still use the WASD. I never took the time to get used to the thumbpad for movement. For the thumbpad I map it to the 1-4 keys so I can switch through weapons quickly.

I also use Rewasd, which is a key mapper software, instead of Razer software to map the keys. It's easier to use and has way more functionality and I also use it for my controller remapping. The downside is it's not free but worth the $30 for all the features. The best feature of it though is I can group the orbweaver with my Logitech G502 mouse and use one of the mouse buttons to toggle to a different button profile on the orbweaver. When I press that button now my thumbpad is 5-9 keys so I can quickly switch between weapons and my WASD keys are mapped to other keys while I have the button pressed down, it's a very versatile solution. You can also do this grouping with the Razer software but you have to use a Razer mouse for that function to work. For Rewasd any mouse brand will work.

I do game on my couch primarily so I also have a Rewasd Windows profile for my Elite 2 so I can navigate windows pretty easily as long as I'm not having to type. In my browser I use Bookmarks for my sites so I can easily navigate through my websites so much quicker than a mouse/keyboard. If you go that route I can share my profiles with you.

I just bought the Vader 3 Pro controller which Rewasd supports so I can use Gyro feature when I press down the left trigger which works great on games that allow you to use mouse and controller at the same time.
Click to expand...
Would you mind sending me the links to the hardware that you bought?

Everything you're saying sounds right up my alley
 
Last edited:
hollams

hollams

Gold Member
This is what I have but it's discontinued and way too pricey. The lesson I need to learn is if I like something then buy several of them as for sure they will be discontinued and hard to find later.


Get the Tartarus - Either the Membrane or the Optical Keys. Which ever your prefer.




This is the software Rewasd. They have a free 7-day trial so you can see if it's worth it. They have a sale now with all features for $30 which isn't a bad price for what you get. The only drawback is that it's a license for 1 PC. If you have multiple PC's you want to use it on then you have to buy multiple copies. You can inactivate the license on 1 pc and activate it on another so it's not tied to a specific PC so if you upgrade your PC or buy a new one the license will transfer easily.

Remap Xbox One controller with powerful gamepad mapper

Need to map gamepad to keyboard? Want to unleash the power of Xbox Elite paddles or use PS controller on PC? Our powerful gamepad mapper will help!
www.rewasd.com
 
The Infectious Paradox

The Infectious Paradox

Gold Member
hollams said:
This is what I have but it's discontinued and way too pricey. The lesson I need to learn is if I like something then buy several of them as for sure they will be discontinued and hard to find later.


Get the Tartarus - Either the Membrane or the Optical Keys. Which ever your prefer.




This is the software Rewasd. They have a free 7-day trial so you can see if it's worth it. They have a sale now with all features for $30 which isn't a bad price for what you get. The only drawback is that it's a license for 1 PC. If you have multiple PC's you want to use it on then you have to buy multiple copies. You can inactivate the license on 1 pc and activate it on another so it's not tied to a specific PC so if you upgrade your PC or buy a new one the license will transfer easily.

Remap Xbox One controller with powerful gamepad mapper

Need to map gamepad to keyboard? Want to unleash the power of Xbox Elite paddles or use PS controller on PC? Our powerful gamepad mapper will help!
www.rewasd.com
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! What about the cord extension that you use? That was one of the main things I was wanting.
 
calistan

calistan

Member
I've got an Orbweaver, which is basically the same thing. I used to use it a lot but it's just gathering dust these days.

The good things:
- You can change the colour of the keys according to the game that's running.
- It's really comfortable.

The bad:
- The software is intrusive and requires online login, and every couple of months it would ask for a password again, which I'd inevitably forgotten. When I built a new PC I couldn't be bothered to reinstall it.
- Orbweaver is limited to an older version of the software, they still haven't added it to the current version and most likely never will.
- The keys are numbered but they replicate the keys on a regular keyboard. So if you map R, F and V in a game you have to remember that it's 9, 14 and 19 on the keypad. Makes editing your controls a real pain.

Any USB extension cable would be fine for this, it doesn't require much power.
 
hollams

hollams

Gold Member
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Vertical mouse and PC joystick recommendations
1
420
IAmRei replied
Shooters with the best physics
2
57
2K
TxKnight7 replied
Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is the best controller ever made
34
5K
danklord replied
GAF how do we turn a PC into a full console experience?
2
50
5K
Krathoon replied
Couch PC Gamers - How do you do it?
2 3
108
9K
Buggy Loop replied
Top Bottom