No option to remap Hypershift, Windows Key, or Fn Layer media controls? | Razer Insider

No option to remap Hypershift, Windows Key, or Fn Layer media controls?

  • 24 September 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 832 views

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It's pretty lame that all of this functionality is locked (at least on the Huntsman Mini).

Is there any plan to make more keys re-mappable in a future version of Synapse? Can you change the Hypershift key in some beta version of Synapse?

I attempted to modify the XML inside the .synapse3 files generated by the profile export utility, and it seems that you can successfully re-bind all of the non protected keys, and you can even change the status of the un-modifyable keys to "<IsDefault>false</IsDefault>" so it appears changed upon importing into Synapse... but ultimately you are unable to change the protected keys whatsoever.

I can't imagine a technical reason for this limitation... can we get a firmware update that changes this? Is there a workaround that I am unaware of?

The Huntsman Mini is sort of DOA if you can't rebind the function key/layers... it's a 60% and the default keymapping is inane.

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3 Replies

rootklm
I can't imagine a technical reason for this limitation... can we get a firmware update that changes this? Is there a workaround that I am unaware of?


I wouldn't be surprised if the technical limitation was "the key caps already have the hypershift icons printed on them". I just bought this today and after spending about 15 minutes in Synapse, I regret the purchase.

Aside from the valid point the OP brings up (which also infuriate me), I have some general usability issues with the keyboard that could have been done away with if we had complete control over which keys hypershift can modify:

  • Single handed use of the I, J, K and L keys for arrow keys requires a contortionist wrist angle to use, due to the location of the Fn key. If I only want to press a single arrow, these key choices are just suboptimal. As soon as I want to press the up arrow and other arrows, it is literally painful. In any case, this is far too awkward to have been widely tested before production. Surely P, L, ; and ' would have been a better choice, no? This would let us hold Fn with the right thumb and easily use arrow keys. Instead I have comfortable access to keys I rarely use (PrtScn, PageDn, End), and a date carpal tunnel syndrome when I use the arrow keys.
  • The language used to explain Hypershift implies far more flexibility than the feature actually provides. I'd go so far as to call this misleading. Not counting the modifier keys, hypershift really gives us 12 extra keys. If this were not a tenkeyless board, I wouldn't be here complaining... Yet, I do not consider 12 keys to qualify as "Enjoy[ing] an extra set of buttons using the Razer Hypershift key".
  • Speaking of the keys we can rebind, who's brilliant idea was it to put the sleep button (Fn+Z) anywhere near the keys we can change? Honestly did anyone test this from a practical standpoint? Three of the 12 precious customizable keys circle the Hypershift key of doom. Heaven forbid I put a macro on A, S or X and fat finger a key press. I can only imagine how great that is going to be for productivity. Sleep really should have been assigned to backslash/pipe.
  • Given the above issues with arrows and the Fn key, it seems like it would have been great to make a 80% to 60% space bar instead of a full size one. That way we could have an Fn key on the left side of the space bar. There would likely have been room to put the right side Fn between the smaller space bar and right ALT and the existing Fn key could be another programmable key. This would obviate the contortion issue with the arrow keys as well.
  • Why does the caps lock key not change color when it is active? Even the cheapest keyboards I've bought have an indicator light. My other Razer keyboard flips the LED to green when caps is on. Again, did no one test this device's usability?
  • I'm retreading some ground from item #3 but this really is the nail in the coffin for me: There is no logical way to replicate the numpad on this keyboard. I use the numpad pretty frequently and the first thing I intended to do was try to franken-bind the numpad numbers to OP[L;'./ and right shift. While I could blow 10 of the 12 customizable non-modifier keys on getting the numpad scan codes on the keyboard, it'd be a waste. The whole point of the numpad (for me) is the muscle memory and key proximity increases speed and accuracy with numbers.
  • If I could bind the hypershift layer how I like, WASD would have been my arrow keys


It may sound like I'm asking a lot from a tenkeyless keyboard but this thing has onboard profile storage. At this price point it should be able to be totally customized on the hypershift later. I would have been better off spending 1/2 the money on one of the chinese competitor keyboards. While their driver applications look dated, the software is usually faster than Synapse. Seriously why is the macro module SO SLOW? The chinese knock offs are generally on par or better in terms of macros, to boot. Even though their applications might have suboptimal usability, the keyboards can do what I want them to because they do not arbitrarily prevent customization.

In closing, the whole reason I went with the Huntsman Mini over the Corsair tenkeyless keyboard that was in stock was because this keyboard has switches I prefer. I never would have guessed that a keyboard like this one would go out of it's way to make it less useful. Hopefully I can return this to the store. If Razer keeps making keyboards like this one, I'm done buying their stuff.
I'm trying to figure out why in the heck they would not allow us to disable certain hypershift buttons. Anytime in game if I want to use hypershift while moving my character with W I am bringing up the volume button. That makes hypershift useless because I'm not about to always see the volume panel while gaming and I use hypershift a lot for Arma 3. I might return the keyboard just due to this alone.
This limitation is a big disappointment for me as well.
It's hard to believe that Razer is really doing this, seriously...