Why Razer’s Phantom White gear is perfect for Halloween and retro gaming fans

Image of the Razer Phantom White Collection.

There has been something of a renaissance for transparent technology in the last few years, and I love it. Some of the most iconic gaming hardware from the 1990s and early 2000s boasted colorful, translucent shells, and that approach to design has been returning with products like the Razer Phantom Green Collection I tried out.

Now, Razer is returning with its second Phantom family, this time dropping the saturation in honor of the spookiest season of the year. This is the Razer Phantom White Collection, and not only is it one accessory bigger than its green predecessor, it also simply looks better — well, in my opinion.

I've gone hands-on with the Phantom White Collection to see if any of these products are worth considering, and I ended up keeping the mouse on my desk even after I was done. Now, I can only hope that the next translucent gear from Razer is the Phantom Violet Collection (Razer, call me, I'll help out).

What is the Razer Phantom White Collection?

It irks me that only one of these boxes is white. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

The new Phantom White Basilisk V3 Pro is definitely my favorite of the bunch. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

The Firefly V2 Pro also looks great, but there's not a lot Razer can really do with it. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

Some people will love the switches showing through, but I'm divided on it. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

The Barracuda X Chroma is still a beautiful headset, and it's perfect for these kinds of designs. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

The Kishi V3 looks great while transparent, but it somehow makes it feel cheaper in the hand. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

Surprise, surprise, the Razer Phantom White Collection is just the Phantom Green Collection, but more misty than verdant. Well, there's also the addition of a new product in this lineup, so let's go through the list.

• Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K Phantom White Edition for $169.99 at Razer.com, which is $10 more than the normal version. We reviewed the original Razer Basilisk V3 Pro wireless mouse.
• Razer Firefly V2 Pro Phantom White Edition for $109.99 at Razer.com, which is $10 more than the normal version. I reviewed the Razer Firefly V2 Pro mousepad.
• Razer BlackWidow V4 75% Phantom White Edition for $199.99 at Razer.com, which is the same price as the normal version. We reviewed the Razer BlackWidow V4 75% wired keyboard.
• Razer Barracuda X Chroma Phantom White Edition for $139.99 at Razer.com, which is $10 more than the normal version. I reviewed the Razer Barracuda X Chroma wireless headset.
• Razer Kishi V3 Phantom White Edition for $109.99 at Razer.com, which is $10 more than the normal version (and is the new addition with this collection). I reviewed the Razer Kishi V3 Pro mobile controller.

As a complete set, the Razer Phantom White Collection costs around $730, about $40 more than if you bought the normal black and white variants of each product. The Phantom collections feature more premium gear than most of Razer's other special editions, but I love that.

I prefer this over Phantom Green

That's a really good collection, and hits all the basics for a complete gaming setup. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

Put the Barracuda X Chroma and Kishi V3 together, and you've got an awesome mobile gaming setup. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

RGB lighting does look much better with the Phantom White keyboard, even with the switches being more obvious. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

Being able to see inside the Kishi V3 makes you realize how much empty space there is just for the grips. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

RGB lighting looks so much better with the Phantom White products to me. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

It's interesting being able to see the mechanism holding the Kishi V3 together. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

The keys on the Phantom White keyboard are far more legible than the Phantom Green. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

I do like this keyboard a lot. I wish the magnetic stand in the box was white, though. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

I was quite positive in my hands-on with the original Phantom Green Collection, and praised Razer for actually putting in effort to make its products look as good as possible while translucent.

It wasn't just about slapping on a new plastic shell; Razer re-engineered internals, experimented with different materials and colors, and went through dozens of iterations to get it as good as possible. I even spoke to Razer's Global Head of Design about this process.

Despite all of that, I still didn't love every part of the Phantom Green Collection. The green made it difficult to actually see the internals, the RGB lighting didn't always play nice with it, and key legibility for the keyboard plummeted to nigh unreadable levels.

Razer couldn't introduce a new family of translucent devices without starting with its iconic green, though, and I still considered the lineup a big success overall. That being said, I like the Phantom White Collection a whole lot more. It also adds the Razer Kishi V3 mobile controller to the mix, which was a good choice on Razer's part.

It's a more consistent aesthetic that works better with the Razer Chroma RGB lighting that's prominent in four of the five included products. I can already see a lot of people who skipped over the Phantom Green Collection rushing to add these products to their gaming setup, and I don't blame them — because I'm one of them.

And I like this mouse enough that I'm still using it

I honestly adore this mouse, and this is my favorite version of it. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

It looks awesome, no matter which color you choose for its lights. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

I wish my wireless charging dock shared the same design, actually. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

These would be the three I'd actually use... and I'm using two of them now. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

I used to be all-in on all-black gaming accessories, but lately I've grown rather fond of lighter-hued gear. So, when I got in the new Phantom White Collection and saw how the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K mouse and Firefly V2 Pro mousepad looked compared to my standard black versions, I knew in moments I was making the switch.

The mouse, especially, is easily the highlight of the entire Phantom White Collection. I love the peeks into the internals and the threads of RGB lighting; it even impressed one of my friends, who is very much not interested in PC gaming accessories.

It certainly helps that the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is genuinely my favorite mouse ever, of course, but I also considered the keyboard. The BlackWidow V4 75% is Razer's answer to the rise of incredible, modular enthusiast keyboards, and it's honestly great — I also reviewed the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, and liked it a lot.

That decision will have to wait, though, because I already have a mountain of keyboards to review... and the color of the switches is extremely obvious underneath the translucent keys, and something about that bugged me a little.

Put it all together, and the Razer Phantom White Collection is an excellent retro throwback, and the ghastly tone is perfect for the spooky season. If you're interested in checking out the lineup for yourself, the Phantom White Collection is now available from $109.99 at Razer.com.

FAQ

How much does the full set cost?

Around $730 total, which is about $40 more than buying the standard black/white versions of each product.

How is it different from the Phantom Green Collection?

The Phantom White design is more consistent, makes RGB lighting pop better, and improves legibility on the keyboard. It also adds the Kishi V3 mobile controller, which wasn’t part of the green lineup.

Is it just a cosmetic refresh?

Mostly, yes. The hardware is the same as the standard versions, but Razer did re‑engineer some internals and materials to make the translucent design look polished rather than cheap.

Who is this collection for?

It’s aimed at gamers who love retro translucent tech aesthetics (think ’90s Game Boy Color shells) and want a cohesive themed setup. It’s also a seasonal play, marketed with “spooky” vibes for Halloween.

Is it worth the extra cost?

If you value aesthetics and collectability, yes — the translucent finish and RGB synergy are unique. If you only care about performance, the standard versions are cheaper and functionally identical.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!