Question 1

Hello.. Me and wife have been using nostromo for about two years and loving it... One of the things that makes it a must are the 4 directional keys that get exposed when you remove the thumb stick. We use them 1-4 and became so accustomed to it that We want to make sure this is possible on this version...
I guess the question is.. Is the thumbstick removable same way as in nostromo? And if not, how practical is it to map 1-4 keys to it?
Thanks much in advance!
Feb 12, 2014

Accepted Answer

nope, not at all. the thumb stick is on a partially submerged dome type structure, so even if you removed it there would be a ball shape to use, not a pad. it is mechanical too, but not a d-pad.

i prefer the nostromo honestly, im going to pick up another one soon because this one is a few years old. the comfort level on the nostromo kills the orb weaver. things like the thumb button just dont feel stable, if they would have just made the nostromo mechanical or added more buttons i would have been in heaven.. but this was not the case. for the record they use the same software (razer synapse) now, which is kinda good and kinda bad (cloud saves for loadouts good, loadtimes for it to connect bad).

hope i was able to help/

Question 2

How does Synaspe work? Do i have to have an internet connection to make this product work?

Accepted Answer

If you want to map the keys to something other than default you need the software, in order to get it you need to register an account at the mfgr website, then install it, once you start up the software you need to put your login info in it.

I did not try to disconnect from the internet before the initial startup and login to the software, only after I started it up and logged in I looked for an option to not connect to their servers and found no such option so I blocked the software with my firewall so it starts up, attempts to access the company's servers but fails and then works in an offline mode, seems to work okay except that for some reason it reverts back to default profile instead of the custom profile I created for iRacing.

I do not know what will happen if you are not connected to the internet the first time you run the software and it asks you for your login, but if you do have internet access the first time you run it and put in your login info, after that the software does not appear to NEED the internet, it will always try to contact the company's servers, but it will still work offline, there will be a little "light" I believe will be green if it connected with their servers and dark red I think, or maybe just something that looks unlit.

If your concern is that your pc that you want to use this on does not usually have internet access, if you can get past the initial login when you first start the software, you should be okay.

Question 3

Hello.. Me and wife have been using nostromo for about two years and loving it... One of the things that makes it a must are the 4 directional keys that get exposed when you remove the thumb stick. We use them 1-4 and became so accustomed to it that We want to make sure this is possible on this version...
I guess the question is.. Is the thumbstick removable same way as in nostromo? And if not, how practical is it to map 1-4 keys to it?
Thanks much in advance!

Accepted Answer

Hello,  I was also a Nostromo user (since 2005) with similar concerns.  The thumb control is exactly like the one on the Nostromo without the stick (I don't believe there is a stick version) and fully button programmable under an 8 way or 4 way through the Razor Synapse configurator (I mapped mine 4 way using 7,8,9 and 0).  You can also map all the keys differently for different application profiles and can be set up to autoswitch when you start the applications.  I switch between two different games I play.

I personally like the adjustable rests and the increased number of keys on the finger pad.

Question 4

How responsive is the thumb stick? Does it work effectively as an analog stick for shooters?

Accepted Answer

It has 6 directions, so it feels like a traditional arcade joystick. If you are looking for something like the sticks on ps3 controllers and such, its not the same. I often use it for skills, so I map each direction to an F1 - F9 key. However, if you dont mind that up and down left and right and diagonal movement, which shouldnt matter since your mouse controls your point of view, you shouldn't have a problem. Its incredibly sturdy and very comfortable.

Question 5

Where do I find one set for the LEFT hand ???

Accepted Answer

I am not sure if I understood your question because this is for the left hand. If you are looking for one for the right hand then I am not sure they make one.

Question 6

what level of gaming experience does this provide?

Accepted Answer

level of gaming experience:  This I think would suit anyone from novices to advanced users.  It's basically an AWSD keyboard, complete with surrounding keys and a thumbstick and 2 thumb buttons.

Honestly, it takes a little while to get used to using it, but once you do, it is extremely comfortable and viable for long-term gaming sessions.  The only thing I found a mite awkward was the placement of the default spacebar (jump) key.  It is located a bit far away (the lower mechanical button underneath the joystick).  However, this is easily adjustable and can be changed to the key above the joystick (more natural imo).

A little bit pricey, but I do recommend it.

Question 7

Hello, this orbweaver is the non stealth edition right? I just wanna make sure before i order it. ty :)

Accepted Answer

Yeah, this is the non-stealth version with Cherry MX Blue switches.

Question 8

what is the smallest adjustable length of the keypad? (i have small hands and im worried i might not be able to reach the furthest keys)

Accepted Answer

I am unsure how small it will go.  I have average hand size or a bit larger, and it's a sight stretch to reach the farthest key row.  I can tell you I LOVE the device!

Question 9

can i use two of thees game pads for game play?  - Duel wield XD -

Accepted Answer

Potentially you could, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's meant for the left hand only, and by using it on your right you would lose 2 buttons and the thumb-stick at the least, and maybe more (due to how its curved for a left hand). Second, without a mouse you couldn't possible make it even with two of them, the analog stick/8-way is amazing for movement controls, but don't ever believe it is accurate enough to replace a mouse.

Question 10

Are there any right handed keypads? Are they adjustable to work for right handed people or are these specifically for left hand use only?

Accepted Answer

It's specifically for left hand usage, due to it's default layout. Sadly there's no right-hand version I can think of.

Questions & Answers