I tried the translucent Razer Phantom Green Collection, and it's not my kind of throwback

Much as I don't want to admit it, I was very much around when the first big wave of transparent and translucent tech was all the rage. From the iconic original iMac, through the Nintendo Game Cube clear, to the Xbox Crystal, I saw it all. Now, here we are, 25 years later, and the look is back, with Razer creating not one but two collections of gaming gear sporting a translucent style. It just announced a white collection, but on my desk right now is the Razer Phantom Green Collection.

Both the Razer Phantom white and green collections consist of a quartet of keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, and headset, for a one-stop kit to completely upgrade your gaming setup. However, you can also buy them separately, allowing you to mix and match or drop in that one translucent piece of kit you've always coveted. Let's take a closer look at what you get with each.

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K Phantom Green Edition

Perhaps the most interesting choice in this kit is Razer choosing the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K as the only mouse to get the treatment. It's a great mouse in many ways - as my Basilisk V3 Pro 35K review shows - but it's hardly one of Razer's most iconic designs. A Phantom Green Deathadder or Viper? Now we're talking.

Still, the Basilisk is perhaps my favorite piece of this collection, simply because the translucent green casing has so much to reveal. The RGB lighting strip around its base shines up through the plastic, as does the RGB around the scroll wheel. You've got all sorts of little switches and other features hidden inside, too. I particularly like that even the side buttons are translucent.

As for what the mouse can do, it's the same as the standard Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, so it has a clever scroll wheel that can alternate between fast, smooth spinning and normal notched spinning, and it has several extra buttons. There are two behind the scroll wheel and an extra one in front of your thumb. It all combines to make for a very practical mouse for both work and gaming.

You can grab the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K Phantom Green Edition from here on the US Razer store for $169.99, which is $10 more than the standard black or white versions. Meanwhile, UK buyers can find it here on the UK Razer store for £169.99.

Razer Firefly V2 Pro Phantom Green Edition

The Firefly V2 Pro is Razer's RGB-illuminated mouse pad, which does sound like a slightly nonsensical idea for a product in the first place, but it's actually quite a neat piece of kit. As we note in our best gaming mouse pad guide, it's a great option if you prefer a hard mouse mat, and the addition of RGB lighting that runs around the edge of the pad and disperses through its surface does create a cool effect.

What we particularly like is that if you connect this pad to your PC, you can not only sync up the lighting with the rest of your Razer gear, but you can also attach your mouse's USB dongle to the mousepad. A little USB-A socket on its back edge means you can do away with more desk clutter and the need to use up two USB sockets on your PC just for a mousepad and mouse.

As for the transparent green, this is limited to just the back edge of the mat, making it feel a little pointless. That's especially true as the lighting doesn't really shine through this section. Still, if you want to complete the trans-green look, it will be a great match for your Basilisk mouse.

You can buy the Razer Firefly V2 Pro Phantom Green Edition here on Razer's US store for $109.99, which is again $10 more than the standard black or white versions. UK buyers can find it here on the UK Razer store for £109.99.

Razer BlackWidow V4 75% Phantom Green Edition

By far the most impactful member of the Phantom Green gang is the BlackWidow V4 75%. From the case of the keyboard and magnetically-attached and padded wrist rest to each individual key, this entire keyboard is built from translucent green to really get the full effect.

Whether you like that effect is up to you, but the way the cross mounts for each keycap shows through does rather give off the effect of this being a keyboard design for the medical corps.

As for what this keyboard can do, as our Razer BlackWidow V4 75% review shows, this compact design is the top 75% option on our best gaming keyboard guide, thanks to its easy switch customization and generally excellent performance. It doesn't offer analog input and is wired only, but if you just want a solid, reliable mechanical gaming keyboard, it's a great choice.

The Razer BlackWidow V4 75% Phantom Green Edition is available here on the US Razer store for $199.99, which is actually the same price as the standard black or white versions. Meanwhile, UK buyers can find it here on the UK Razer store for £169.99.

Razer Barracuda X Chroma Phantom Green Edition

If you're a streamer and want to make an instant, visible impact with your choice of Phantom Green gear, the Barracuda X Chroma is the way to do it. Like the BlackWidow V4 75%, the amount of green plastic on display here is really prominent, and it'll be put front and center on your webcam.

Adding to the effect is the inclusion of an RGB lighting ring on the outside of each earcup - that's the Chroma part of the name. You can even customize the lighting via Razer's mobile app - great for turning the lighting off while you're out and about.

Otherwise, this is the same great Barracuda Chroma headset we know and love. It's a compact and stylish headset with great sound quality and a design that - translucent green plastic aside - is suitable for PC gaming as well as travel.

You can pick up the Razer Barracuda X Chroma Phantom Green Edition here on Razer's US store for $139.99, which is $10 more than the standard black or white versions. UK buyers can find it here on the UK Razer store for £109.99.

If I'm entirely honest, this kit isn't my favorite of Razer's recent "collections." The Razer Pokemon and Razer Minecraft kits are far more fun and charming, while the white version of this translucent kit looks potentially more impactful in terms of being able to see what's inside your kit, and not having the RGB lighting clash with the color of the casing.

Here, it's a fun retro vibe, but I'd rather have a simpler mouse, the Firefly only has a tiny bit of green on it, and the keyboard keycaps really let a lot of light leak through. All the while, you can't really see inside as well as with a clearer plastic. Still, there's no doubting the quality of the gear on offer, if you do like the look.

What do you make of the Razer Phantom Green Edition lineup? Is it a look you like, and if so, is there a product you'd like to see given the treatment? Let us know your thoughts over on our community Discord server.