Razer Tartarus V2 vs. Azeron Cyborg for FFXIV & WoW: True Analog Movement vs. Membrane

Why MMO Raiders Offload Movement to Their Left Thumb

On a standard keyboard, three of your strongest fingers—ring, middle, and index—are permanently occupied pressing W, A, S, and D just to walk out of ground telegraphs. That leaves only your pinky (for Shift/Ctrl) and brief, awkward finger reaches to 1–5, Q, E, R, and F to execute a 24-button raid rotation.

A dedicated left-hand keypad changes the math completely: it moves all 360-degree character movement onto your left thumb, freeing four fingers to rest directly over 15 to 29 action-bar keys without ever interrupting movement during high-uptime boss mechanics.

Quick Answer: Which Keypad Should You Buy?

• Best Entry Point & Plug-and-Play Simplicity: Razer Tartarus V2 (or Tartarus Pro for optical analog switches) — If you want a familiar keyboard grid layout that takes 48 hours to learn and costs under $90, start here.
• Best Endgame Ergonomics & True 360° Analog Thumbstick: Azeron Cyborg / Cyborg II — Custom-fitted to every individual finger joint with hairpin mouse-switch actuation and a true Xbox-style analog thumbstick. Worth the price and 2-week learning curve if you raid multiple nights a week.
• Best Console/PC Hybrid for FFXIV: Hori Tactical Assault Commander (TAC) FFXIV Edition — Officially licensed with a true analog stick alongside mechanical flat keys, built specifically around FFXIV's native mixed-mode input support.

Head-to-Head Hardware Comparison

Deep Dive: The Thumbstick Difference (8-Way D-Pad vs. True Analog)

1. The Razer Tartarus D-Pad Reality

The single biggest misconception buyers have about the Razer Tartarus V2 and Tartarus Pro is assuming the thumb module is an analog joystick. It isn't—it is an 8-way directional D-pad using tactile mechanical switches (with a removable joystick cap slotted onto the D-pad plate).

• In WoW: Forever: You map the four cardinal directions to W (Forward), S (Backpedal), A (Strafe Left), and D (Strafe Right). Because WoW's keyboard movement is naturally 8-directional, the crisp tactile click of the Tartarus D-pad actually feels great and prevents accidental diagonal drift.
• The Catch: The spring tension on the Tartarus D-pad is relatively stiff. During a 4-hour raid night, pushing a stiff mechanical D-pad with the side of your thumb can cause basal thumb joint fatigue.

2. The Azeron Cyborg True Analog Advantage (And the FFXIV Quirks)

The Azeron Cyborg features a genuine hall-effect/potentiometer 360-degree analog thumbstick.

• In FFXIV: Final Fantasy XIV natively allows simultaneous Controller Analog Movement + Keyboard/Mouse Hotbars. When you set the Azeron thumbstick to Xbox 360 Analog Mode and turn on Legacy (Movement-Based) Camera in FFXIV, you get buttery-smooth 360-degree character movement at any angle while firing off keybinds with your fingers and targeting with your mouse.
• In WoW: Be aware that WoW can sometimes stutter your camera cursor if you send Xbox controller analog stick inputs at the exact same millisecond you hold Right-Click on your mouse to turn the camera. Because of this engine quirk, most high-end WoW Azeron users set their thumbstick to Keyboard WASD Mode inside the Azeron software (using a tight deadzone ring) rather than native Xbox analog mode.

Finger Geometry: Flat Key Grid vs. Bionic Towers

• Tartarus V2 / Pro: Uses a curved, traditional keycap row layout (01 through 19). If you already type on a standard QWERTY keyboard, your fingers immediately understand moving up a row or down a row. However, Row 1 (the top number row) still requires stretching your fingers outward, and Key 20 (the spacebar paddle under the thumb D-pad) sits awkwardly low for small-to-medium hands.
• Azeron Cyborg: Your fingertips sit inside curved "cages" surrounded by four switches per finger: push down, flick forward, pull back (like a trigger), and flick upward with your fingernail. Your hand never slides forward or backward—every single bind is less than a 2mm twitch from resting position. Expect 10 to 14 days of severe muscle-memory confusion before it clicks.

Bottom-Line Recommendations

• Start with the Razer Tartarus V2 if you want an affordable ($70–$80) test run of thumb-driven MMO movement without re-learning how to press keys. (Skip the Tartarus Pro unless you specifically want lighter, linear switches without a tactile bump).
• Upgrade to the Azeron Cyborg if you have small or extra-large hands that never fit fixed key grids, or if you suffer from left-wrist pronation pain (pair the Azeron with its magnetic Adjustable Curved Stand to tilt your wrist to a natural 45-degree handshake angle).