Everyone knows the Razer brand and its Viper Gaming Mouse comes in two models. You get the Razer “Viper Ultimate” which is a wireless gaming mouse and you get the standard “Viper” model which costs less (although still pricey) but is not wireless. The gaming mouse kind of reminded me of many other Razer products I have reviewed over the past few months including the Razer Kraken X Gaming Headset which stripped down a lot of the bloatware for a sleek and practical device. The Viper does the same thing but in a gaming mouse form and allows for a speedy and accurate mouse without any complicated buttons and settings.
The Razer Viper weighs just 69g and uses Razer’s fancy Optical Actuation Switches. The same switches found in the Huntsman Elite gaming keyboard. The results are a gaming mouse that is practical for not only for professional gamers but also just your average gamer sitting at home playing Overwatch competitive. Sure, there are cheaper gaming mice out there for the non-competitive players but if you are going to splurge then this R1,399 gaming mouse is a great one to do it on.
Razer Viper Design
The Razer Viper is toned down when compared to other gaming mice on the market. A Limited RGB and a sleek black shell make it great for daily use while letting people know you are a gamer. Razer has often gone all out with its RGB and this product seems to be on the other end of the scale… for a change.
The mouse measures at 127 x 66 x 37mm making it super lightweight and not bulky at all. It worked well for someone like myself who has troll hands and someone with smaller hands too. A big feature of the mouse is the ambidextrous accessibility which Razer takes to a new level by having both sides of the mouse feature the same buttons. Often you would have to change faces and move things around to adapt to your liking but this just works either way you use it. Razer really hit the nail on the head here with just how accessible the Viper gaming mouse is and from the moment you hold it, you know it just works for you.
The left and right click are both powered by the Razer Optical Actuation Switches and the extra buttons are just normal buttons here. These two buttons are set as “back and forward” by default but you can change them as you see fit using the Razer software. As for the mouse wheel, it is as basic as it comes. It is rubberized and scrolls smoothly but that is about it. It will never beat my Logitech MX Master mouse wheel by a long run.
On the bottom of the mouse, you will find the DPI switch. This position is a change to many gaming mice which usually feature the switch on the top under or above the mouse wheel. This is most likely done to prevent users from pressing it and increasing their DPI by mistake in the middle of a match.
Razer Viper Performance
The Razer Viper packs a 16,000 DPI sensor which means it is as responsive as gaming mice can get and it shows. It glides across the table and feels great while doing so. The clickers also feel fantastic and while it may seem to be a small change, the Optical Switches really make a huge difference when compared to every other mouse on the market without them. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but thanks to the laser design, it means there’s no bounce-back when you click in the button so everything feels so much more precise.
I spent some good time with the Razer Viper Gaming Mouse and it was a joy to use. Overwatch was by far the most exciting as I really got to pump that DPI up and make use of the 0.2ms latency and the optical switches. There was a massive difference between this mouse and my average daily workhorse. Even when not playing an FPS game, turning down the DPI resulted in an average gaming session.
Verdict
At R1,399 the Razer Viper Gaming Mouse is a hard sell for those who don’t play competitively. It is a fantastic gaming mouse but you are going to really want to have those “esports” features in order to warrant the price tag. It could be the best ambidextrous gaming mouse on the market which is already a great selling point but for your average Joe, it could still be a bit pricey.
