I have gone through a handful of really amazing gaming mice in the last few months including the Glorious Model O and Model O-, the Zowie s2, Logitech G203 (amazing at $25), and this Razer Viper. I can't say enough good things about this mouse. It's incredibly light and glides incredibly well on my mousepad. The grips on the side are a great feature. They make other mice feel slippery once you get used to them.
For me, the one minor thing that I would change about this mouse is the buttons on the side should stick out a little more. They are not in so far as to cause issues or misclicks, but I like to really feel where the mouse buttons are at all times. I do like the big thumb buttons on the Zowie S2 over these.
One of the best features of this mouse is the scroll wheel. I use the wheel button in games frequently as I hold my mouse with 3 fingers on top (middle finger resting on the scroll wheel and ring finger on right mouse click button). The button press and tension is perfect - not too stiff, and not impossible to click at will. The scroll wheel movement is super smooth and tensioned where I like it. It also has a great rubber grip with a low profile texture that holds your finger very well.
Button clicks are tuned very well on this mouse. Pronounced enough that you get a solid click with a bit of travel. I have never had an instance where there is an accidental double-click or a time where I needed to click quickly and it wasn't able to deliver. They feel great.
The electronics in the mouse are some of the best available. Button switches are laser actuated so no delays or debounce issues. The sensor is spot on.
One thing that I love about this is that you don't need the software to run it. I hate adding bloatware on my machine and yes, sorry Razer, I have uninstalled synapse and every other driver software that isn't system critical so I could save some performance when I run games. You can config this mouse with Synapse if you would like, but you really don't need to - it's plug and play. Keeping Synapse around will allow you to get the sweet RGB logo throbbing in sync with your other Razer peripherals. Otherwise, there is a DPI button on the bottom and an indicator light to let you know what your setting is and you are good to go.
I did end up replacing the skates on this with Hyperglides. Hyperglide does not make drop-in glided for this, so I had to cut my own using the originals as templates. I used a very sharp exacto knife and traced the cut around the outside of the originals carefully. I used the bottom skate from a hyperglide cut for Zowie s2 and the top glide cut for Razer Death Adder. You could use the Death Adder glides, but the bottom one won't match exactly with the stock viper because there is not quite enough material. The curve is the same so, in a pinch, you can drop it in, but it will not match the stock exactly. Once I cut the shapes to match the stock glides, I beveled the edges and wet sanded them smooth down to 3000 grit sandpaper. I also used a little rubbing polish, but I don't think it was really necessary.
The cable on this is close to a paracable with lots of flex. At some point, I am going to upgrade to a hand made paracable, but for now, the stock cable isn't bad at all. Removing the shielding from the cable will give it more flex, but manufacturers are not allowed to do this per USB standards, I believe. Just a heads-up, if you decide to crack the Viper open and replace the cable, I have read it does not use a standard JST 2.0mm 5 pin inside the mouse. I believe it uses the smaller 1.5mm JST.
Bottom line is that this mouse was designed with input from pro gamers and the end result shows. I am not normally a fan of Razer products and like the smaller gaming brands like Glorious, Ducky, Zowie, etc. but Razer is one hell of a company. They understand what it means to be design-led and always marry looks, experience, functionality. The packaging on this is your standard amazing razer packaging and the whole thing, start to finish, is worth every penny. Great job on this one, Razer. You got me this time.
| Brand | Razer |
|---|---|
| Series | Viper |
| Item model number | RZ01-02550100-R3U1 |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Item Weight | 3.52 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.99 x 2.61 x 1.49 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 4.99 x 2.61 x 1.49 inches |
| Color | Classic Black |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Manufacturer | Razer |
| ASIN | B07TT8G59J |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | August 2, 2019 |
