A lightweight entry without the holes
In the world of gaming mice, it’s the smaller lesser-known brands taking the limelight over recent times with the trend of lightweight gaming mice. The years of adjustable weight are no more as gamers (predominantly with the rise of Fortnite) have opted out for weightless mouse because of light = faster. While Logitech started the trend of making esports focused mice with the light G Pros, it’s companies like Finalmouse and then Glorious taking it one step further with honeycomb designs bringing the weight even lower. Razer, whom everyone regards as the messiah of gaming gear when, well gaming mice existed have jumped on the train with the lightweight trend and introduced their Viper – which absolutely takes a bite at the game.
Specs
- Price: $135 AUD RRP
- Type: Ambidextrous
- Switches: Razer Optical Switches
- Sensor: Razer 5G Optical Sensor (16,000 DPI)
- Weight: 69 Grams
Shape & Design
The Razer Viper comes in an ambidextrous black design fitting with their other line-up of gaming gear. The only RGB element is the Razer logo itself adjustable using their Synapse software. The coating is quite grippy but has a fine balance between matte and gloss but for those seeking extra grip, the sides are rubberised helping you control the Razer Viper. Overall, the shape is quite comfortable (for an ambidextrous) and had no problem controlling it.
Buttons & Scroll Wheel
One of the biggest push from Razer with the Viper is the fact that it uses optical switches. Optical switches have been a trend for gaming keyboards especially for Razer adopting the switches into most of their line-up and now the Razer Viper. Razer marketing has said that optical switches will eliminate debouncing and unintended clicks but honestly had no such problems with that in other brands. Upon testing, It was hard to gauge as it made no difference to my response as it was on point with other mice I’ve used with mechanical switches. The optical switches also felt heavier, which some may find annoying. They’re not as light when compared to other lightweight mice in the game. It’s tolerable but something I won’t deal with especially with long gaming sessions and is probably just best suited for shooters or MOBAs.
The Razer Viper features a great scroll wheel which I believe sits above the Glorious Model O. The increments are well defined and the middle click feels perfect. There’s also no DPI switches on the top side as it’s been relocated to the bottom of the mouse, great for avoiding any accidental miss clicks.
As the Razer Viper is ambidextrous, the programmable side buttons are featured on both sides of the mouse which is great for left-handers as well. The side buttons are positioned well and are quite responsive. There are no complaints here.
Performance and Cord
After replacing my current mouse (the Glorious Model O) with the Razer Viper for review purposes, I tested it with various titles mostly with shooters such as Rainbow Six Siege and PUBG. While touching again on the optical switches, it took me a few days to get used to them as they’re not as light as other mice I’ve used before. The optical switches, in my opinion, didn’t change the responsiveness of how I played but the mouse being lightweight (at 69grams) when compared to other Razer mice – I was able to easily snapshots in Rainbow Six Siege. While it’s not the lightest in the market, its comparable to the Glorious Model O which sits around the same mark. Also, the fact it has no honeycomb holes is a good selling point for gamers who hate the ‘croc-looking sandal’ design.
One of the best and probably my favourite feature of this mouse is the cable. With some companies going completely wireless to avoid this issue albeit coming at a premium price, the majority of the lightweight mice still feature a cable. The Razer Viper features their new Speedflex cable which hands down is a bloody good cable. It’s flexible than any of the previous Razer cables and still remains thinner than the Glorious Model O’s rather fat cable. As someone who uses a mouse bungee to avoid drag, I had no issues with using the Razer Viper without one. Razer should implement this cable into all their future wired mice.
Touching on the software side, Razer Synapse has been quite unpopular among gamers and personally, I’ve had mediocre experiences with it. However, some good news here is that you don’t have to register to use the software as you can sign in as a guest. I didn’t really have to touch the DPI increments but if you do, the Razer Viper does support 5 DPI stages and yes, you can turn the logo off.
Overall
Razer has entered a contender into the ultra-lightweight ring with the Viper taking on a very competitive gaming mice market at the moment. While the overall mouse is excellent for those fans looking for a lightweight Razer option, the pricing sits just a tad too high at $135 AUD. With many other great ultra-lightweight mice under $100 AUD such as the Glorious Model O and the newer (smaller) Cooler Master MM710 – the Razer Viper might be skipped for those looking to enter on a budget. If you’re currently a Razer user and want to jump into a lightweight option, the Viper is definitely a good choice or if you’re not into the trypophobia holes in the mice crocs sandal design, well the Razer Viper doesn’t have any.