The Razer Viper is back with the Razer Viper V3 Pro. As one of the company’s best-selling mice, every release comes with a certain amount of anticipation and this release is no different, but we’re pleased to share that it delivers on its promises and is an excellent choice for competitive gaming.
Specifications
- Current Price: $159.99 (Amazon)
- Form Factor: Right-handed Symmetrical
- Connectivity: Razer HyperSpeed Wireless, Wired
- Battery Life
- Up to 95 hours at 1000 Hz
- Up to 62 hours at 2000 Hz
- Up to 40 hours at 4000 Hz
- Up to 17 hours at 8000 Hz
- RGB Lighting: None
- Sensor: Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2
- Max Sensitivity (DPI): 35000
- Max Speed (IPS): 750
- Max Acceleration (G): 70
- Programmable Buttons: 6
- Switch Type: Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3
- Switch Lifecycle: 90-million Clicks
- On-board Memory Profiles:1
- Mouse Feet: 100% PTFE
- Cable: USB Type A to USB Type C cable
- Tilt Scroll Wheel: None
- Approximate Size:
- Length: 127.1 mm / 5.00 in
- Width: 63.9 mm / 2.51 in
- Height: 39.9 mm / 1.57 in
- Approximate Weight: 54 g (excluding cable and dongle)
- Dock Compatibility: None
- Box Contents:
- Razer Viper V3 Pro
- Razer HyperPolling Wireless Dongle
- USB Type A to USB Type C cable
- Razer Mouse Grip Tape
- Important Product Information Guide
This year, the Razer Viper has undergone one of the most significant reworks in its history. It’s still quintessentially a Viper but the V3 Pro hones in on the basics of what makes a great mouse for competitive gaming while also delivering a redesigned shape catering to a wider audience of gamers.
When Razer puts the word “Pro” in the name, you can count on a few things. Top tier specs. Exceptional tracking and responsiveness. Less emphasis on RGB, more emphasis on performance, both in the hand and how that translates to on-screen action. It also means that you’re going to get the kitchen sink for features, like asymmetric cutoff and automatic surface calibration. More on that later.
The shape of the Razer has been altered slightly. The purple outline in the image above is the original Razer Viper Ultimate, the release that sold myself and many gamers on the Razer Viper line. From the top down, you can see that the shape has remained mostly unchanged but in side profile, the V3 Pro has been made slightly taller with its contour extending farther back.
In the picture above, the change looks small but if you’re used to the Viper, you’ll notice it right away. It fills the hand more and reduces palm drag. It still has the classic scoops in the left and right buttons and heavily textured scroll wheel. It feels like a Viper but also a bit more like the Logitech G Pro Wireless/Superlight 2.
Is this a bad thing? I don’t think so, but as someone who has used a Viper consistently for around five years now, it did take a little getting used to. Considering the G Pro’s popularity, however, this small change makes it a more familiar choice for anyone who might want more features than the Superlight 2 currently offers.
And does it ever offer more features. For starters, Razer has specced the Viper V3 Pro to a class-leading standard. It utilizes the company’s latest Focus Pro 35K optical sensor, which offers excellent tracking throughout its 35,000 DPI range and can be programmed in single DPI increments. It features a maximum top speed of 750 inches per second with acceleration that tops out at 70Gs. It’s also able to connect at up to 8,000Hz for the fastest possible wireless connection using an included HyperPolling dongle.
By contrast, the Superlight 2 only offers 32K tracking and a top speed of 500 IPS. It’s also wireless, but its polling rate tops out at 4kHz. Acceleration is not disclosed. The weight of the two mice is very close, but the Viper V3 Pro bests it again with a weight of 54 grams compared to the 60 grams with the Superlight.
The mouse is also capable of automatic surface calibration. This is especially neat because mice perform best when they’re calibrated for the exact mouse surface you’ll be gaming on. Traditionally, you have to enter a special menu in the software and move the mouse in a figure-eight pattern until the process is complete but here, it just works no matter what surface you prefer to play on (even glass).
Mechanically, it uses Razer’s latest microswitches, the Razer Optical Mouse Switch Gen 3. Since they don’t utilize mechanical connections like traditional switches, there’s no debounce delay to slow down your clicks. The lack of mechanical contacts also means that the age-old “double click of death” shouldn’t be an issue as the mouse ages. The switches are rated for 90 million clicks each, so the V3 Pro should have a long life ahead of it.
Like most Razer peripherals, you’ll need to download Synapse to make the most of it. I recommend you do, because you’ll find even more features. Asymmetric cut-off allows you to adjust how far you can lift and lower the mouse and have it still track your movement, or you can keep it simple with a basic lift-off distance adjustment. You can set a dynamic sensitivity to adjust how the mouse tracks with your movements or create your own so it’s entirely personalized. Of course, you can also remap the buttons to carry commands or macros, though note that you’ll need Synapse running in the background because there’s no onboard storage. Lighting is also out because there’s no RGB to speak of.
Another neat feature the software offers is DPI matching. A little known fact about gaming mice is that DPI settings are rarely 1:1. 800 DPI on one mouse may not be 800 DPI on another, which can throw off your game until you figure out that equivalent sensitivity. Here, there’s a setup menu that takes out the guesswork. You simply enter the calibration menu, hold the mice side by side, and move them together as the software determines the equivalent setting. 800 DPI on the Turtle Beach Burst 2 Air translated to 819 DPI on the Viper V3 Pro — and they indeed felt exactly the same after.
The polling rate is also adjustable from 1,000Hz to 8,000Hz using a slider. Changing this setting has a big impact on battery life. It’s rated for 95 hours of continuous use at 1,000Hz but only 17 hours at 8,000Hz. This makes sense considering how many more times the mouse is reporting its position at 8K versus 1K, but it’s not ideal if you want the best performance without digging in software every time. To answer this, Synapse allows you to have the mouse automatically switch polling rates whenever you load a game. This gives you the best of both worlds, though as with profiles, you’ll need to keep Synapse running in the background.
Practically speaking, many of its advantages over the Superlight 2 aren’t the kind of things the average gamer is going to feel. The switches yes, and the neat features like dynamic sensitivity and DPI matching, but a few extra thousand DPI, and higher speed and acceleration, not as much. What these specs do is indicate a higher performance sensor. If you’re the kind of pro gamer, or aspiring pro gamer, these mice are targeting, however, there is little reason to choose the Superlight 2. The performance ceiling is simply higher with the Viper V3 Pro.
And in actual use, the Viper V3 Pro quickly became my new favorite mouse. The clicks are excellent and are highly tactile with a satisfying sound profile. The scoops are also classic Viper, centering your fingers on the buttons without even having to think about it. The tucked sides and slightly reworked side button position is also comfortable.
Despite being so lightweight, the build quality is very good. The chassis is solid. There’s no creaking or flexing, no buttons being pressed because the sides aren’t reinforced enough.
The mouse is solid but it’s a little slippery. Razer tells me the coating on the mouse was decided based on what users reported liking. I tend to prefer a little more grip (like the textured sides of the Viper Ultimate), but Razer thought of that too and included grip tapes in the box.
The biggest downside to the mouse is its reliance on Synapse. As a simple six-button mouse, I don’t find much use for memory profiles, personally, but I do want the mouse to automatically switch my polling rate when I boot up a game. A mouse at this price shouldn’t require a heavy program run in the background, and especially one that still prompts you to add extra components, like Razer Cortex, and then advertises to you whenever you open it up. I’ve never found Synapse to be as bad as some people make it out to be but I do think it’s time for an update that cuts down on its footprint.
Final Thoughts
Reliance on software aside, the Razer Viper V3 Pro is an excellent gaming mouse. Its new shape is familiar enough for Viper fans to quickly adapt to while also opening the door to a new audience that’s looking for the next step up from the Logitech G Pro Superlight 2. It costs a premium, but it’s a winner for PC gaming.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Some articles may contain affiliate links and purchases made through this will result in a small commission for the site. Commissions are not directed to the author or related to compensation in any way.
