At first we would like to thank Razer for offering us their Viper Ultimate Wireless Gaming Mouse for testing and reviewing.

 

About Razer:

"Razer is more than just the world's leading brand in gaming.

We were founded in 1998 in San Diego, California by our CEO Min-Liang Tan and our President Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff in a tiny shared office with a couple other gamers. We have grown today to hundreds of employees worldwide with offices in seven cities, including San Francisco, Hamburg, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore.

Our vision from the very beginning was to be the world's greatest gaming brand and we've set out to achieve that by designing the best gaming products that any gamer has ever seen.

We believe that truly great products are based on technology, designed with extensive human factors and user ergonomic studies and then tested by the top professional gamers. In simpler terms, our own world class scientists and engineers develop cutting edge technology in-house or with partners, design phenomenal products around core technologies – and test the hell out of them in the field with our pro-gamers before we launch them.

We are the only gaming hardware company in the world with dedicated gaming user interface research and development labs, and our technology and designs are incubated in three dedicated design centers located in facilities in California, Singapore and Shenzhen. No other company boasts of technology like we do – because we're the only guys who have what it takes under the hood.

We tell it like it is: some can pretend to co-develop products with professional gamers, but gamers don't develop technology: scientists and engineers do (and ours just happen to be gamers as well).

We develop and design our products in our own labs and then put them to the test with top professional gamers who use them in pro-level tournaments and then provide us with feedback. Then we iterate on the product, refining it with the feedback – over and over and over again. That's how it's done, that's how a Razer product is built from ground up. No marketing BS and no hype.

We pioneered the eSports movement with the world's first $100K tournament back in 2000 and we have continued to give back to the community by sponsoring top eSports athletes who give back to Razer by beta-testing our products. We remain one of the largest sponsors of eSports community sponsoring top global eSports teams worldwide.

The people that work here at Razer are gamers just like you – some amateur, some ex-professional gamers, some just play for fun, just ask our CEO who will lay the smack down on you in Quake Live or our President, who has over ten level 80's on his local server. Hell, he will even take you on a raid in the middle of the work day.

We are the same gamers who are told by the suits that we need adult supervision and we need a professional CEO or management team – and we're the same gamers who tell the suits exactly where to shove it because we like doing what we do – and we do it on our own terms.

We hope our passion for gaming speaks to you like it does to us, through our products and we hope you enjoy the competitive edge we bring to your game."

RAZER HYPERSPEED WIRELESS

 

25% faster than any other wireless technology available, you won’t even realize that you’re gaming with a wireless mouse due to its high-speed transmission, lowest click latency, and seamless frequency switching in the noisiest, data-saturated environments.

 

RAZER FOCUS+ OPTICAL SENSOR

 

Our new, improved sensor has an industry-leading 20,000 DPI with 99.6% resolution accuracy, ensuring that even the finest movement from this wireless mouse is tracked with consistency. Equipped with intelligent functions, the sensor becomes even more accurate, allowing for an acute level of precision for game-winning headshots.

 

RAZER™ OPTICAL MOUSE SWITCH

 

Utilizing an infrared light beam to register every click, the switches in this wireless mouse actuate with an industry-leading response time of 0.2 milliseconds. Because it no longer requires traditional physical contact, this form of actuation removes the need for debounce delay and never triggers unintended clicks, giving you closer control and flawless execution.

 

74G LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN

 

Enjoy faster and smoother control with the lightest wireless gaming mouse in the market. Weighing just 74g, it achieves its weight without compromising on the build strength of its ambidextrous form factor.

 

70 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE

 

Improved wireless power efficiency keeps it running at peak performance for up to 70 continuous hours—charge it just once a week to power 10 hours of daily gameplay.

 

5 ON-BOARD MEMORY PROFILES

 

Bring your settings anywhere and be match-ready in no time. Activate up to 5 profile configurations from its onboard memory or custom settings via cloud storage.

 

8 PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS

 

Fully configurable via Razer Synapse 3, the 8 programmable buttons let you access macros and secondary functions so you can execute extended moves with ease.

 

RAZER MOUSE DOCK

 

Add more character to your battle station with an efficient charging dock that can seamlessly integrate with other Razer Chroma-enabled devices.

 

100% PTFE MOUSE FEET

 

Enjoy slick mouse movement across any surface with mouse feet made from the purest, highest grade of PTFE—a material used to coat non-stick pans.

 

The wireless speed on this mouse is really fast and it doesn’t feel like I am playing on wireless. The sensor is very accurate too which is important when you need to kill your opponent fast; perfect for intense games like CS:GO.

 

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

 

Get up to 2 years of warranty and access reliable tech support.

Purchase directly from Razer Store and get 14 days risk-free returns.

 

At a glance

 

Razer Hyperspeed Wireless technology

Razer Focus+ Optical Sensor

Razer™ Optical Mouse Switches

74g lightweight design

70 hours of battery life

 

Tech Specs

 

True 20,000 DPI Focus+ optical sensor with 99.6% resolution accuracy

Up to 650 inches per second (IPS) / 50 G acceleration

Advanced Lift-off/Landing distance customization

HyperSpeed wireless technology

Eight independently programmable buttons

Razer™ Optical Mouse Switches rated for 70M clicks

True Ambidextrous shape

Gaming-grade tactile scroll wheel

On-The-Fly Sensitivity Adjustment (Default stages : 400/800/1600/2400/3200)

Hybrid On-board and Cloud Storage (4+1 profiles)

Razer Synapse 3 enabled

Razer Chroma™ lighting with true 16.8 million customizable color options

Inter-device color synchronization

Wired and Wireless usage modes

2.4 GHz dongle

1.8 m / 6 ft Speedflex cable for charging and wired use

Razer Mouse charging dock compatible

Battery life: Approximately 70 hours (without lighting) (Battery life depends on usage settings)

Approximate size: 126.7 mm / 4.99 in (Length) X 66.2 mm / 2.61 in (Width) X 37.8 mm / 1.49 in (Height)

Approximate weight: 74 g / 2.61 oz (Excluding cable)

Compatible with Xbox One for basic input

 

At the end of 2019 we are seeing a very nice offering from Razer in terms of high-performance gaming mice that packs a brand new 20K DPI sensor, low wireless latency, optical switches for the left/right buttons, long battery life but also a lightweight design (only 74 grams, incredible for a wireless mouse that also packs an internal rechargeable battery). The Viper Ultimate is the name of it and is the upgraded version of the original Viper. The product is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure (for a mouse) and features a magnetic clasp;

 

On the top cover, Razer does highlight the main mouse features:

 

 

 

One of the box sides does reveal the benefits of the enhanced wireless technology used with the product, that did imply optimizing the data transmission protocol, reducing the time it takes to send data between the mouse and the USB dongle; here we will also get the list of inside contents:

 

 

 

The opposite side will list the Razer sponsored eSports teams but also some feedback on the product from a professional gamer:

 

 

 

Moving on, we will be able to spot the system requirements, the approximated size and weight but also some serial numbers:

 

 

 

Razer breaks down the main mouse components on the back side of the packaging, together with the docking station:

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will get to see the Viper Ultimate, along with the charging station, surrounded by thick foam material:

 

 

 

Underneath, we do have the documentation along with the rest of the bundle (data/charging cable):

 

 

 

The manufacturer does offer a set of stickers, a registration card but also the user manual:

 

 

 

The stickers are of multiple dimensions and types, including the iconic Razer logos and the “For Gamers, by Gamers” saying:

 

 

 

The manual does describe with very much detail the installation procedure and how the components should be used together; here we will also learn that the back RGB logo of the mouse is also used as a low battery indicator:

 

 

 

The supplied USB cable is fully braided and quite flexible; this is great because we can use it with the mouse in wired mode:

 

 

 

The connectors have Razer-green plastic components inside:

 

 

 

If we take a look at the charging dock, we will get to see a subtle Razer logo in the lower area, two gold-plated contacts but also the area where the wireless dongle should be installed:

 

 

 

 

In the back of the unit we do have the port where the USB cable will be fitted:

 

 

 

 

On the bottom of the dock we will get to see a foot for keeping it fixed on the surface but also its own serial number along with the power rating; the surrounding frame is RGB enabled as well:

 

 

 

For the Viper Ultimate, Razer has chosen to go with a comfortable shape and not a lot of bells and whistles such as RGB elements in multiple areas, OLED screens, a ton of programmable buttons and so on; its medium size will allow it to be used with multiple grip types and we do really appreciate the inclusion of textured plastic instead of rubber coating, which would have worn out much faster:

 

 

 

With the Viper and Viper Ultimate, Razer has gone from mechanical button switches to optical mouse switches; when a button is actuated, the switch opens its shutter to allow an infrared light beam to pass through. This way, an electrical signal is sent to your computer; actuation is achieved at the speed of light and generates a much faster response time of only 0.2 milliseconds, 3 times faster than regular mechanical switches. The additional benefit is increased durability: as no mechanical contact is needed for the transmission of electrical signals, this particular switch is less prone to wear and tear from extensive usage; while the usual switches are rated up to 50 million clicks, the new optical ones have a rating of no less than 70 million clicks!

 

 

 

The RGB segment in the back is visible only when the mouse is powered on:

 

 

 

Since we are talking about an ambidextrous mouse, both side panels have the same features; we are getting a rubberized layer with a grippy texture and two programmable buttons; these buttons use TTC switches and are easy to access:

 

 

 

 

While looking on the bottom area of the mouse, we will spot white PTFE, and that’s a first! These feet are present in the corners but also around the sensor lens:

 

 

 

In the upper area, Razer has included the compartment to fit the tiny wireless dongle:

 

 

 

The latest generation sensor from Razer is named Focus+ and was developed in cooperation with PixArt; from our testing, the mouse has performed flawlessly, with no erratic acceleration or input lag:

 

 

 

Further down we do have the battery charging contacts, a button for DPI selection, a triangle-shaped LED that shows the current DPI step we are in and an On/Off switch:

 

 

 

The mentioned dongle can be easily removed from the compartment:

 

 

 

 

 

The dongle is very compact and will not obstruct nearby USB ports (an usual issue when using portable computers with a limited number of interfaces):

 

 

 

 

 

After powering on the mouse, the DPI LED will power on as well; when the mouse is sit in operating position and the sensor starts tracking, this LED will be powered off to save battery life:

 

 

 

Here are some additional shots while the mouse and dock are in operating status:

 

Mouse

Dock

Mouse + Dock

 

Right after connecting either dock or mouse dongle to the computer, we will be prompted to install the Razer Synapse Gaming Software; this unified software will help us customize the mouse and charging dock even further:

 

 

 

During the installation process, we will be prompted to choose the software modules we want to have available:

 

 

 

A Razer ID is necessary to log in to the software, or simply we can use it in Guest mode:

 

 

 

 

After launching the Synapse GUI, we do have multiple menus to work with, visible on the top area:

 

 

 

Starting with the charging dock, we will be able to see the charging status of the mouse, opt to turn of lighting when the display is off, adjust the brightness but also choose from one of the Chroma LED lighting effects:

 

 

 

Here are the Chroma effects we can choose from:

 

 

 

Advanced effects can be applied by launching Chroma Studio:

 

 

 

In Studio, we have even more presets we can work with and we can apply the same effects to both docking and the mouse; layering is available, together with preset customization on the right side of the screen:

 

 

 

Here is the list of custom effects we can apply:

 

 

 

The Mouse area allows the user to set different functions to the buttons, but also choose the left/right handed mode:

 

 

 

By enabling Hypershift, we can practically double the functions the mouse buttons can have:

 

 

Plenty of mouse button functions can be allocated; the categories will be displayed on the left side of the GUI:

 

 

Keyboard Function

Mouse Function

Sensitivity

Macro

Inter-device

Switch Profile

Switch Lighting

Razer HyperShift

Launch Program

 

Multimedia

Windows Shortcuts

Text Function

Button Disable

 

We can save presets to the onboard memory with ease:

 

 

From the Performance tab, the user is able to choose the number of DPI steps he/she wants to have available and for each one we can go with a different DPI value; in the same screen we can configure the Polling Rate, but also navigate to the Mouse Properties area:

 

 

In the Lighting area, we can customize the LED brightness, choose when to turn the LEDs off and also after how many minutes the mouse should go in power saving state. Obviously, we can select from multiple Chroma presets:

 

 

The Calibration stage is not missing as a configuration option:

 

 

More power saving options are available from the last configuration tab:

 

 

Even more options are available from the Connect and Visualizer tabs:

 

 

The Macro menu area is separate and we can choose to record sequences, with or without delays:

 

 

After using the Viper Ultimate in productivity work but also games such as Terminator: Resistance, Mass Effect Andromeda, Beyond Two Souls and Borderlands 3 we became really fond of it thanks to the flawless tracking, very good battery life and low weight. The new optical switches have a good feel to it and the actuation noise is quite different from the mechanical switches, the click noise being less sharp. The Viper Ultimate can be used with multiple grip types, depending on the size of the hand, while the left buttons remain easily accessible (the right-side buttons need some time for accommodation, if you are using the mouse as a right hander).

 

The use of the charging dock is optional since the mouse can be also charged by using the included USB cable, but it is a nice thing to have because with it we can place the dongle further away from the interference caused by the computer components and it is not needed to attach/detach the USB cable every time we need to fill the battery up.

 

This time Razer has chosen to go with a dedicated DPI button on the bottom area of the mouse, while the On/Off button is close nearby; for avoiding turning on and off the mouse frequently, Razer has implemented power saving options in the Synapse software so we can optimize even further.

 

As we have seen with other high-end mice in the past , we have full control over the RGB illumination and button configuration; for the Viper Ultimate the RGB lighting does also act as an indicator for the battery power, so the user will be warned when it will reach very low levels (time when it will also go in low power mode).

 

The new 20K sensor built in cooperation with PixArt does incorporate new tech such as Asymmetric Cut-Off, in order to set the mouse landing distance, the distance at witch the mouse will resume tracking again; Motion Sync will ensure the sensor has a higher responsiveness by syncing the signals at the exact intervals your PC will extract information from it.

 

Ultimately, the new sensor can cover 54 feet in one second, which calculates to 650 IPS (inches per second).

 

At the time of the review, the Viper Ultimate could be found online for about 170 Euros.

Razer Viper Ultimate Wireless Gaming Mouse is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to Razer for making this review possible!