Razer has taken a lot of strides to cater to the enthusiast market this year with the release of tons of new products. The Viper Mini and Deathadder V2 Mini both cater to budget minded gamers who want a smaller sized mouse so have that in common but there’s also a ton of differences between the two to delve into. This is going to be a bit different than the usual reviews I do on the site and will function more as a head to head about the two mice.
Unboxing and First Impressions
The unboxing experience is pretty much identical for both of these mice. They come in a suitably small box and there’s some included documentation and extra Razer stickers. The Viper mini doesn’t come with any extra but the Deathadder V2 Mini comes with optional side grips. My first impression of the mice before plugging them in is that they both have a nice coating, especially the Razer Viper Mini which has a more grippy, textured surface that reminds me of PBT. The clicks on the Viper Mini felt really snappy but the DA v2 mini was a disappointment with mushy clicks that just don’t feel great (more on that later). Both mice feel light and small but not in a way that feels difficult to immediately get used to. Build quality feels otherwise solid otherwise, with no creacking, rattle or looseness.
Shape and Build Quality
Razer Viper Mini Dimensions: 118.3 x 53.5 x 38.3mm; Weight: 61g
The shape of the Razer Viper Mini is really great for me. I can alternate between a relaxed claw and fingertip grip with this mouse and my aim feels really crisp and precise. The clicks are much improved from the early batch VPU I tried in the past. The coating feels really grippy and its easy to get a hold of and I love the low profile height at the front side of the mouse, which combined with the hump feels instantly comfortable. I did have an issue with my first copy of the Razer Viper Mini where the black ring around the sensor was dragging and scratching against my mousepad. It was really annoying as it made a scraping sound and just kept the movement of my mouse feeling smooth. Apparently this isn’t an isolated issue so definetly look out for it as I had to return my original purchase. Luckily my second copy feels pretty perfect and doesn’t have this issue. The 61g feels really responsive but somehow it doesn’t feel as lightweight as some of the honeycomb countparts on the market.
Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini Dimensions: 114.2 mm x 56 mm x 38.5 mm; Weight 62g
The shape of the DA v2 Mini was a bit awkward right out the box for me. It feels too small to palm for me but I couldn’t get a good claw grip going either due to the ergo shape and pronounced falloff from left to right. While I love the idea of a smaller ergo, I feel like this mouse is a little too small for most gamers who like to palm grip which takes away from the appeal of this mouse as an ergo option. Fingertiping the mouse is possible, but the height of the front of the mouse makes it hard to feel super precise with it. Lastly, my copy had very clunky, mushy clicks. Needless to say the clicks kind of ruined my first impression of the mouse.
Skates and Cable
Skates on both mice feel similar but as I mentioned earlier, I had an issue with the middle sensor ring around the Viper mini scratching and dragging against my mousepad. I wish they replaced the middle ring on the Viper Mini with their PTFE feet as well. As for the feet themselves, they perform consistently and are a decent thickness but they’re definetly not the fastest or smoothest out. Skates feel similar on both models but both are prime for an upgrade via Hyperglides or the like. As for the cable , its nothing to write home about on either model but for some reason the Viper mini has a lot better cable. The one on the DA mini is thicker, heavier and less flexible than the one on the Viper. I wish they would have kept the cable consistent on both models.
Buttons, Scrollwheel, Sensor and Performance
Both mice share the same sensor which is the PixArt PMW3359. It’s a reliable sensor that tracked well and performed consistently for me but that being said there are some people who have had LOD issues. These issue have been well documented on reddit. I wish Razer would have used a better sensor on this as I would have happily shelled out a few extra bucks for that piece of mind.
I have to say while I remain a bit of a skeptic about the feel of optical switches, the buttons on the Razer Viper Mini felt really crispy and responsive. It felt better than the ones I tried on the Viper Ultimate Wireless. There’s not much sideplay, pre-travel or post travel on the buttons but there is a bit of side to side movement if you hold down the M1/M2 buttons hard. The side buttons on the Mini are also improved from the VPU, producing out further and feeling a bit crispier. The buttons in general are quieter due to the optical switches so that may be a plus for some of you. The scrollwheel on the Viper Mini feels tactile and low profile. It’s got good grip and is tensioned on the looser side. It doesn’t take too much effort to depress the middle click either. All in all I’m extremely happy with the performance on the Viper Mini and I was hitting flicks and aiming really precisely with it. It’s always a good feeling when you pick up a new mouse and can perform well with it right away and thats how I felt with the Razer Viper Mini.
With all the praise for the Viper Mini above, I’m sad to report that the Deathadder V2 Mini falls short in a lot of ways. The clicks feel mushier and there’s a ton of side play when I hold and click the M1/M2 buttons on it. The side buttons feel plasticy and not crispy or responsive. The scrollwheel is positioned quite high, which is a negative for me as I like to bind +jump to the scrollwheel in FPS games. The DPI button is also abnormally large on the mouse, which makes it easy to press accidentally. All in all the buttons are what let down the Deathadder V2 Mini. The shape was also something I just couldn’t get comfortable with and it made me just want to use the Viper or one of my other main mice instead. I do want to praise the click latency though, it does actually feel pretty amazing how quick the clicks respond on these mice.
Rating
Razer Deathadder V2 Mini – 6.5/10
Razer Viper Mini – 8/10 (Would be higher if QC was improved)
Bottom Line
The Razer Deathadder V2 mini is an awkward in-between shape that won’t please palm or claw grippers. The QC on both mice could be improved but the clicks on the V2 were some of my least favourite I’ve reviewed lately. Skip the DA v2 Mini and get the Viper Mini if you want a small budget mouse from Razer.
Where to buy
USA – Amazon, Newegg, Razer, Best Buy
Canada – Amazon, Newegg, Razer, Best Buy
Europe – Amazon