Razer continues their iterative approach to design by making some notable changes to the Viper Ultimate. Is the V2 Pro worth the hype?
Measurements (L x W x H)
126.7mm x 57.6mm wide x 37.8
Weight
58g
Unboxing and Extras
The mouse comes with the standard extras, a pair of sticky rubber side grips, some documentation and the receiver dongle and USB-C charge cable. Typical Razer quality makes for a decent unboxing experience. I have to say it is disappointing that they did not bring back the Razer charging dock that was provided with the RVU.
Design and Build Quality
If you ever used any of the Viper iterations the shape will be instantly familiar. Though this time around the shell has been thinned out and the side rubber grips removed so that the mouse weighs in at just 58g. This is Razer’s answer to Logitech options like the Superlight. A standard 5 button layout is here but it’s notable that the DPI button has been removed entirely and combined with the power button on the bottom of the mouse.
In terms of coating, the mouse feels more like the PBT-chakly style surface from the Orochi V2 than past versions of the Viper line. The texture makes it comfortable to use in a variety of grip styles although I’m a little concerned about the build quality longer term. While there’s no flexing or rattle on my copy, there is a bit of creak when I press hard on the sides of the mouse and this is an issue that plagued my Orochi over time. I’ve been using the mouse for three weeks now and it’s held up well but I would have some concern over the longer term durability of the Viper V2.
Buttons & Scroll Wheel
The buttons here use the Razer’s third gen optical switch. The main clicks feel snappy and it does feel like they improved the bounce back feel to be more responsive compared to past generations of their optical switches. That being said I have a bias as I never prefer the click feel of optical over physical switches and the Razer V2 Pro is no exception. There’s minimal but noticeable pre-travel and a tiny bit of post-travel although the sideplay on the main clicks is limited and the clicks themselves give off a snappy higher pitched sound which I don’t mind. The main clicks are light but not so much that you’ll be mis-clicking or activating them by accident.
The side buttons are well-placed and easy to reach and are more more muted in response and sound. They are really light to the touch and have almost no pre or post-travel. The side buttons feel really responsive in-game and I think they’re a strength of the mouse for people who constantly rely on M4/M5 in-game. The DPI button has also been removed and merged with the power button on the bottom of the mouse. While not an issue 90% of the time I was able to accidentally hit the DPI button in normal use changing it on the fly at inopportune times.
As for the scroll-wheel it seems like they’ve hollowed out the wheel a bit to shave weight. It’s at a good comfortable height and the rubber coating is nicely textured for grip allowing you to find and scroll quickly in-game without looking. The middle click requires moderate force and has a shallower bottom out. My only real complaint about the scroll wheel is that it’s pensioned a bit too lightly for my taste as I do prefer some more resistance to each scroll.
Shape, Performance and Software
I was not a fan of the Razer Ultimate shape but the big time weight reductions has made the shape a lot more enjoyable for me. That being said the lack of a back hump and longer length given how narrow the mouse is makes it a bit less comfortable for longer gaming sessions. The shape works best for fingertip or claw grip but it’s sometimes harder to get a more consistent grip on the mouse if you have smaller hands. I’d recommend this mouse for medium to larger handed gamers if they primarily use fingertip grip.
In terms of performance I did aim well with this mouse and it’s become one of my best performing Razer shapes. The weight advantage over even the Orochi V2 gives this mouse a satisfying feeling as you can feel in control on tight angles but still quickly flick to targets. The clicks feel very rapid and responsive and I never got a feeling that the sensor was lagging behind. I was not able to spin out the Focus Pro 30K optical sensor at any point in my testing.
The Razer Synapse software is a mixed bag but I never encountered any major issues in testing. If you’ve ever used any modern Razer mouse, you’ll be familiar with the customization and control bind options available in it.
Battery Life, Sensor and Skates
The Focus Pro 30K sensor feels rock-solid in my testing. There’s not noticable DPI-deviation unlike some past Razer mice and I experienced great tracking with no spin-outs. Everything feels very responsive, quick and accurate.
The skates are an upgrade from past Razer mice. They’re well rounded and feel smooth right out the box. They could stand to be a bit thicker but these are good enough to not have to replace with aftermarket feet right away. The glide itself is consistent and smooth and the only realistic complaint is that there could have been more contact area.
The included battery delivers similar battery life to the VPU though without any RGB present on the Viper V2 Pro, it does feel like it adds a bit more life. This isn’t a battery life champ like the Superlight sadly but only the most avid gamers should expect to charge it more than once. The included type-C chraging cable is referred to as the “Speedflex Charging Cable’ by Razer but it’s really quite stiff and heavy and not appropriate to use plugged in.
Conclusions
If I had to choose a Razer mouse to perform best with I’d probably go with the Razer Viper V2 Pro but in some ways the mouse didn’t advance the game as much as it should have for the price.
Pros
Lighter weight puts it in a different class and makes the shape feel way more responsive
Buttons feel responsive and quick
Mouse feet provide smooth consistent glide
Cons
No included dock or battery life improvements
Some concerns with the durability over longer term use
Scroll wheel is tensioned very lightly
Rating
8.5/10
Conclusions
If the pricepoint on this was lower and it had some more bells and whistles, this mouse would easily get a 9/10 and a buy recommendation. This isn’t a must-upgrade if you already own a similar mouse but if it does go sale, it would be my top choice for Razer for fingertip grip.
Bottom Line
The Razer Viper V2 Pro is an excellent mouse given it’s features and weight but it came to a competitive market at the same high pricepoint.
Where to buy the Razer V2 Pro
North America
If you like the Razer Viper V2 Pro , you can also try these shapes – Finalmouse Starlight-12, Zowie FK2-C, Razer Orochi V2