Razer Orochi V2 Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

A thoughtful blend of performance, productivity, and portability

Photo taken by the author.

Light mice are all the rage right now, with smaller and smaller models coming from all directions, and several manufacturers locked in a weird race to see how many holes they can cut into their newest designs.

Razer is one of the few companies going in a different direction. They’re still making light mice, but they’re doing so without the holes. And now with the Orochi V2, they’re trying to hit every essential feature point that both gaming and mobile productivity customers would want, but in a light sleek package without any “unnecessary” frills.

It’s not totally perfect (especially as someone who likes those frills), but after a week with this mouse as my main for both desktop gaming and on-the-go laptop use, I can see why it’s so popular. The shape is perhaps the best small design on the market, and the feature set is good for the price.

Note: I bought the Razer Orochi V2 with my own money at Best Buy. I don’t get a kickback if you buy one, as I don’t use affiliate links in any of my articles. If you’d like to read my full reviews policy, please click here.

The angled battery compartment is meant to balance the weight of your chosen battery throughout the frame, and it really works. I also like the dongle storage slot. Photo taken by the author.

The Razer Orochi V2 is a wireless gaming mouse that connects over either Razer’s HyperSpeed USB dongle or Bluetooth. It comes in black or white for $69.99, and for twenty dollars more you can also get a custom shell on Razer’s web site. Peeling off the shell cover reveals two different angled battery slots, and you can use either a AA or AAA battery, but not both at once.

Those angled battery slots demonstrate just how much engineering work has gone into this mouse. They’re canted so that the weight of the battery spreads throughout the frame. Razer even includes a Lithium AA in the box so you can experience the light weight and superior performance of that battery tech. With a Lithium AA you can get up to 950 hours of Bluetooth mode use, and about half of that connected to the dongle. Battery life also shortens if you use an alkaline AA or any type of AAA, but I decided the weight reduction of a lithium AAA was worth losing some hours.

This is a light, small mouse, but that doesn’t mean it’s uncomfortable or insubstantial. At first I thought it would be too small for me to grip comfortably, but the precise sculpting of the body means I can palm, fingertip, or claw grip the mouse with my average-sized hands. It’s more comfortable than the Logitech G305, which was my reigning favorite small mouse until I tried this one.

Although Razer markets this as having an ambidextrous shape…it doesn’t. The side buttons are permanently placed for right-handed use, and the sides of the mouse are sculpted for a right hand as well. If you’re looking for a true ambidextrous mouse in Razer’s lineup, you’ll have to check out the Viper instead.

The subtle sculpting of the mouse makes this fit well in my hand, regardless of grip style. It’s more than adequate for multi-hour sessions. Photo taken by the author.

The Orochi V2 has a lower price point than many of Razer’s flagship wireless mice, and it loses a few features as a result. The switches are mechanical instead of optical, and although I haven’t had any issues with them over a week of heavy use, they aren’t rated for as many clicks over the lifespan of the product. The mouse has no RGB chroma lighting of any kind. There’s no wired backup connection on the off chance your battery dies. And though it feels nice to click and scroll, the plastic mouse wheel isn’t as beefy as those on other Razer mice or the incredible metal one on the Roccat Kone Pro.

Fortunately, the Orochi V2 still packs in market-leading sensor performance to go along with its comfy shape. Used with the dongle it tracks just like a wired mouse, and while it’s not quite as good in Bluetooth mode, it’s still fast. If you download the Synapse software you can customize every aspect of the mouse, including sensitivity steps, button assignments, and tracking calibration. All of these changes are also saved into the mouse, which is awesome.

Build quality is decent, and while it’s not quite up to the standards of some of the bigger mice out there, it’s still good for the price. The coating has a rough texture to it that’s excellent for grip and shouldn’t show too much dirt or wear, but it’s not all that impressive or premium. The buttons don’t wiggle, and although they have a bit of springy-ness around the switch when pressed, pre and post travel are both surprisingly minimal considering the shell pops off. The sides are firm and easy to grip without any apparent creaking in spite of the light frame.

The sculpted thumb area here means this isn’t an ambidextrous mouse, and the hollow plastic scroll wheel with its rubber coating might be an issue over time compared to more durable designs. Photo taken by the author.

If you’re okay with this shape, then for the $69 price point this is an excellent mouse. But it isn’t quite a “giant killer” that can stand up to the more expensive options on the market. If Razer ever made a step-up Ultimate model that included chroma lighting, a premium coating, optical switches, and other such perks…I’d happily upgrade

Still, this is plenty of gaming mouse for most users who just want something good and dependable. It’s going to stay in my work bag for the foreseeable future, so I’ll report back if I have any issues with the mechanical switches in the coming months. Thanks to the efficient engineering under the hood here, I might still be using the same battery when I write that update.