Razer Viper 8Khz Gaming Mouse Review
It’s not enough for a mouse to merely be “good” these days if it wants to stand out in the gaming market. With the sensor technology grip that PixArt has over most models, and the tightening windows of quality between smaller and larger manufacturers, it takes some bold weird moves to make something truly new.
Last year, Razer launched the first mainstream gaming mouse with an 8,000Hz polling rate in the Razer Viper 8Khz. That means that the mouse can check for movement updates up to 8,000 times per second. This tech puts its response and accuracy at the literal bleeding edge. It tracks faster than most other wired mice, and faster than anything wireless (as 8Khz speed is difficult to hit with current wireless technology), and it’s built on top of one of the most successful mouse shapes on the market.
Razer could have been greedy and priced this mouse at a new high level, but they launched it at the same $79 as the original version (replacing it entirely), and it receives discounts all the time. If you want the most gaming mouse tech for a relatively low price, it’s hard to do much better — as long as you can put up with one unfortunate quirk that the fast tracking technology required.
The Viper 8K is available either in Black (official site here) or a limited ESL edition that costs twenty dollars more for the privilege of a different paint job. I don’t love it when different colors cost a significant amount more. In the box, you get the 71g mouse in a small bag and some instructions, alongside some instructions and Razer stickers. The mouse has one single RGB chroma zone in its logo that you can control alongside all its other functions in Razer’s synapse software. I bought this mouse myself at a local retailer at a slight discount, and I wasn’t asked nor paid by Razer to write this.
I have only one real issue with this mouse: the “SpeedFlex” cable used here isn’t nearly as flexible as the cables featured on Razer’s other wired mice. It’s made of a nice, braided material and holds only minimal kinks, but it’s a bit too thick and coarse compared…
