Razer’s Flagship Mouse Pricing Makes Zero Sense
Razer has one of the largest families of gaming mice on the market today, with prices ranging from $40 (Razer Viper Mini) all the way up to $149+ (Razer Basilisk Ultimate).
Most of their models are impressively competitive, coming in at prices that match or beat similar mice from other companies, and I think that’s helped them to dominate the space — at least at the low end and midrange. Up top, their flagships command a daunting premium, and I can’t figure out why.
Razer’s flagship wireless mice are often built around similar technology to their cheaper wired counterparts. The current Basilisk lineup is a perfect example of this conundrum. The Basilisk Ultimate is Razer’s single most expensive mouse, with a $149 base price or a wallet-searing $169 if you also want the helpful/essential charging dock. That makes it not just their most expensive mouse product, but one of the most expensive mice you can buy from any company.
The recently-launched Basilisk V3 carries a paltry $69 price tag. Although its wired, the rest of its feature set meets or exceeds its expensive wireless cousin. It has a newer, faster sensor. It has an improved mouse wheel. And it has Razer’s top-of-the-line optical switch technology inside. It also has cool new underglow lighting without the battery drain concerns that come with a wireless version.
You might be thinking, well that ~$90 price difference is just what you have to pay to get access to Razer’s awesome wireless tech. I agree with part of that statement. Razer’s HyperSpeed wireless is awesome. Aside from the few issues I had trying out its still-in-development multi pairing mode, it’s consistently the fastest, most accurate, and most overall impressive wireless peripheral tech I’ve had the pleasure of using.
So I get why Razer would want to charge a premium, and maybe even a super high premium, for access to it. The only problem is that they don’t always do this. In fact, some of their cheaper mouse models come packing the same great fast wireless tech, alongside…
