Despite the high price tag, the Razer Viper V2 Pro greatly impressed us with its pursuit of performance. At 58g it's one of the lightest mice we've tested. The mostly ambidextrous shape and lack of aggressive curves make for a very comfortable mouse - unless you're left handed.
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Shape
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Grip
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Sensor
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Features
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Price
Razer has been a top player in the PC gaming peripherals market for almost as long as gaming peripherals have been around. With its new Viper V2 Pro, the US-based company is zeroing in on esports gamers that want to either improve their skills or remain at the top.
The Viper V2 Pro is the latest refresh of the well-known Viper range and an update to 2019’s stellar Viper Ultimate. Upon first inspection, the two appear to be roughly the same mouse. But, in this seemingly isolated case, the product names tell most of the story.
Don’t forget you’re holding a mouse
Where the Viper Ultimate was meant to cover all the bases and tick all the boxes, the Viper V2 Pro unticks many of them in the pursuit of performance. First up on the chopping block was weight. Razer has managed to shave 16g off the Ulitmate’s 74g bringing the V2 Pro down to just 58g. And it did that without drilling hundreds of holes into the mouse, a trend many other manufacturers have succumbed to. We’re sure trypophobia sufferers everywhere are grateful.
The left and right click covers, shell structure, and battery were improved without losing any structural integrity or battery runtime. Build quality remains good, although we did notice some flex in the walls when squeezed. Although, if you’re using the mouse correctly, it shouldn’t be noticeable to you.
But you don’t make a sub-60g mouse without tossing a few things. The built-in rubber grips were removed, as were the right-side buttons and Chroma RGB lighting. Removing the grips might not be a big deal for most people and Razer includes some grip tape in the box for the sweatiest players when the naked shell isn’t enough. Speaking of shells, Razer has gone with a slightly textured plastic that doesn’t hold fingerprints at all. Because no one likes seeing a dirty mouse.
Along with the included pre-cut grip tape, we would have liked to see some extra PTFE feet in the box. The feet that come installed on the V2 Pro offer excellent glide and the central ring around the sensor makes sure CPI stays consistent. Please sir, we want some more.
Removing the RGB lighting might prove to be slightly more polarising than removing the grips. Some people like the fact that they can sync up all of their PC, room, and peripheral lighting to create an immersive battle station. Those people should consider a different mouse. For this one, the missing RGB is necessary. ‘Don’t get distracted by the pretty lights, focus on your training’, it seems to imply.
Lefties be damned
The last major departure from the Viper Ultimate was the removal of the right-side buttons. This is sure to anger at least one person. The Viper range has always had an ambidextrous shape and symmetrical design so lefties could enjoy PC gaming along with the rights. Well, that ends with the V2 Pro.
The shape is largely unchanged. With the same dimensional measurements as the Viper Ultimate, 126mm x 57mm x 38mm (LxWxH), the V2 Pro is most suited for medium-sized hands. Razer recommends a claw or fingertip grip with the Viper range but the V2 Pro’s shape means almost any grip will work. But if a leftie wants to use the V2 Pro it’ll be without side buttons.
Razer has also made improvements to the internals of the Viper. Razer continues its collaboration with sensor maker PixArt which has resulted in the new PAW3950 sensor, which Razer calls the Focus Pro 30K, found inside the Viper V2 Pro. As well as reaching up to 30,000 CPI (counts per inch), the new sensor has improved surface tracking, even over glass, and can manage a lower lift-off distance than previous models. The V2 Pro also receives Razer’s newest optical switches, rated for 90 million clicks and promising negligible latency.
The battery life of the V2 Pro is great. We’re not saying that’s a direct result of removing the RGB, but we’re not not saying it either. Razer claims 80 hours between charges but we found that number to be closer to 90 hours in our time with it. And thankfully that’s using the fastest stock polling rate of 1,000Hz while wireless.
Wireless charging via an included dock as seen in the Viper Ultimate is another casualty in the V2 Pro. Now, you’ll have to charge it with the included USB-A to USB-C cable. We think this could be faster – it’ll take about four hours to fully charge from 0% – but since you’re still able to play while charging and Razer’s Speedflex cable is fairly decent, it isn’t a dealbreaker for us.
Praise be and let the heavens rejoice, one of the biggest gripes we had with the last Razer product we tested, the Kraken V3 Pro, has been resolved. In Razer Synapse, Razer’s companion software – the only place to see how much battery you had left – it showed us a battery icon and nothing else. With the Viper V2 Pro you get the icon and a percentage indicator with single-digit accuracy.
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The V2 Pro can only store a single onboard profile which means you can’t change profiles as you change games on the fly. You’ll have to plug the mouse in and switch profiles the long way.
Razer Viper V2 Pro verdict
The Viper V2 Pro was always going to have a problem because the Viper Ultimate was so good. This makes any improvements look marginal at best. Gamers that prefer a heavier mouse, have large hands, or want RGB might not even think they’re improvements.
Additionally, you’re paying the same amount of money for a new mouse with fewer features as you would for an older mouse with all of them. So you’re getting less mouse per Rand spent.
The Viper V2 Pro retails for R3,300. That puts it among the other high-end mice which, to be fair, is where it belongs. Luckily, it can be found for less which makes a recommendation easier. Other than the relatively high price, slow charge time, and dependency on Razer’s resource-heavy software, the Viper V2 Pro excels in its pursuit of performance.
