Razer Viper V3 Pro review: What's the trade-off between power and portability?

In a discussion about gaming mice some time ago, Xiao Lei mentioned that the first true "gaming mouse" was the Razer Boomslang released by Razer in 2003 - a DPI "up to" 2500, polling rate 125Hz USB gaming mouse. But in fact, the statement is not accurate, because this 2100/25 polling rate 00DPI Boomslang is actually an upgraded version of this series. Its previous generation, Boomslang released in 1999, is the real first game. mouse.

Compared with the second generation released 4 years later, the first generation Boomslang used a more primitive PS/2 interface, and the polling rate was only 10 -200Hz; it was not until the release of the Razer Copperhead using a laser sensor in 2005 that Razer's gaming mouse officially entered the era of 1000Hz polling rate. After that, Razer also completed its dominance of the high-end gaming mouse market with three mice: Viper, DeathAdder and BAsilisk.

According to Newzoo data, Razer achieved an 11% market share in the global gaming peripherals market last year, second only to Logitech’s 16%. In addition, Razer also has the highest user loyalty among gaming peripheral brands, and can be called the ROG in the field of gaming peripherals. After all, ROG has only been making peripherals in the past few years, and both Razer and ROG have a common theme in gaming peripherals - lighting. Because the lighting design of Razer products is too "eye-catching", there are endless complaints about Razer's status as a "light factory" on the Internet.

"When you buy a set of Razer keyboard and mouse"

Image source: Reddit forum user Bilbzzz

However, this emphasis on marketing and light on technology has also indirectly weakened Razer’s product competitiveness: According to Razer’s mid-term report last year: Razer’s R&D expenses were 200 million It has been around 554 million yuan for many years, but marketing expenses have continued to rise to 554 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of more than 40%. On the one hand, there is no increase in R&D investment, on the other hand, marketing expenses are rising year by year, and behind them are Logitech, SteelSeries and ROG that are catching up. In 2022, Razer is in urgent need of a new era "Boomslang" to stabilize itself. market, let everyone know that the gaming peripherals brand that “starts with players and empowers players” still puts players first.

And this arduous task falls on the Razer Death Adder V3 Pro released some time ago.

Inferno Viper V3 Hardware Upgrade

Although the name is Purgatory Viper V3 Pro (hereinafter referred to as V3 Pro ) is just a regular replacement for the Viper V2 Pro (hereinafter referred to as V2 Pro), but in terms of the core configuration of the V3 Pro, it is not difficult to find that the V3 Pro is not just a replacement for Razer.

Image source: Lei Technology

If V2 Pro is just Lei An "asymmetric high-end mouse" under the Venomous Viper series, the product positioning of V3 Pro can be said to have truly elevated the Purgatory Viper product line to the flagship position of Razer gaming mice, alongside Venomous Viper and Cyballis. The same flagship mouse lineup.

Picture source: Lei Technology

First of all, V3 Pro switched to Razer's latest Focus Pro 30K sensor, as its name suggests, this new generation sensor can support surface tracking up to 30,000DPI. In addition, Razer’s “signature” asymmetric suspension technology can provide the mouse with more accurate and continuous surface tracking.

Perhaps many people don’t understand the practical use behind this asymmetric abort technology, and they haven’t even heard of the name. To put it simply, after asymmetric suspension is turned on, even if the mouse leaves the surface of the mouse pad, the Focus Pro 30K sensor can still continue to accurately track the mouse displacement through several millimeters of "air".

Picture source: Lei Technology

And because the general mouse Tracking is interrupted after leaving the mouse pad, and once the sensor reacquires the mouse pad, the master controller will experience incorrect acceleration due to "jumping" in the sensor position before and after leaving the mouse pad, causing the cursor to briefly "flash".

In addition, V3 Pro also uses Razer’s third-generation optical micro-motion. Compared with traditional mechanical micro-motion, optical micro-motion is roughly similar in principle to optical axis keyboards. It uses internal lasers and light shields to replace the traditional metal reed structure of micro-motion. In addition to theoretically providing a faster trigger response speed, optical micro-movements not only have better stability but also have a longer lifespan than mechanical micro-movements due to the absence of mechanical reeds and contact structures.

The second-generation optical micro-movement used in V2 Pro has achieved a motor life of approximately 70 million times, while the third-generation optical micro-movement has directly increased this number to 90 million times. Based on 60 clicks per minute and continuous clicks 24 hours a day, the theoretical lifespan of V3 Pro can allow you to click continuously 24/7 for nearly 3 years.

Due to the use of new sensors, micro-motion and other "improvements", the battery life of V3 Pro has also been increased to 90 hours.

Changes in appearance between V3 Pro and V2 Pro

##In addition to the three major changes in configuration, the appearance of V3 Pro There are also some changes from V2 Pro. But unlike "positive improvements" in configuration, V3 Pro's appearance improvements may not be unanimously recognized by all users. As mentioned before, the "consistency" of the feel of a gaming mouse is an important indicator for evaluating gaming mice. Even if the iterative product is only a "fine-tuned" shape of the mouse, these subtle changes will be noticed by players.

Unfortunately, V3 Pro really made a lot of modifications to V2 Pro, so that it was the first time for Xiao Lei to switch from V2 Pro to V3 Pro. Sometimes it even feels a little strange, and it feels like the mouse is not suitable no matter how you hold it.

Picture source: Lei Technology

From the mouse "head" Let’s start with: The front width of V3 Pro is narrower than that of V2 Pro, the undulations on the left and right key surfaces have become gentler, and the finger guidance has become slightly weaker. If you usually like to "split" your index and middle fingers when playing games, switching to V3 Pro will take some getting used to. In addition, the left and right buttons of the V3 Pro are also separated from the top shell of the mouse and changed to independent buttons. Although it does not look as "aggressive" as the V2 Pro, it has improved the uniformity of button triggering and has been well received.

#The scroll wheel of V3 Pro also adopts a hollow design, and the surface texture has not changed. However, the groove of the scroll wheel is obviously longer than that of V2 Pro, which also means that the protrusion of the scroll wheel of V3 Pro is higher than that of V2 Pro, and the feel is clearer.

Picture source: Lei Technology

Next is Xiao Lei me As a V2 Pro user, I am not used to it: V3 Pro adjusts the curve of the back of the mouse. The highest point moves from the center of the mouse to the left. At the same time, the lines on both sides of the mouse are also adjusted. This change creates a slightly everted angle for the user's palm. From an ergonomic point of view, the slightly everted design can relieve user fatigue. However, compared with V2 Pro, the design of V3 Pro will cause the center of the mouse to be off-center, which will have a more obvious impact on the hand feel.

Picture source: Lei Technology

V3 Pro on both sides of the mouse The changes are also a bit drastic: V3 Pro has eliminated the high-resistance anti-slip rubber side skirt design on both sides of the mouse, and the depression on the thumb side of the mouse has almost completely disappeared. Changes to the rubber side skirts and thumb grooves make the V3 Pro feel very similar to a "smooth hard soap". In addition, as mentioned before, the center of the mouse is offset. I believe that "slippery hands" will be disliked by many "old users". First reaction to V3 Pro.

In addition, V3 Pro also has obvious changes in weight: V2 Pro weighs 88g, while V3 Pro weighs only 63g (white version 64g). Among the non-"hole mouse" ranks, the V3 Pro, which has successfully slimmed down, can be said to have reached the threshold of lightweight mice.

But the question is, what is the “price” of V3 Pro’s successful weight loss?

First of all, V3 Pro made a "decision that goes against our ancestors" - as a Razer mouse, V3 Pro actually canceled the design of the Razer Logo RGB light. Replace it with a glossy print on the surface. In addition, V3 Pro also canceled the three-mode design of V2 Pro, retaining only two working modes of 2.4G and wired transmission. But what puzzles Xiaolei the most is that the V3 Pro has canceled the charging contact design at the bottom of the mouse and can only be charged through a wired connection.

Picture source: Lei Technology

Fortunately, Lei is on V3 Pro Snake has finally switched to USB-C charging, and the interface no longer has a limit buckle like the microUSB interface in the past to prevent users from using other brands of data cables. Many Razer mouse users around Xiao Lei hate Razer's interface buckle. In order to make the data cable universal, Xiao Lei even used an angle grinder to polish off the V2 Pro buckle. This switch to the truly universal USB-C interface is really the highlight moment of V3 Pro.

Picture source: Lei Technology

But for some unknown reason, V3 Pro actually canceled the receiver storage slot at the bottom of the mouse. Although V3 Pro supports HYPERSPEED one-to-two receiver technology, Razer is not even willing to open a hole on the bottom of V3 Pro to put the receiver, which is really hard for me to understand.

"Double high mouse" will be the short-term improvement direction

So equipped with various upgrades and "downgrades" V3 Pro, how does it perform in use? Here Xiaolei did a simple test on V3 Pro. The comparison mouse used in the test was the Razer Viper V2 Pro, and the test mouse pad was the Razer Flame Bug Hard Edition.

Image source: Ray Technology

In Focus Pro 30K sensor support me. Even without the help of the so-called "smooth assist", V3 Pro performs very well in four situations: high speed, low speed, acceleration, and deceleration. The lines are straight, the dots are even, and the subtle angle changes are retained. The performance of MouseTester is also excellent, smooth and without breakpoints from beginning to end.

##Picture source: Lei Technology

If you think the 1000Hz wheel If the polling rate is not enough, V3 Pro also supports HYPERPOLLING technology wireless polling rate. You must know that many brands of wired mice can only provide a polling rate of 2000Hz. The performance of V3 Pro can be said to have reached the forefront of the industry.

The picture on the left is V2 Pro, the picture on the right is V3 Pro

Picture source: Lei Technology

But maybe because Xiaolei has passed the age of becoming a rising e-sports star, the 4000Hz polling rate is of limited use to Xiaolei. Moreover, according to Xiaolei’s experience, some FPS games have limited support for ultra-high polling rates, and may even cause cursor freezes due to excessive refresh rates. Moreover, a higher polling rate not only imposes higher requirements on wireless interference, but also puts pressure on the battery life of the mouse.

#But for players, a higher polling rate can bring more accurate mouse operations. Considering that a gaming mouse is essentially an input device with precision and agility as its core, it is foreseeable that high polling rate combined with high refresh rate will become the development direction of gaming mice in the future.

Image source: Thunder Technology

And Razer Inferno Viper V3 Pro is a new generation gaming mouse after Razer announced its withdrawal from the market last year. In addition to being one of the masterpieces of the Focus Pro 30K era, it will also be the core product for Razer to return to the era of technology dominance. It is undeniable that the current price of 1,099 yuan of the Purgatory Viper V3 Pro is indeed a bit "out of touch with the masses", and there is still a lot of room for polishing in product details, but the Razer users who bought the Purgatory Viper V3 Pro at the true original price Angle, I am still optimistic about the prospects of Purgatory Viper V3 Pro. I believe that after the new mice begin to join the ranks of e-commerce discounts in the second half of the year, the Viper V3 Pro can rebuild Razer's past glory.

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