Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro gaming wireless mouse review / Overclockers.ua

After the race of sensors hit its ceiling of practicality, more precisely, so good sensors appeared that their further improvement is almost not felt even by professional users, manufacturers remembered the problems of wireless game controllers. Their performance, latencies and battery life are still far from ideal. What is not the widest field for the activities of engineers and marketers?

As we mentioned earlier, Logitech holds the palm in wireless gaming mice. But Razer has almost caught up with it, thanks to new cost-effective and high-performance sensors developed in close collaboration with PixArt. And the mouse we’ll be introducing today represents another sure step forward, both for the company and for the industry as a whole.

The Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro is a wireless version of the excellent DeathAdder V2 mouse that retains its cable capability and adds a long-lasting battery and the ability to use via Bluetooth or via a 2.4GHz adapter with Razer Hyperspeed technology. And now about everything in detail.

Specifications

Contents of delivery

The mouse comes in typical Razer packaging. Black and green colors, beautiful printing and a detailed listing of all the advantages of the device.

An interesting feature of the packaging of the mouse is the way of opening its outer cover – in the manner of origami, you just need to remove the retaining sticker and slightly pull the top of the cover. Inside is a more traditional brown cardboard box.

The package includes a mouse, instructions for use, a charging cable, an adapter from Micro-USB to standard Type A, a miniature receiver, a sticker, a greeting sheet from the CEO and a fabric case.

Appearance

The Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro largely retains the shape of its predecessor, the wired V2. And in general, it is the ergonomic shape of the DeathAdder that is defining for this series and has not undergone significant changes since the debut of these mice in 2006. The one-piece top panel has a pleasant, slightly rough to the touch coating of practical matte black plastic. It is very resistant to pollution. The LMB and RMB keys are pressed with a force below average and emit a muffled click of an average volume level. They have no free play, there is a slight horizontal play. The buttons are branded Razer optical switches with a MTBF of 70 million clicks. They are a source of special pride for the company, because due to the physical absence of contact bounce, the response time was reduced to 0.2 ms (at least according to their own statements). Small square buttons for changing the resolution are located on a glossy insert behind the scroll wheel. They work easily, but firmly and with a deaf click. The button under the scroll wheel is tight and has a dull activation sound.

The main difference between the wireless version of DeathAdder V2 and the wired version on the left sidewall is that it is now fully rubberized and has an interesting look and feel to the microtexture. The shape of the two side buttons remained unchanged. They have a small margin of free play, the operation occurs with an average effort and a dry click.

There is a Micro-USB charging port on the front of the mouse in the bottom middle. It is recessed deep into the case just enough to make it impossible to connect a non-original cable. The rubberized scroll wheel is covered with small tactile notches arranged eight in a row. It rotates quietly, clearly working out all fixation positions.

The right sidewall is now also completely rubberized.

On the back of the mouse, there is a single RGB lighting zone under the Razer logo.

On the base, the mouse received new rounded legs made of pure white Teflon. Now there are two in the front and one in the back. Plus one more around the sensor hole. The sensor used is a PixArt PMW3399 with the marketing name Razer Focus+. This is followed by landing contacts for the Razer Mouse Dock, which will have to be purchased separately. Along the left side there is a color indicator of the current profile, a profile switch and a slider for switching operating and power modes. In the central position of the slider, the mouse is turned off (but can work via cable). Moving forward turns on Bluetooth, and moving it back, the mouse switches to work through a 2.4 GHz receiver. The pocket for the receiver is located near the right side. There are no magnets in it, the device is held by a regular snap-on translucent cover.

The dimensions of the microreceiver are 12x19x5 mm. It supports Razer HyperSpeed ​​Wireless technology, which, according to the manufacturer, is 25% faster than any other existing communication protocol. In fact, this is another variation on the theme of “adaptive frequency”, when the system is constantly looking for the most interference-free wireless channel. And it also allows you to spend less energy, thus extending the autonomy of the device.

Razer Speedflex is used here as a detachable cord – very soft and pliable, with a nylon braid. The length of the wire is 1.8 meters. On the one hand, it has a Micro-USB connector, and on the other, a regular USB type A. The kit includes a rubber tie, a dust cap and an adapter for connecting the receiver.

Adapter dimensions are 41x23x20 mm. Its lower part is rubberized, but the light weight still does not allow it to hold onto the surface tightly. The adapter allows you to place the receiver as close to the mouse as possible, thereby improving communication. And if recharging is required, the cable is easily removed from the adapter and connected to the mouse.

The mouse has an ideal ergonomic shape with a bend for the right hand. The large case will suit the owners of medium and large palms in the finger or palm grip. The mouse weighs 88 grams excluding cable and is well balanced along the axes of symmetry. The main part of the mass is concentrated in the central part of the body.

The mouse has a single RGB lighting zone on the stern. A very correct solution in terms of battery saving. The LED is able to show the correct white color.

Software

The Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro uses the Razer Synapse 3 Universal Driver (current version 3.5.1130.111812) as software. The driver is installed with the Razer Central user account control program and branded applications. Synapse starts through it. The software is updated both automatically and forcibly.

The Synapse 3 start screen has a “modular” program layout structure. The new version of the program has a guest mode (without the need to register an account) and the ability to refuse to download extra modules, such as the Chroma visual effects studio or the macro editor. The developer feedback form, warranty form, information about supported devices, a link to the Razer store, and a link to the proprietary Razer Gold & Silver currency system have remained in place. All modules that are not simple links are duplicated in the usual list of menus in the upper left corner of the application window. In the upper right corner there is access to the current user account.

On the mouse buttons settings tab, it is possible to reassign any commands for eight keys and two scroll directions. The full list of available commands is indicated on the drop-down tab on the left. In addition, you can assign additional functions to the Hypershift mode, in which, when a certain key is pressed and the mode is activated, the functions of all buttons change to an alternative set of commands. The tab for selecting and linking a profile is located at the top center. To the right of it there is an icon for accessing the built-in memory, which expands a tab with five onboard profiles. An indicator of the current battery level hangs in the upper right corner.

In the “efficiency” settings, the sensor resolution is adjusted in the range from 100 to 20,000 cpi in increments of 50 units. Separate adjustment of the horizontal and vertical axes is also possible. You can set five separate sensitivity levels, or leave only one level (disabling the corresponding slider). There are three polling rates to choose from: 125, 500 or 1000 Hz. There is also a direct link to a standard program for basic Windows mouse settings.

In the basic settings of the mouse backlight, there is the ability to adjust the brightness (ranging from 0 to 100%). There is a slider that allows you to turn off the backlight completely. You can set the time for the backlight to turn off when the screen turns off or when the mouse is idle, from 1 to 15 minutes. In quick effects, you can choose five options: dynamic lighting, breathing, volume indication, static or cyclic change of the spectrum. Color and effect settings are selected separately, with different options depending on the current mode. Effects can be synchronized for other devices that support Chroma lighting. For more complex settings, you need to click on the “advanced effects” tab and go to the Chroma Studio editor, installed as a separate module.

In the calibration section of the sensor lift-off height there is smart tracking, which assumes a fixed lift-off height to choose from in the range from 1 to 3 mm. You can also separately set the landing height of the sensor, which will be 1 or 2 mm less than the liftoff height. Alternatively, a Razer branded mat is selected from the list, where the option to manually adjust the tear-off height will also appear in the range from 1 to 10 units.

There are two options available in the power management section. The first is the idle sleep time, which can be set from 1 to 15 minutes. It is possible to adjust the percentage of battery charge at which the mouse will begin to save it intensively. In the range from 0 to 100%.

A convenient macro editor allows you to record all commands from the mouse and keyboard, including the direction of the scroll wheel and the trajectory of the cursor. Delays are recorded as is or at certain preset values. All macros can be renamed, deleted, imported, exported and copied. Here you can directly bind them to the desired key by setting the parameters and playback conditions.

Ergonomics and testing

The Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro was tested on a plain black Mionix Alioth M cloth mousepad. The receiver was positioned up to 30 cm away from the device in a line-of-sight area. This mouse is a perfect fit for my hand. I think that all other right-handers and owners of medium and large hands DeathAdder V2 Pro will fit perfectly in the finger and palm grip. Of the claims to the body, a slight creaking can be noted with strong compression on the sides. Otherwise, everything is done perfectly – excellent coverage of the top panel, tenacious sidewalls, light and well-distributed weight. All mouse buttons, both primary and secondary, also work well. The scroll wheel is made generally close to ideal – quiet, precise and very tactile, without the slightest backlash. The legs glide with virtually no inertia. The soft cable allows you to use the mouse while charging without a holder. At the same time, the feeling that it is still wireless remains.

The primary mode of operation for the DeathAdder V2 Pro is wireless via a 2.4GHz receiver. And the mouse copes with it perfectly. The transition between sleep and activity modes is not felt, the sensor is activated almost instantly, so the power saving slider can be set for 1 minute when idle – this will not interfere with games at all. Delays, lags or braking in the process of use were not noticed even once in two weeks of use. Everything is fine with energy consumption. Officially declared up to 70 hours of autonomy of the built-in battery (up to 120 when working via Bluetooth). And, in principle, this is confirmed in practice. After 14 days of average intensity use (up to 5 hours a day) without backlighting, the charge level did not sink below the 30% mark. That is, with constant use of the mouse, you will have to charge it no more than twice a month, and this is an excellent indicator for a gaming device. Full charging by wire takes from 2 to 2.5 hours.

There are no problems in using the cable either. It is enough to plug the cord into the mouse, and it is instantly detected in the system. You can continue to use it without switching the power slider, charging goes on as usual.

When working via Bluetooth, the DeathAdder V2 Pro ceases to be a “gaming” mouse, because it loses polling frequency (it drops to 125 Hz), the response speed drops, and there is no way to play macros from the onboard memory. And although the mouse becomes an office mouse, its autonomy increases. To connect via Bluetooth, you need to move the power slider to the appropriate position and hold down the two side buttons and the front resolution switch key for three seconds. Then find the mouse in the list of detected devices and connect it. All subsequent connections will be made automatically.

The mouse has five side profiles, which are switched by a key on the base (by default). The Razer software provides extensive customization options and has become more stable and simple over the years.

The mouse has a Razer Focus + proprietary sensor, which is PixArt. PMW3399 – Refined for the best wireless experience. The capabilities of the family of these sensors have long gone beyond human abilities and needs. The maximum resolution is 20,000 cpi, and the maximum speed reaches 16.51 meters per second. The only real new feature is the adjustment of the lift-off and landing height of the sensor on the surface separately, not counting the reduced power consumption. Otherwise, everything is fine and this sensor works perfectly at all speeds and surfaces. Anti-aliasing can increase as resolution increases. Performance figures do not differ between wired and wireless mode.

Results

The Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro is a top-of-the-line wireless mouse from a well-known manufacturer that has many advantages and almost no drawbacks. It has a great shape, light and well-distributed weight, comfortable top panel coverage and grippy sidewalls. Under the main buttons are hardy optical switches with a minimum response time. The scroll wheel is also very well done. Plus pure Teflon feet and a very soft lacing cable. But the main advantage of the device is a magnificent in its capabilities and cost-effective sensor in combination with an advanced wireless transmitter, thanks to which the mouse does not differ from the wired analogue in its speed and accuracy. And support for the Bluetooth protocol allows you to use the mouse with mobile devices not only for games, but also for more everyday activities. The DeathAdder V2 Pro has a battery life of two weeks without a charge.

Of the shortcomings noted, it is worth noting that the case creaks when the device is strongly squeezed. And a very high retail price, however, typical for all Razer products.

If you’re looking for an all-around gaming wireless mouse with an ergonomic shape and the best sensor, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro is one of the best deals available on the market today.