Razer DeathAdder V2 review

With the DeathAdder V2, you'll have everything you need for a top-notch gaming setup. You'll be the envy of any streamer if you pair it with the top gaming keyboards, chairs, monitors, and headphones.

Let me just say that the DeathAdder was one of the greatest gaming mouse ever, and this new version is much better. For a price, Razer's software and technology come together in the V2 to create something genuinely special.

Razer Deathadder V2 Review: Design and Setup

Even though it shares a lot of design cues with the Razer DeathAdder V1, the Razer DeathAdder V2 is nonetheless an improvement. Clean lines and pleasing curves are the hallmarks of this design. The rubber grips on the side of the mouse are simple but effective since they are recessed to accommodate your fingertips and flare out to give you plenty of room. Razer is very pleased of the ergonomics at work here, and that's understandable based on my personal experience.

The 82g weight makes it appear larger than it actually is, but that's just an optical illusion. The HyperX Pulsefire has a similar footprint, but it isn't quite as tall. The V2's front end has been widened and its shell has been elevated, giving it a more imposing appearance.

The DeathAdder V2's LEDs are razor-sharp to complete the look. Wheel and logo on the shell both look fantastic thanks to Razer Chroma and Razer Synapse customization. Something about this mouse's illumination feels more crisp than any other I've used before. A braided cable called Speedflex is used.

Synapse allows you to customise the layout of its eight buttons to your liking. Those are your primary buttons; there are two on either side of them, as well as two DPI buttons underneath the scroll wheel, and a profile switch on the bottom of the mouse lets you switch between up to five distinct profiles.

Plugging in the mouse starts the Synapse installation automatically. There are a lot of options to pick from on your initial install, but not all of them are appropriate and I feel like that might have been made clearer in the instructions.

Razer Deathadder V2review: Performance and Features

This is where Razer Synapse comes in, and it's nearly too much. Although it's not just a piece of software for controlling your DeathAdder V2, it's also a piece of hardware for connecting to and controlling all of your Razer devices. When I accidentally clicked the wrong button, it took me five minutes to figure out how to re-adjust the lights.

However, you may configure the buttons in any way you wish and store up to five different profiles in the mouse's on-board memory. DPI, polling rate, illumination, and tracking are all programmable options.

I'm not sure whether I'll ever be able to take full advantage of the mouse's functionality, like most of Razer's mice. The Focus+ sensor's 2000 DPI is impractical to me, but it will enthral the most dedicated photographers. It also has a polling rate of 1000 Hz and a maximum speed and acceleration of 650 IPS and 50g, respectively.

In Razer's marketing materials, they claim that its optical mouse switch has a response time of only 0.2 milliseconds. The DeathAdder V2 is fast, but I can't tell you how fast because I don't have the ability to measure time. The V2 provided me with two distinct user experiences. To play games, it was fantastic; in a variety of genres, but I believe its biggest power is FPS gameplay. Throughout, it was quite comfortable.

However, browsing and working on a daily basis can be a bit of a pain. For shooting down some hallway, the shell has a coarseness to it that is fantastic for keeping your hand in place, but with slower and more frequent use, I never really got used to it.

Razer Deathadder V2 Review: Price and Verdict

It's not cheap, at $79.99/£79.99, but the Razer DeathAdder V2 is the best Razer mouse you can purchase under $100. It's also the best mouse you'll find anyplace else for that price. As a mid-range mouse from Razer, this one feels like something for professionals due to the company's obsession with over-engineering in all of its mice.

Actually, I can't guarantee you'll be disappointed with the DeathAdder V2. It's fantastic, however you can get a better mouse for less money. Whether or not you require some of these statistics is a matter you must answer for yourself. Don't be afraid to go for it and get the 0.2ms response time or 20000 DPI if you really need it. It's an excellent mouse for gaming, but I don't like the coarse shell, so I wouldn't recommend it for everyday usage.