I can honestly say that we at Amanz rarely review gaming accessories even though we report a lot about them from time to time. Recently, we were given the opportunity to test one of the latest gaming mice by Razer, the Razer Viper V4 Pro which was specially developed for use by e-sports athletes who usually play games such as DoTA 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Valorant, Apex Legends and so on.
We are not professional e-sports athletes, but when given the opportunity to try this elite gaming accessory, it was like an invitation that was hard to refuse. This is our experience and opinion about this athlete gaming mouse.
Specifications And Design
If you go to the Razer Viper V4 Pro product website, you will see many specifications and technical explanations about what makes this mouse the choice of many prominent e-sports athletes such as Faker and Zellsis, both of whom are the best players in two different games in different genres.
The ergonomic and comfortable design of this mouse for various types of grips (palm, claw, fingertip) made me realize that before all the various types of technology loaded into a mouse, comfort of use is the main pillar of whether a mouse is worth buying and using or not, especially for a long period of time, regardless of work or leisure.
I will also say that the ergonomic design shown on the Viper V4 Pro mouse is not something new, but they have at least chosen a mouse design that in my opinion is the most comfortable to use by people, and for a long period of time.
Like many mice on the market, it also comes with four buttons (two on the top, two on the side) and a scroll wheel which is commonly shown on most mice on the market. In fact, the 50g weight listed for the weight of this mouse is also not something new. Other brands like Logitech, Glorious and others also offer very lightweight gaming mice, but it's what's inside this mouse that makes it worth using for e-sports athletes.
The Razer Viper V4 Pro also comes with a HyperSpeed Wireless WiFi transmitter accessory that must be used with this mouse, as it does not have support for Bluetooth wireless connections, and this means that this mouse can only be used either via a WiFi transmitter tethering or a USB cable connection.
This means that if you lose the HyperSpeed Wireless transmitter accessory, you will have to find a new transmitter to use this mouse's wireless connection.
Apart from the WiFi transmitter, this accessory also comes with three LED lights that can be customized to show the status of various aspects of the mouse, including connection quality, battery level, DPI level, data pattern level to the mouse and so on.
Razer Synapse Software
If you've been in the Razer accessory ecosystem before, you're probably familiar with the Razer Synapse software, which is a software used to update the driver software for Razer accessories, and where various types of changes and customizations can be made easily.
If you just want to use this mouse as is, there's no need for you to install this software, but if you want to customize this mouse to your own usage and gaming patterns, the Synapse software is a must-have on your computer.
With Razer Synapse, you can assign the buttons on this mouse to do whatever you want. An interesting function is the Razer Hypershift, where you can assign one button on the mouse to activate Hypershift mode where you can activate another set of virtual buttons that come with different functions from the first set of buttons.
DPI sensitivity can also be set with different profiles for different uses and games, and as many as five different DPI profiles can be set. To change profiles, the power button on the bottom of the mouse can also be used as a button to change the DPI profile.
Razer Synapse can also be used to change the mouse's power settings to determine how long it takes for the mouse to deactivate when not in use, and also when battery saving mode should be activated.
You can also adjust the sensitivity of the mouse sensor depending on the type of mouse pad you’re using. Razer Malaysia also sent two very different mouse pads to test this mouse, including the Razer Gigantus V2 Pro and the Razer Atlas Pro.
Firmware updates can also be done through the Synapse software. But as we said, if you just want to use the Viper V4 Pro mouse straight out of the box, you just need to plug the USB WiFi transmitter into your computer’s USB port, turn on the mouse, and just use it.
User Experience
One thing I really like about the Razer Viper V4 Pro mouse is its ergonomic design that is comfortable to use whether for regular typing or gaming. I will say that the shape is not that different from my Logitech G Pro X Superlight mouse, but this is part of the reason why I actually like using this mouse.
So the fact that it looks similar to some other mice is not a big issue for me because at the end of the day, user comfort is a very important aspect of using accessories like this.
Next is the use of a USB Type-C plug to charge this mouse. This may be a bit of a joke, but the mouse I am currently using uses a Micro-USB plug to charge the battery, and using a USB Type-C cable for me not only allows the mouse to charge faster, but reduces the need for different cables since all the hardware and electronic devices now use that cable for charging.
Speaking of battery life too, the Razer Viper V4 promises 180 hours of battery life on a full charge, equivalent to 7.5 days of continuous use. To extend the battery life of this mouse, you can use the Razer Synapse software to set the time before the mouse turns off when not in use, as well as the battery percentage to activate Low Power mode to extend the mouse's usage time.
The PTE layer under the mouse surface is quite comfortable to use on various surfaces, but when paired with a mouse pad, especially a Razer mouse pad, your gaming experience will change, and the fit will depend on your own comfort.
As I said before, Razer sent the Razer Gigantus V2 Pro and Razer Atlas Pro mouse pads to test this mouse, and this is my experience using the Razer Viper V4 Pro with both of these mouse pads.
Razer Gigantus V2 Pro
The Razer Gigantus V2 Pro mouse pad is a mouse pad with a cloth surface and a rubber pad underneath that is very comfortable but still provides a smooth enough surface for a smooth gaming experience. Its large size also allows this mouse pad to be used as a mat for your keyboard, making it also suitable as a desk pad for your gaming accessories.
With this mouse pad, comfort is the main factor in its use for casual gaming purposes and does not require such high concentration, such as single-player games. The cloth surface also allows the mouse to move silently, which is a significant difference when comparing this mouse pad to the Atlas Pro.
Razer Atlas Pro
The Razer Atlas Pro is a mouse pad that uses glass sheets as its surface, and comes with a very thin design. This tempered glass surface allows the Razer Viper V4 Pro mouse to be used as a smooth and precise weapon in games that require high agility and fast reactions.
If you modify the DPI settings and movements on the mouse pad surface through Razer Synapse, the combination of this mouse and the Razer Atlas Pro mouse pad will give you an immersive gaming experience. However, for me, one very noticeable drawback when using this mouse pad is that the PTE base on this mouse will produce a loud scratching sound that is unpleasant to hear.
In fact, this sound is loud enough for me to worry if the PTE surface on the mouse pad or the glass surface will come with scratches if I use this combination for a long time.
What's in the Box?
This is what comes in the box when you buy the Razer Viper V4 Pro mouse:
1x Razer Viper V4 Pro mouse
1x WiFi transmitter
1x Razer user manual
Conclusion
At a price tag of RM769, the Razer Viper V4 Pro gaming mouse is a premium accessory that will only be fully utilized by those who play serious e-sports games, or those who like to optimize the input for all the computer games they play.
However, the reliance on the HyperSpeed Wireless transmitter and the lack of Bluetooth connectivity are some of the negative aspects that are difficult to ignore at this price tag.
There is no denying that this mouse is very comfortable to use for a variety of purposes, and every click on all the buttons of this mouse produces immediate input, no matter what it is used for. The comprehensive software support is also one of the best around, and the hardware and software are constantly receiving support updates for the latest popular games.
Pros:
Ergonomic, lightweight and comfortable mouse design
Undeniable gaming performance
Long battery life and fast charging
Deep customization features
Cons:
Excessive selling price
Wireless connection support is limited to HyperSpeed
