Razer DeathAdder V2 Review

The iconic shape of the DeathAdder line returns in the V2. The mouse is as comfortable to use as ever, at least for me. For context, I have moderate sized hands with long fingers. Those with smaller hands may struggle more with the design, so see if you can test one out before buying if you have smaller hands.

The new DeathAdder is also lighter than ever, weighing only 82 grams, which is 23 grams lighter than the last version of the Deathadder, the Deathadder Elite. While it is not the lightest option on the market, the new lighter weight is a notable improvement over past DeathAdders.

The new Deathadder features upgraded 100% PTFE mouse feet that provide a smooth and satisfying glide when moving this mouse around a surface. Honestly, the difference isn’t very noticeable, but PTFE is considered the best material for mice feet and should last a while without much wear.

One of the strongest selling points for this mouse is its incredible sensor. It features the top-of-the-line 20,000 DPI Razer Focus+ Optical Sensor that Razer claims has 99.6% resolution accuracy. The sensor was made in collaboration with Pixart, who is an industry leader in developing and implementing smart sensors. The smart sensor technology featured in the V2 helps this mouse calibrate itself to the mouse surface you are using automatically.

The Focus+ Optical Sensor also comes with Motion Sync technology, that matches your mouse’s sync rate with your PC’s sync rate, allowing for the most precise in game tracking. You can also add an Asymmetric Cut-Off value using the included software, which lets you decide the distance your mouse has to be from the surface before it starts tracking again. You can use this feature to limit the mouse-drift that is sometimes caused by lifting and placing your mouse down.

When it comes to actually clicking on things, the Razer Deathadder V2 uses Razer’s own Optical Switches that are rated for 70 million clicks. The Razer Optical Mouse Switches use an infrared light beam to detect when your click has been actuated, which gives these switches the fastest response time in the industry at .2 milliseconds.

There are eight programmable buttons in total on this mouse, as well as the two mouse switches and the DPI shifter. Eight buttons might not be enough for some game genres, but for most gamers eight customizable buttons should be plenty. There is even a convenient thumb switch that serves as a perfect DPI shifter, for those who like to use DPI shifters while playing FPS titles.

In addition to the relatively standard array of mouse buttons, the Deathadder V2 features an “Instinctive scroll wheel” that Razer claims are more precise for in-game tasks like scrolling through weapons. While they hype it up in their marketing materials, the scroll wheel is nothing special. In fact, in some ways, it’s worse than scroll wheels featured on other mice, since it doesn’t have tilt-scrolling.

Like most Razer products, the Deathadder V2 comes fully equipped with Razer Chroma RGB technology. Razer Chroma RGB is Razer’s lighting ecosystem for gaming devices. Using their free Razer Synapse 3 software, you can set a number of lighting effects and choose from 16.8 million possible colors for your mouse lighting. The technology also will let you since the Deathadder V2 with any other Razer products you might have.

The biggest downside to the DeathAdder form factor is that Razer is currently only selling a right-handed version of this mouse. So if you are looking for a left-handed mouse, you will, unfortunately, have to check out another product.

As mentioned earlier, the mouse is also too big for some folks who have smaller hands, so keep that in mind if that is a concern for you.

The DeathAdder V2 is without a doubt one of the best gaming mice. If you are in the market for a new top-tier gaming mouse, you will not be disappointed with this one.