The Razer Viper series is a much-acclaimed series of gaming mice and The Viper Mini gaming mouse is the latest in this series. This is a much more lightweight mouse, both in weight and the price tag it carries. In recent years, we have seen a significant boost in the number of features that a gaming mouse gives. Often times, these features end up adding more weight and size to the mouse. This ends up giving a lot of well-known companies cause to make lightweight mice for people who do not like the feel of a heavy mouse. Giving the same level of features in a much lighter mouse is the tricky part. This is the target that Razer attempts to achieve with the Viper Mini gaming mouse. Without further ado, let us take a closer look at the Viper Mini. This is a different and unique product in a few ways.
Design
The design of the mouse is not something new or unseen. In fact, it looks almost identical to the Viper. The shape and form factor of the Viper Mini is ambidextrous. The only thing that really stops it from being a completely ambidextrous gaming mouse is the extra side buttons present on the left side of the mouse. For right-handed people, these buttons fall comfortably under the thumb. For left-handed people, however, they will not feel quite right. There is no option to add buttons on the right side of the mouse to make this mouse completely ambidextrous. This has been marketed as an ambidextrous mouse, and to see it not be that because of this might be a bummer for some people. This could have been the ideal lightweight mouse for left-handed people if there had been more attention given to this small detail. Still, if you are willing to overlook the lack of buttons on the right side of the mouse, there is nothing else to stop it from being used by a left-handed person. As mentioned above, the Viper Mini is almost identical to the Viper gaming mouse. The name might have given it away that the Mini is a mouse of the same gaming mouse series. Hence, the identical design. It is all black in color. There is a sort of divider or line going across the mouse from one side to the other where the buttons of the mouse are separated from the palm rest. There are a total of six buttons on the mouse. The left and right-click buttons, the scroll wheel button, and there is another button below the scroll wheel. Then there are the two extra buttons on the left side of the mouse. The mouse sensitivity or DPI can be controlled via the button just beneath the scroll wheel and above one of the extra buttons. There is the Razer logo on display in the center of the palm rest area on the mouse. This positioning of the logo has been a consistent addition to nearly all of Razer mouse products. The RGB is present on the Razer logo as well as at the end of the mouse and underneath it. Razer continues to make products that have very acceptable levels of RGB, so you can look cool while gaming while also not going overkill on the lighting part. The Razer Viper Mini also comes with a braided cable for connectivity which is very similar to the paracord cables. Most of the top tier products these days have this sort of cable and it is a nice thing that Razer continues to give this out even in its lower-priced products.
Features & Razer Synapse 3
These days in the gaming products category everything has RGB, from mouse and keyboards to CPU casings or internal parts. Heck, even mouse pads have RGB nowadays. It has become an unspoken norm that gaming equipment must have RGB. It is expected that a company with the popularity of Razer will definitely include this now very common aesthetic value feature. There are a total of two RGB zones in the Razer Viper Mini gaming mouse. The Razer logo on the palm rest, and below the mouse, there are RGB lightings. You can choose what type of RGB mode or color combination you want these to display or even set up your own RGB lighting styles. All this can be done via the Razer Synapse 3 app. The RGB is even more impressive when you look at the low cost of the Viper Mini. Then there are the programmable buttons. You can program the extra buttons on the mouse via the Razer Synapse 3 app and set up an onboard memory profile. There is only a single onboard memory profile. This can be a cause of annoyance for people who play more than one type of game since you cannot set up different controls for different games. Then there is the fact that many mice nowadays allow for multiple onboard memory profiles. So, if you have been using such a mouse you will need to adjust to the single onboard memory profile that is available to this mouse. The Razer Viper Mini gaming mouse is an extremely lightweight gaming mouse. It is also rather small in size. This lightweight quality gives the Viper Mini an edge over other larger mice in easier maneuverability across the mouse pad. This easier maneuvering can result in you getting that millisecond advantage which results in so many clutch plays during an intense game. Although most players move a heavier mouse just as easily, some will be able to appreciate and put the Viper Mini’s lightweight to good use. Razer has opted to go with an optical mouse switch. This is basically a light beam that registers clicks faster than the physical click sensors. There is a noticeably lesser delay between the clicks of an optical sensor mouse switch and a physical sensor switch. Razer claims to have a state of the art 0.2 millisecond click response time. The optical sensor switch does not register unintended clicks which give you the ability to have greater control and near-perfect execution during the game. The wire of the Viper Mini is of a soft braid fashion. This cable is quite flexible and easily moveable to allow for smooth movement rather than getting stuck on the mouse pad. The feet of the mouse is made of PFTE. PFTE is water-resistant, highly flexible, and causes a low amount of friction. This low friction gives the mouse an even smoother movement to go along with its low weight. This is a strictly low sized mouse. It is specifically made for people with small to medium-sized hands. Any large-handed person will have a hard time adjusting to this mouse or maneuvering it to their liking. This is a very modestly priced gaming mouse. While it will definitely be lacking in features as compared to the more expensive and high-end gaming mouse, it easily holds its own versus a similarly priced product. Razer has also offered a two-year-long warranty time period for the Viper Mini gaming mouse.
Performance
The Razer Viper Mini gaming mouse is the lightest gaming mouse made by Razer. As such, it is quite easy to maneuver around a mouse pad. The movement feels smooth and unobstructed. The Viper Mini gives a decent level of performance on all types of games. There are certainly better options to go for if you have the budget for it, but if you are on a tight budget then the Viper Mini is a very good option. There are, however, better performing gaming mouse in a similar price range, such as the SteelSeries Rival 3 or the Corsair Harpoon for wireless lovers.
When it comes to performance the app is an essential part of it. Since it is through the app that you make adjustments and settings to your gaming mouse. The Razer Synapse 3 app is a very smooth functioning app. The initial setup can be a little tricky but once you are through that it becomes quite easy to operate. You can setup RGB settings to your liking, assign specific commands to the programmable buttons, and set up a profile for specific controls and RGB settings if you so desire. All this is done through the Synapse 3 app.
Who is the Razer Viper Mini for?
The Razer Viper Mini is a top quality product indeed, that was to be expected from Razer. The product, however, is not meant for all-round use and purpose. This is a small mouse and a lightweight mouse as well. If you are the kind of person who wants a heavier mouse or a mouse where you can have the option to adjust weight, this might not be the right fit for you. This mouse will also be an issue for people with larger hands as it is a small mouse. These although, might not be flaws as the mouse was specifically built for the purpose of being small and portable to a degree.
The mouse is perfect for all kinds of gaming use. You can use it for casual or intense gaming, really does not matter too much. Just keep in mind that it is a smaller and lighter mouse than you normally find in the gaming market. Its size makes it manageable in travels and it’s ambidextrous nature makes it a considerable choice for left-handed people as well as righties.
Conclusion
The selling point of the Razer Viper Mini gaming mouse is its extreme light weightiness and small size. This is one of the lightest and easiest to maneuver a gaming mouse in the market. While Razer has made this mouse remarkably lightweight, they have had to sacrifice some of the features of the Viper to do so. Still, the Viper Mini gaming mouse does provide you with some programmable buttons though not many. The RGB lighting is very good looking and neatly done. There is only the one onboard memory profile though. This gaming mouse has been shaped like an ambidextrous gaming mouse, but an oversight seems to have denied it the ambidextrousness that was intended with this model. Despite its tiny flaws, this is a solid piece of equipment. It is not prone to break easily. Razer has added a nice warranty and the very affordable price of the Viper Mini gaming mouse is very compelling. This is a really nice gaming mouse for low budget gaming enthusiasts. All in all, the Viper Mini gives a close competition to nearly all low budget gaming mouse in the market.
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