Razer
Mice for MMO games have a special appeal. These button-laden peripherals are intended to make laying down combos in games a breeze. But their high programmability gives them great potential for much more, including heavy-duty productivity. One of the most popular MMO mice, the Razer Naga series, received an update on Thursday. Offering up to 20 customizable buttons is still the Naga’s main prize, but Razer has also made the scroll wheel much more interesting.
The Razer Naga V2 Pro is similar to the wired Razer Naga X since it comes with three side plates, granting the bank of inputs by the thumb with two, six, or 12 programmable buttons.
Razer
Combined with other buttons on the mouse, like the scroll wheel and button south of that, there are 22 programmable inputs total—you just have to download Razer’s Synapse app to make the most of them.
Choose your own scroll wheel feel
The scroll wheel on Razer’s new mouse appears to take customization to a new level. Razer says it has six different modes. Those modes, Razer’s announcement said, include: Standard “for more typical in-game selections”; Distinct “for easy, definitive scrolling”; Ultrafine “for the highest number of inputs”; Adaptive Scrolling “to give less resistance the faster the wheel is scrolled”; and Free Scrolling “for always-on accelerated scrolling.”
The latter two sound similar to the two scroll wheel feels offered in the Logitech MX Master 3S and 3, which is the most premium-feeling scroll wheel I’ve used. I’ve seen this Logitech MagSpeed wheel imitated but never executed as successfully. The Razer Pro Click Mini, for example, also lets you scroll smoothly or notch by notch, but it feels rattly and is loud.
Razer
Razer’s new scroll wheel, the HyperScroll Pro Wheel, also has a Custom Mode, where you can use Synapse to tweak “the scroll tension, number of steps, and customize the force curve between steps, setting everything from a smooth, free spinning wheel through to a positive step wheel with as few as eight distinct steps, or take it all the way to 96 steps—and then adjust how the tick between each step feels,” Razer’s announcement said.
If done well, the Naga V2 Pro could have one of the most personal scroll wheel experiences available. But we’ll hold off on any applause until we see this working without annoying rattling noises or inconsistent behavior. Software dependence can also be a turn-off to some users, from those using multiple devices to those not wanting to dedicate computing resources to a mouse app. You can toggle between scroll wheel feels on Logitech’s MX Master 3S and 3 out of the box by simply pushing a button on the mouse; no software is necessary.
Beefy specs (and price)
Beyond the button layout and advanced scroll wheel, Razer equipped the Naga V2 Pro with all the latest and trendiest specs of a great PC mouse. Razer is a gaming brand, so most of those are around improving gaming potential.
That includes Razer’s Pro 30K optical sensor, found in many of Razer’s $100-plus mice. It’s specced for up to 30,000 counts per inch, 750 inches per second max velocity, and a max acceleration of 70 g. All three of those are among the highest specs you can find in a mouse today.
Considering Razer’s Naga series has been one of the most well-known MMO mice since it came out in 2009, it’s interesting to see Razer discover new ways to modernize it enough to warrant a new product. Of course, it’s up to customers to decide if these flashy new features are worth the investment.
The Naga V2 Pro X has a $180 MSRP. For a cheaper, still-wireless alternative, Razer also announced the AA battery-powered Naga V2 HyperSpeed on Thursday for $100.
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