When Razer reached out and said that they were releasing a new Viper, this wasn’t what I had in mind. Fans of the triple-headed snake brand have been begging for a Viper mini wireless for a long time at this point, and the Viper V2 Pro debuted in May of 2022. But instead of going small and light, today Razer is releasing the Viper V3 Hyperspeed. With a redesigned shell, up to 4000Hz wireless polling (with the Razer.com exclusive wireless dongle), weighing in at 82 grams thanks to its AA battery, and priced at $69.99, Razer is pushing that this is an upgrade for the pro and aspiring pro players. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
Viper V3 Hyperspeed: Design
To me, the most significant thing here is the new shape of the mouse. Razer has made the hump a bit higher and also pushed it a bit further back. It is still aimed at claw and fingertip grip styles, but this shape makes it easier to fit into my hand.
As a Deathadder V3 Pro user, I like to have a bit of my palm in contact with the mouse – that’s the allure of an ergonomic-shaped mouse. On mice like the Viper V2 Pro and Logitech’s latest G Pro X Superlight 2, my grip shifts into more of a fingertip style when playing games where my palm isn’t touching the rear of the mouse.
With the new shape of the Viper V3 Hyperspeed, though, I found the mouse more comfortable with a bit more contact in the palm of my hand. It’s not a huge change but it is moving in the right direction in my opinion.
For dimensions, we are looking at 127.1 mm long, 63.9 mm wide, and 39.9 mm tall.
Additional updates to the shape include ledges on the sides of the mouse 1 and 2 buttons to prevent finger pinching, flatter sidewalls, pronounced finger grooves for a better trip, and an updated side button design.
The finger ledge on the sides of the mouse 1 and 2 buttons results in what I think is the least wobble I have ever seen in a mouse 1 and 2 press.
For the side buttons, both buttons are larger and the front button has been pushed a bit further forward giving more of a gap between both of the side buttons.
All of these tweaks come together for a great-feeling mouse. I love the new shell shape, the main buttons feel solid with no wobble, and the side buttons are easier to actuate. I love the direction that Razer is going here.
Another small update is the DPI button between M1 and M2, which can also be customized to a different input. On the bottom, we only find a power switch.
Viper V3 Hyperspeed: Video
AA battery
Beyond design, the other major thing to note is the use of an AA battery (included in the box) instead of a rechargeable battery. Sure, that gives the mouse a crazy 280 hours on 1K Hz polling or 75 hours on 4K wireless but it means that you have to physically swap a battery when it runs out.
Maybe this is a good thing for the pro who doesn’t want any downtime and is willing to keep a supply of AA batteries near at hand but for me personally, I’d rather see something internal and rechargeable.
Besides not needing to swap a battery, another reason is that the AA battery takes the weight of the mouse from 59g up to 82g. Granted in the long history of mice 82g isn’t heavy but with many “pro” fps-focused mice coming out between 60-65g like the Deathadder V3 Pro at 63g, it’s on the heavier side.
I’m also surprised they didn’t take the battery design of the Orochi V2 and make it compatible with AA and AAA batteries. My only guess is that this would upset the balanced design but that could save some serious weight. Or maybe they just want to push buyers toward a theoretical V3 Pro when that inevitably hits the market.
And since it uses an AA battery, there is no USB-C port to use this wired. If that battery dies and you don’t have a spare, the mouse is dead in the water.
Viper V3 Hyperspeed: Internal hardware updates
Beyond a new shape and battery choice, Razer has put its latest sensor the Focus Pro 30K optical with up to 30K DPI, 750 IPS max speed, and 70G max acceleration. I don’t have any complaints here as it feels snappy and works on a wide variety of surfaces including glass at least 4 mm thick.
Additionally, through Synapse, you can tweak mouse mat surface calibration with asymmetric lift-off and landing distances as well as set individual sensitivity levels for X and Y axes.
This sensor tops out at 1K polling by default but if you pick up the optional Hyperpolling Wireless Dongle, that can go up to 4K polling. By itself, the dongle is priced at $30 but Razer will be selling a bundle with the Viper V3 Hyperspeed for $85.
That may be one big selling point here. If you want to get into 4K polling and want it wireless, $85 brand new from a reputable brand could be enticing. While I don’t think most people will really notice the difference of 4K polling, third-party tests from people like Optimum Tech have shown that this sensor at higher polling rates has some of the lowest input latency of any wireless gaming mouse.
For the switches, Razer is using Gen-2 mechanical switches. While not the latest Gen-3 optical switches from the Viper V2 Pro and Deathadder V3 Pro, they feel and sound nearly identical to the Viper V2 Pro. There is a tiny bit of pre-travel with barely any post-travel. Clicks are light and snappy. While I don’t have any figures for click latency, they feel great while gaming.
Scroll wheel
Quickly touching on the scroll wheel, it feels very similar to the Viper V2 Pro – it’s fine. It is maybe a bit more muted with less of a tactile bump, but it largely feels the same.
Viper V3 Hyperspeed: Build Quality
Overall the Viper V3 Hyperspeed feels solid, but there is occasionally a kind of loose rattle when I pick up and place the mouse back down. I don’t know what exactly is causing this noise but I would guess it’s something to do with the battery or battery door. Due to that rattle, the Viper V3 Hyperspeed doesn’t necessarily match the “pro” feel of Razer’s higher-end mice. It’s more of a Glorious “Pro” feel if you know what I mean.
9to5Toys’ Take
While the Viper V3 Hyperspeed might not be for me, I like where it’s headed. I love the new refined shape that Razer implemented with this 3rd generation of the Viper. But, I would prefer to wait for a “Pro” model that keeps this awesome new shape and ditches some weight to get it at least where the Viper V2 Pro tipped the scales at 58g. How long will we have to wait for that? Hopefully not long but you can expect it to cost a pretty penny – I would guess at least on par with the other $150 Razer “Pro” mice. Will Razer also shrink this shape into a mini V3 wireless? We’ll have to wait and see.
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