MMO mice have a special appeal. These button peripherals are designed to make it easier to create combos in games. But their high programmability gives them great potential for much more, including performance in harsh environments. 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 top prize, but Razer has also made the scroll wheel a lot more interesting.
The Razer Naga V2 Pro is similar to the wired Razer Naga X, as it features three side panels, providing a bank of thumb inputs with two, six, or 12 programmable buttons.
Combined with other mouse buttons like the scroll wheel and the button to the south of it, there are a total of 22 programmable inputs – you just need to download the Razer Synapse app to make the most of them.
Choose your own scroll wheel feel
The scroll wheel on the new Razer mouse seems to take customization to the next level. Razer says it has six different modes. Razer said in a statement that these modes include: standard “for more typical gaming options”; Distinctive “for easy, ultimate scrolling”; Ultrafine “for the most inputs”; Adaptive scrolling “to offer less drag the faster the wheel spins”; and Free Scrolling “for constant accelerated scrolling”.
The last two sounds are similar to the two scroll wheels offered in the Logitech MX Master 3S and 3, which is the most excellent scroll wheel I’ve used. I’ve seen a simulation of this Logitech MagSpeed wheel but never worked so well. The Razer Pro Click Mini, for example, also lets you scroll smoothly or step by step, but it feels jarring and loud.
Razer’s new scroll wheel, the HyperScroll Pro Wheel, also features a custom mode where you can use Synapse to adjust the “scroll tension, number of steps, and adjust the effort curve between steps, tweaking everything from smooth, free wheel rotation to a positive step wheel.”with just eight individual steps, or take it up to 96 steps and then adjust how the mark feels between each step,” Razer said in the announcement.
Done right, the Naga V2 Pro can have one of the most personal scroll wheels around. But we’ll withhold any applause until we see it works without annoying rattling sounds or inconsistent behavior. Dependency on software can also turn some users off, from those who use multiple devices to those who don’t want to dedicate computing resources to a mouse application. You can switch between the scroll wheel feel of the Logitech MX Master 3S and 3 out of the box by simply pressing a button on your mouse; no software required.
Good features (and price)
In addition to the button layout and redesigned scroll wheel, Razer has equipped the Naga V2 Pro with all the latest and greatest features of a great PC mouse. Razer is a gaming brand, so most of them are related to improving the gaming potential.
This includes the Razer Pro 30K optical sensor found in many Razer mice over $100. It is rated for up to 30,000 cpi, a maximum speed of 750 ips, and a maximum acceleration of 70 g. All three of these are among the highest specs you can find in a mouse today.
Given that Razer’s Naga series has been one of the most famous MMO mice since its release in 2009, it’s interesting to see Razer find new ways to upgrade it enough to warrant a new product release. Of course, customers must decide if these luxurious new features are worth the investment.
The Naga V2 Pro X has a $ 180 MSRP. As a cheaper, still wireless alternative, Razer also announced the $100 AA battery-powered Naga V2 HyperSpeed on Thursday.