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While we were about to start the review of the new Basilisk mouse, Razer introduced some important innovations at CES 2018 such as Project Linda and the Nommo speakers, but above all the new mouse with Mamba HyperFlux induction charge, which could be one of the possible anticipators of future scenarios for pointing devices.
Hoping to be able to learn more about this new technology as soon as possible, let's keep our feet on the ground and analyze something more traditional, a wire mouse built and designed for FPS (First person shooter) games.
On Mac these titles have appeared several times and who writes has spent several hours on Doom, Quake and Unreal Tournament over the years: lately the situation has become more stagnant, and although it is still possible to play titles of undoubted value such as Half-Life and Half-Life 2 on Steam, Quake and other titles by Feral reluctant we are confident on the one hand in the evolution of the new Unreal Tournament project (currently in free Alpha, also for Mac) and on the other hand that Blizzard changes its mind regarding the release of Overwatch also for macOS (although the Mac is not completely excluded).
Basilisk, the shape of the mouse
Inside the tiny box in which it is delivered, we find the mouse, the characteristic Razer introductory booklet with ordinance stickers and the replacement parts of the clutch button (which we will discuss later).
Once the mouse is connected to the Mac (with macOS 10.13) the Synapse drivers have recognized the peripheral immediately, automatically. The drivers are not strictly necessary for operation, the mouse is seen natively by the Mac, but Synapse allows you to better customize all the functions (and lighting) that such a mouse expects.
From shape point of view the Basilisk (whose name recalls the mythological creature popularized by the Harry Potter saga) has a very classic, right-handed design, whose grip is very comfortable and firm, although probably to be appreciated at its best you need to have a large enough hand.
The upper part is characterized by the two main buttons, of which the left one clearly dominates, and the wheel whose shape is more than generous (given its importance in FPS) and accompanies two other buttons, placed in the cut of the two main ones, which natively determine the alternation of resolutions.
The upper surface is made of slightly porous plastic, useful in very long gaming sessions when the hand tends to get hot and wet from sweat, while on the side the viscous rubber (seen in the new generation, match with the Lancehead) offers an excellent grip in the grip, which never slips.
Two other buttons are present on the left side, where the thumb rests, plus the clutch button, which is optional: finally, inevitable, in the back, usually covered by the palm of the hand, is the Razer brand illuminated by Chroma technology, with 16 million colors (together with the edges of the wheel), perfectly controlled by the drivers.
In the lower part it is important to note a second small wheel, which serves to modulate the grip of the upper wheel, making the movement from very soft to very hard, depending on your preferences.
We close with the cable: long (overwhelmingly for Mac users, but we understand the needs) and made of interwoven weft, therefore impossible to tangle and with USB-A termination. As such, it would be nice to start seeing USB-A / USB-C connectors inside the boxes, to keep users with USB-C only computers happy (like the latest portable Macs).
Blood and sand
We tried the Basilisk on different environments: from the office (graphics, editorial, personal) to some game sessions especially with Unreal Tournament, although obviously we have not failed to compare it on other titles such as Starcraft and Diablo, with absolutely positive gaming sensations.
Basilisk has proven to be one of the best wire mice ever tried: in general we can say that we find it just below the Deathadder elite as a generalist mouse for all tasks, but by far the best when it comes down to it. in gaming arenas. The position of the hand is perfect, the grip and control during movement is absolutely precise, and the 16,000 dpi of game, although a bit too much for us, offer considerable freedom of action and customization, as well as the use of buttons and their customization.
The most important novelty of this model, however, is the clutch button, basically a trigger button positioned in the tip of the thumb that offers a new dynamic: natively the button allows you to alter the resolution of the mouse for a short time, as long as we hold it down, to then return to the initial resolution when we release it.
This solution may or may not be important depending on the type of game and the weapons used (the clutch button is designed for use with the sniper rifle), so in some games we also really liked it when used with macros, which are activated by the thumb I know not much more effective.
The opinion is different outside of games, where the Synapse 2.0 drivers (but version 3.0 is in development) offer little interaction with the classic functions: for example it seems impossible to use the clutch button as an Alt or Command key, which would have been a great convenience instead we had to settle for some pre-packaged actions (such as Show the desk).
Note that the clutch button is not mandatory and for more traditional users it is also possible to remove it, in the package there is a second smaller clutch button and a rubber cap, so as to make the option disappear and show a more traditional side.
Finally, it is not new to this model but we appreciated the possibility of the drivers to customize the use of the mouse with a compatible mat: in our case the test was done with the Gigantus, a square mat already seen in the Deathadder elite review.
Conclusions
Basilisk is a traditional, wire mouse , which today reflects the best the industry can offer in this specific sector. The shape is important, the materials are very comfortable, the absolute precision and the novelty of the clutch button absolutely to try: those who play a lot of FPS can only be happy, but to tell the truth we also liked in the management of the whole day , not only in the game phases, where the little one has been appreciated for the precision, comfort and materials that do not bother the skin and use.
There are certainly more iconic mice, both in the Razer list than in other brands, but if you want a corded mouse, whose price / performance ratio is favorable and the quality remains remarkable in every respect then Basilisk is certainly an optimal solution, at an exceptionally affordable cost.
The writer then promised himself to leave the clutch button for the duration of the test and to remove it at the end, but now that the review is online in all honesty we have done so much that on the one hand we don't really think about taking it off , on the other hand we find it annoying that there is not in all mice.
The Razer Basilisk is available from the official Razer store or, at the same price, also on Amazon.it: the test has been carried out on an official Razer Gigantus mat.
Pro :
Against:
Price : 69.99 Euro
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