Who said a gamer mouse has to be big? Like its predecessor (and the old Atheris), the new Razer Orochi V2 is also small, very small, but with a strong heart inside and so much technology that it is not afraid to confront its bigger brothers, in the right proportions.
Here at Cyberlayman we were lucky enough to try it before launch and to provide you with the first feedback after several days of use: if the first Orochi surprised us with its freshness, here we have a product truly impressive for precision, lightness and portability.
Don't call him Tom Thumb
Although it is a so to speak a “battle mouse”, Razer Orochi V2 offers a sober package with the mouse inside, the iconic transparent sheet that welcomes us with an invitation “Unleash your true potential” (Free your potential), a small instruction booklet for getting started, a sheet with the equally iconic stickers and an AA battery.
The mouse is small, the smallest of the entire Razer family (and one of the smallest on the market): 10.8 × 60cm by 3.8cm tall, weighing just 60 grams.
The surface is entirely in porous black plastic, with the logo in small shiny relief on the back: compared to the old model, the design is more sober and loses light in the wheel, perhaps due to excessive battery consumption. No lights this round so, too bad, maybe in the future when the optimization will allow it.
In the lower part there are the feet in pure PTFE (a material used for the coating of non-stick cookware) which increases the ease of movement on gaming mats (we tested it with the new Razer Sphex V3 mat, which we will talk about shortly ).
Family photo: comparison between Orochi and Razer's other leading mice
In the upper part, there are the two main buttons, the clickable wheel, the button for the resolution switch and two side buttons on the left.
The two side buttons make the mouse right-handed, but if not for this we could consider the Razer Orochi V2 ambidextrous: which means that if you don't care about the two side buttons, you can use it even if you are left-handed.
A double heart, like the legend
Just like the legend of Orochi, a terrible Japanese dragon / snake, the Razer Orochi V2 also hides several secrets inside. The first one is that of the power supply: the mouse draws energy from a double battery compartment, which can be AA or AAA of your choice.
Razer emphasizes that the user can choose the battery they want, however it recommends not inserting both at the same time to avoid damaging the internal circuitry. The battery compartment is designed to balance the weight of the mouse, which is always balanced, whatever battery you use.
The other secret it holds is the dual wireless signal, Wi-Fi (with Dongle) and Bluetooth, similar to what we've seen on other products, such as the Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro.
In the first case, in Wi-Fi, we have a very small USB Dongle which, when not in use, has its housing “under the hood”, in the sense that it has the drawer just next to the batteries, lifting the upper body of the mouse (that a small loop for the nail in the back).
As for the Bluetooth connection, the choice of which is made thanks to the switch placed under the three-state mouse (off, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), it must be said that unlike the first Orochi model, here the operation is purely wireless, not there is no way to use any cables.
The difference between the two connections is given by the autonomy (up to 425 hours in Wi-Fi, more than double in Bluetooth with a battery) and by the user's preferences. The Polling rate is very good, which remains at 1000 Hz even in Wi-Fi, similar to many other Razer products but which is still a note of merit for the sector. Many gaming mice also have a wireless Polling rate that does not exceed 500 Hz, while here it is double: if you want to deepen the subject we recommend reading the review of the Razer Viper 8KHz, where we deepen the subject.
Traveling and in battle
Like a Dragon we said before: in fact, the Razer Orochi V2 offers an optical sensor (here the difference between laser and optical) 5G at 18,000 dpi with 99.4% resolution accuracy, basically just below its bigger brothers, albeit at a level so high that the difference in resolution at this point appears laughable.
The upper switch allows you to define on the fly the five standard factory resolutions (400, 800, 1,600, 3,200, 6,400 dpi), steps that can be changed, like any other button, thanks to the Synapse drivers (only for Windows).
All buttons are derived from the new second generation mechanical Razer Switch technology, with gold-plated contact points and guarantee up to 60 million clicks (a number almost impossible to reach for an average user, only a gamer can get close to it. and only with frequent use).
Speaking of buttons: the mouse has a sophisticated design, even if this detail may escape at first glance, as it can be used with a claw grip, handheld or with resting fingers (which are the three typical positions of the gamer).
The design of the Razer Orochi V2 is meant to satisfy all types of mouse use
Glued to the table
Although it is not strictly necessary, because the mouse also works alone, we had the opportunity to try it together with two interesting accessories: one practically essential for all those who love precision and a more tasty one, very useful in summer.
In the first case it is the Razer Spex V3 mat, a recently launched novelty: with a thickness of just 0.4 mm, 20% thinner than its predecessor, the new mat is of the rigid type (even if given the thickness we could say semi-rigid) with a satin black upper surface and an adhesive lower surface.
On the outer right side, a small fabric band bearing the RAZER brand.
In our case it was the Small model (270 x 215 mm), but there is also a Large version (450 x 400 mm), with the same characteristics only a little larger.
The lower adhesive surface literally “glues” the mat to the table, so that it does not move even during very intense sessions: the upper surface in polycarbonate instead is designed to withstand all the stresses of the Razer Orochi V2 mouse, although obviously it works with all mice.
Recall that when it comes to optical mice like the Razer Orochi V2 a mat is the least expected of the sensor, which can only work best on an adapted surface such as that of a mat. There are all kinds, some even cover most of the desk, like the Razer Gigantus V2, whose dimensions are perfectly illustrated in the video below.
Summer is coming
The second accessory we tried is the Razer Mouse Grip Tape: this product is not new, in fact here we find the Grip Tape for the Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro model and it is a series of stickers, in rubber with a small tank above that allow you to increase the “grip”, the grip on the mouse, in the most intense moments or when it is very hot.
The stickers can be attached anywhere on the mouse and have two purposes: the first is to prevent the hand or finger from slipping, the second is to put “indications” to help find a certain key without taking your eyes off the screen.
Obviously the stickers can be removed once attached, without any consequences, even if once removed they can be reattached, but no less conviction than the first time.
How the Razer Orochi V2 works
As mentioned we had the opportunity to test the Razer Orochi V2 in preview for a couple of weeks: in our case, since we use a Sabrent USB Type C KVM Switch to drive a Mac mini and a Lenovo X1 thanks to the Wi-Fi dongle, the mouse served both very well. There are no notes about using the mouse via Switch and we feared that there might be some hesitation, which instead there was and the mouse behaved really well.
Although the Razer Orochi V2 is a bit small for the hand of the writer, it is clear that in a concept of mobility (together with a backpack like the Razer Rogue backpack, here the new version) the shape is really interesting, because it is perfect. for backpacks and bags pockets and even when using it, the footprint is very small. When traveling, in hotels or conference rooms, space can be very small and every extra thread or inch can become a problem or a limitation.
The back of the Razer Spex V3 mat is adhesive, once placed on the desk it no longer moves
In any case, the step compared to the previous version is really huge: we tried it with the Office apps, a little Photoshop and Lightroom and even Illustrator, but obviously we didn't ask for a few games of Diablo III, where we deepened season 23 (thanks to An00bis), but just to experience the thrill of adventure also some picnic on Overwatch and a couple of genocides here and there on Starcraft II.
Thanks to the Synapse drivers, the customization on Windows is greater than on the Mac, but in any case if you don't want very advanced setups the mouse is a great companion even in the Apple world.
The Razer Mouse Grip Tape is a good help, even if it is not very hot, because the use of the mouse is mostly blind and placing grips in the right place helps, especially on the side near the keys, but also above the main keys. is appreciated, especially for those who hold the mouse with the palm, in order to understand immediately if the position is right (because the fingers “feel” the grip and know when to stop).
The Razer Orochi V2 here with a MacBook Pro and the Caldigit SOHO USB-C HUB Dock
The mat is really comfortable and precious, helping the sensor to improve tracking: the difference in use with or without a mat is obvious and we absolutely recommend the purchase, even if obviously the mat is often not there when traveling but in mobility there is some compromise.
The double connection is convenient, even just to combine it with two different PCs or Macs (in practice, the correct device is selected based on the type of connection, fixed and portable type) for those who do not have a KVM switch, here we have preferred the Wi-Fi connection, which seemed smoother to us.
However, we cannot provide data on battery life, because two weeks are very short for a concrete estimate of a battery that announces at least 425 hours of life (about 53 days, about seventy if you use it only in the office).
The inside of the mouse shows the double battery compartment and the drawer for the dongle USB-A
Considerations
For around 70 Euros, the Razer Orochi V2 offers a splendid compromise between portability and quality and is the perfect companion to leave in the backpack, while at home we may use something more powerful like the Razer Viper 8K (perhaps flanked by a Razer Huntsman V2 Analog), which is definitely uncomfortable to wear n lap, where instead the Razer Orochi V2 excels.
And if you feel like it and there's a bit of extra space, the excellent Razer Huntsman mini also fits in your bag, because a laptop keyboard is comfortable, but if you want to play on the go you need a mechanical keyboard.
Pro:
• Excellent design, for all handles • Very powerful and precise • Small and very light
Cons:
• Driver only for Windows • No lights • Works only in Wireless
Price:
• 79.99 Euros (Razer Orochi V2) • 11.99 Euros (Razer Spex V3 Small Floor Mat) • 29.99 Euros (Razer Spex V3 Large Floor Mat) • 11.99 Euros (Razer Mouse Grip Tape)
Razer Orochi V2 is available in black and white, starting from the Razer website: the Razer Atheris model in its classic or custom version (Stormtrooper Edition) remains on sale on Amazon.
