The Razer Viper Mini is one of the best budget gaming mice you can find right now
Razer Viper Mini on Amazon
We are arguably in the golden age of gaming mice, with several companies offering excellent lightweight designs. The boundaries are continuously being pushed, with some mice already dropping below 50g. The Razer Viper Mini joins the Ultralight 2 (47g), MM710 (53g) and Model O- (58g) in the fight for best lightweight mouse. The Viper Mini is slightly heavier at 61g, but does not feature the notorious honeycomb shell. Razer have upped their game in recent times, and the Viper Mini continues that trend.
The Viper Mini is basically a miniature Viper with a few tweaks. Bad news for lefties: Razer have opted for side buttons on the left only. No more rubbery side grips either, as the Viper Mini features a full matte black finish. The Viper Mini also adds an RGB section at the rear of the mouse, which is subtle yet very pleasing. Razer opted for the budget 3359 sensor on the Mini.
Build quality is rock solid. No frame bend, creaking or rattling, and the mouse feels very durable. This is a shortcoming of many honeycomb mice, so you have that peace of mind that the shell is durable and won’t be unsteady or creaky. Barring some side play on the primary buttons, the overall clicking experience is excellent. The Razer Optical switches have a more rounded feel than Omrons, but they offered enough tactility for me. The travel on the primary buttons is low, and the clicks are light and quiet.
While the Razer SpeedFlex isn’t quite on par with CoolerMaster’s UltraWeave and the Glorious Ascended Cord, it’s an adequate cable. I was definitely aware of it when gaming, especially when performing bigger movements like flicks and swipes, but it shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re very picky. You could always replace the cable with a paracord or try a mouse bungee.
The Viper Mini features an ambidextrous design with a rounded middle hump. The shape is fairly neutral and it will accommodate most grip styles. It’s going to work great for claw and fingertip, and users with smaller hands should be able to palm. Take note that the grip width of 5.35cm is fairly low, so users with bigger hands should be wary of hand cramps. I have medium hands of18x9cm, and this mouse felt extremely comfortable using a fingertip grip. The ergonomics are excellent here: the side curves and finger grooves on the primary buttons make for a very comfortable experience.
Razer are known for their gorgeous designs, and the Viper Mini looks stunning. The matte black shell has a slightly grainy surface which feels very pleasant on the skin. The glossy black accents are subtle and elegant, and the added RGB on the rear adds a cool floaty effect. Razer peripherals just have a certain aura about them.
Once of the biggest letdowns for me was the 3359 sensor, which does have some LOD issues. It is possible to reduce the LOD by doing calibration on Synapse and Razer have also released firmware updates addressing this issue. Nevertheless I was getting 1-2DVDs lift-off, which was noticeable in-game. The 3359 is otherwise a good sensor, and the tracking felt smooth and accurate. The Viper Mini performed excellently in Kovaak Aim Trainer, especially in the flicking tests. The small size allowed me to achieve incredible speed. In CSGO I really enjoyed the mouse, even though the LOD was vexing. The smaller size allowed me to make fast flicks and swipes, while my precision on smaller targets was slightly lower than with a bigger mouse.
With the Viper Mini going for as low as $29.99, it makes a very strong case in the budget market. There are a few caveats like the LOD and cable drag, but there will always be trade-offs at this price point. Be sure to check your hand size first, as the Viper Mini prefers smaller hands.
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