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Razer Basilisk V3 – Review

 

The Razer Basilisk moniker has held a great and revered reputation since its inception to the Razer stable.  The Basilisk has always been the go anywhere, do anything, dominate everything type of mouse.  Being capable at just about anything you throw at it.  If MMO’s are your thing, The Basilisk can manage it.  Do you play FPS titles, the Basilisk has you covered.  When the Razer Basilisk V3 arrived at my desk I had high hopes, but at the same time, I was afraid that something so nearly-perfect like the V2 has such a big chance of being less than its predecessor.

So I did what anyone would do…  I opened it up and started playing, and man-oh-man did it put a smile on my face!

 

 

Design

Razer has a funny way when it comes to how a person experiences their first time with a Razer mouse.  If you are a die-hard Razer fan then you are probably not even reading this, you already have the Basilisk V3.  For those who are not, and are considering a new mouse, please continue reading.  Some of the Razer mice do not feel as expensive as their price tag says.  The Razer Basilisk V3 is not one of them.  From the moment my hand touched it, it oozed premium.  The V3 is built on the same chassis as the V2, which makes sense, if it’s good, why change it.  The V3 however is more textured and feels more substantial than some of the other smooth and cheaper feeling mice.  Something like the Deathadder, which is still a wonderful mouse and is tough as nails, but it doesn’t feel that way when you pick it up the first time.  The Basilisk V3 feels like it can take what you throw at it and ask for more.  The Razer Basilisk V3 is split into 5 sections which are each dissected by a line of smooth polished plastic.  The palm section, which has the Razer emblem on it, is slightly textured, much the same as the left- and right-click sections.  The inner thumb rest and sniper button area are textured as well but have more of a rubber feel to them, the same goes for the outer section where your pinky finger would grip.

No Razer peripheral would be complete without RGB.  In the past, Razer had taken a more-is-better approach with RGB, but fortunately, as they matured, so did their use and integration of RGB.  The Razer Basilisk V3 features, as expected and mentioned earlier, a Razer emblem on the palm area of the mouse, which naturally has RGB lighting behind it.  The scroll wheel, which is an innovation in itself, more of that later, has a band of RGB on both edges, and lastly, running along the bottom rim of the mouse, is a thin RGB strip that is wonderfully thin and defuses down onto the mousepad giving it a stunning glow rather than a bright and vulgar shine.

 

 

On the thumb side, you are met with two programmable buttons that sit rather flush with the rest of the Razer Basilisk V3.  They are easy enough to distinguish without looking thanks to them being smooth in comparison to the textured side.  Further forward you will find a sniper button, that will drastically reduce DPI while held to help obtain that critical headshot in moments of need.  Towards the bottom is the thumb paddle, which is a fancy word for the thumb rest to avoid your thumb dragging on the mousepad.  I don’t have the biggest hands but neither my thumb nor my pinky ever felt like there was not enough real estate for them to rest on.

Turning the mouse over we see four skates which do a wonderful job of keeping the Razer Basilisk V3 sliding effortlessly.  There is the aperture for the 26K DPI Optical sensor to work from, as well as a profile button that will change colour to indicate the profile you are currently set on.  On top, there is the scroll wheel, a DPI switch button, and then the button that will change the scroll wheel from a tooth by tooth turn, into a free-spinning wheel.

Last but not least, is the braided cable, it is Razer’s Speedflex which is used on all their premium peripherals.  It is extremely lightweight and is the closest I have ever gotten to being wireless with a wired mouse.  Personally, I would go for the wired version of the Razer Basilisk V3 since the Basilisk Ultimate is only a wireless version of the V2 and the Basilisk X Hyperspeed which has a lesser sensor and is pricier than the Razer Basilisk V3.

 

Scroll Wheel Magic

 

Razer calls it the HyperScroll Tilt wheel.  This means it can scroll freely or with notched movements, Free-spin mode, and tactile mode.  Right off the bat, the free-spin mode is naturally great for massive excel sheets that you need to scroll through, where I found the tactile mode, to be a joy when you need to switch weapons where some other mice, which have very little resistance on their wheel, you end up scrolling past your desired weapon or consumable in a moment of panic-scrolling.  Situated south of the scroll wheel we find the Smart-Reel button, which also is a mode that Razer has designed that will see the Razer Basilisk V3 scroll freely, even when in tactile mode if it is rapidly scrolled, and go back to tactile mode once the rapid scrolling is stopped.

Although the free-spin mode is a delight when scrolling through a particularly long document such as those pesky user agreements that we all read carefully…  But when using it to scroll through documents where you want to stop somewhere, the free-spin is tough to control and I scrolled way past where I wanted to be nearly every time.

In tactile mode, which is my preferred mode, there is a very slight clicking noise when you spin the wheel, this noise gets louder as you spin faster.  There is a slight rattle when flicking the mouse, coming from the scroll wheel, which I would expect from the free-spin mode, much like my G903 did when in the free spin mode, but weirdly the Razer Basilisk V3 has it in the Tactile mode, not a dealbreaker by any means, but something to note.

Features and Experience

 

 

Razer Basilisk V3 Specs

Sensor Model Razer Focus+
Max Sensitivity 20,000 native or 26,000 via software
Polling Rates 125, 500 or 1,000 Hz
Programmable Buttons 13, including 5x scroll wheel
LED Zones 11
Cable  1.8m braided
Connectivity USB Type-A cable
Measurements (LxWxH)  129.79 x 59.94 x 41.91mm
Weight (excluding cable)  93.55g

 

The Razer Basilisk V3 features Razer’s most high-end sensor which Razer calls the Focus+.  This sensor was used in the Basilisk V2 and is still in use on all the top-end gaming mice in the Razer stable.  Max DPI via hardware is set at 20 000 and via software, it can be pushed to 26 000 which even beats the Logitech Hero sensor.  It features the normal polling rate options etc that can all be managed via the Razer Synapse software, which in itself is extremely versatile.  Not quite as user-friendly for first-time users but once you get the hang of it it is wonderful.  The polling rate on the Basilisk V3 tops out at a very good 1 000 Hz even though Razer has started using 8 000Hz on their new Viper 8K.

 

 

The sniper button, that has been used by many brands as a way to quickly drop your DPI, to 400 in this case, for those well-placed shots during certain types of games.  For me, there are two problems with this button, one being its physical position.  I have smaller hands and my thumb cannot reach it without adjusting my grip on the mouse.  The second issue is, it is a skill that needs to be learned, if you are not used to using a sniper button it becomes more of a hurdle than help.  So if you are willing to learn to use it then great.

Razer has updated the optical switches on the Basilisk from previous optical switches.  One thing that is noticeably different from the previous generation of optical switches by Razer is how the previous generation felt and sounded more tactile.  Compared to my daily GPro Wireless, the Basilisk also feels slightly heavier to press, this might be due to the long swooping buttons that just need slightly more force than smaller buttons on other mice or placement of the switch but it is hardly noticeable.

 

 

 

Verdict

In a world where high-end gaming mice can have price tags that could make even the wealthy cringe, it is tough to justify the prices unless the mouse is truly wonderful.  The Razer Basilisk V3 definitely gives the feeling of being premium with all the textured surfaces and a very exclusive-looking RGB lighting that can easily look cheap and nasty if done incorrectly.  Another thing that adds to the premium feel is the weight, it might not be the lightest mouse on the market, coming in at 93.55g, which in gaming terms is a rather hefty weight.  So the Basilisk V3 might not be for the die-hard shooters out there who prefer to go for the honeycombed mice that might blow away when you open a window.

The Razer Basilisk V3, fortunately, has many programmable buttons which do add to its appeal for RPG and MMO players as well.  Although they are few and far between, left-handed mouse users are left out in the cold on this one, as the Basilisk V3 is a right-hand only mouse.

When you take a step back and look at the Razer Basilisk V3, you see a wired mouse with an expensive price tag, but it is so much more!  When you lay your hand on it and start to glide around the surface, you are met with a premium build quality that asks you to keep using it.  Wonderful RGB, that is done right and wonder optical switches, which in my modest opinion, will be the switch of the future.  Yes, the Basilisk might not be intended for the true e-sports level player but for everyone and everything in-between, it can handle it all with ease, as long as you can handle a premium price for a premium product.  The only thing that keeps it from getting a 10/10 is that it is wired, yes there is a wireless version, but at what cost?

 

 

special thanks to Apex Interactive for the review product