Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review

When the box for this Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed dropped on my desk, I first thought there had been some mistake, and I'd been given the Viper V3 Pro to review again. I suspect this is a problem that many hardware testers come across because Razer's DeathAdder and Viper range look very similar, and the packaging is almost identical.

That's because, for the most part, they're pretty much the same gaming mouse, albeit with one important difference. All DeathAdders have a distinct curve to their shell and are for right-handed people only, whereas Vipers are symmetrical and, in theory, are suitable for left-handers.

There's a good reason why I'm mentioning the Viper V3 Pro but I'll come to that in due course. For now, let's consider what's on offer with the new DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed. A scan of the specifications would lead anyone to think that this is just a cheaper, more basic version of the DeathAdder V3 Pro, the best wireless gaming mouse round. And they'd be right.

But they'd also be slightly wrong because, in my humble opinion, the V3 HyperSpeed is better than the V3 Pro. Yeah, sorry to just throw that out so early in the review, but it's important that I set the table first and then fill it with tasty morsels.

Let's start with the optical sensor, the device that scans the surface the mouse rests on and tracks its motion. Where the Focus Pro 30K in the V3 Pro boast a maximum DPI of 30,000 and a maximum speed and acceleration of 750 IPS and 70 g, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed offers figures of 26,000 and 500/40 respectively. Yes, they're lower but unless you're a professional e-sports person, you're honestly not going to tell.

It's the same with the 2.4 GHz wireless system. Razer's HyperSpeed connection is very low latency and glitch-free and the version that comes with the V3 Pro allows the polling rate to be set to 8,000 Hz. That's extremely fast but also rather unnecessary, as it significantly eats into the mouse's battery life and lots of older games will spit out the dummy when using it.

The V3 HyperSpeed is a mere 1,000 Hz like most wireless gaming mice, but just like the optical sensor, that's honestly fine. It wasn't that long ago when PC gamers would eschew wireless and USB-wired mice in favour of those using the PS2 socket, because of the low polling rate, but that's no longer the case.

With this rate, the operating system checks for a mouse input every millisecond and unless you have the physical reactions of a cat, any input lag in a game will be down to some other issue in your PC and certainly not this mouse.

You can see all of this in the above charts collated by using Mouse Tester. I've included some 1,000 and 8,000 Hz results for the Viper V3 Pro to highlight just how small the difference between the two really is. The position and velocity tracking is accurate, smooth and consistent, and the small hiccups in the update times are more indicative of the PC used, not the mouse.

As already mentioned, using polling rates higher than 1,000 Hz on a wireless mouse greatly increases the device's power consumption. By using the standard rate and a less potent sensor, Razer's been able to fit a lighter battery inside the V3 Hyperspeed, compared to the DeathAdder V3 Pro, and it lasts a little longer, too.

One could argue that having hardware with greater capability is always going to be the better choice but that's only true if there's not much price difference. As it so happens, Razer has launched the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed at $99.99/£99.99/€119.99/AU$179.95—that's a full $60 cheaper than the V3 Pro, a 40% reduction. The V3 HyperSpeed certainly isn't a 40% less capable gaming mouse, that's for sure.

However, this is a review, so it's time to be more critical and I'll begin with the subjective aspects. I really liked how the V3 HyperSpeed felt in my hand and the side buttons were perfectly placed just above where my thumb naturally rested. I also liked its ridiculously low 55 g weight, which quite surprised me as I typically prefer a meatier mouse—I suspect the shape of the shell had something to do with this, though, as it was easier to grip and move about than the Viper V3 Pro.

I didn't like how loud the primary mouse buttons were. The substantial clicks and clacks weren't noticeable when gaming with a headset but with speakers or just normal usage, it began to grate on my nerves after a while. Likewise, the mouse wheel—sturdy, chunky even, and with its positive-feeling rotation, switching weapons in games was a delight. However, scrolling through a webpage or large document was somewhat tedious.

Now for the objective criticism. The plastic used for the upper body of the V3 HyperSpeed is coated with a material to give a smooth touch. I can certainly vouch for how smooth it feels but whatever that material is, it attracts grease and grime like a magnet. If you have sweaty hands, it'll look oily and grubby in no time.

Razer claims that the mouse has eight programmable buttons but really it's just a standard five in number. One could argue this is a matter of semantics but three of those 'buttons' happen to be the forward/backward motion of the wheel and the DPI cycling/power switch in the base.

It's great that Razer has made all of the controls fully programmable, via its Synapse software, but I'd argue that the base button isn't one that's ever likely to be set to an important macro or the like.

Lastly, there's the HyperSpeed wireless connection system. Razer has furnished the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed with a high-quality braided USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable, a Type-C to Type-A adapter block, and a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle. It all works very nicely and the mouse also supports Razer's 8,000 Hz HyperPolling dongle, which is a $30 separate purchase. None of the above is the issue, though.

When I grabbed the HyperPolling dongle included with the Viper V3 Pro, I was a little surprised to find it didn't work with the V3 HyperSpeed. It would seem that the Viper's 8,000 Hz wireless system isn't the same as the separately purchasable HyperPolling dongle or, at the very least, it's been configured to only work with the Viper. That's a wholly unnecessary and confusing product fragmentation.

It's not a fault of the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, of course, but the HyperSpeed dongle supports multi-device connects and appears to be fully universal, whereas HyperPolling isn't. I also can't help but feel that many consumers are going to get more than a little confused between Razer's HyperSpeed and HyperPolling nomenclature.

All of the negative aspects of the new DeathAdder model are quite minor in the grand scheme of things and none of them put me off using the mouse regularly. As a diehard vertical ergonomic mouse user, I was surprised by how often I reached for the V3 HyperSpeed during work and it's been the go-to mouse for my household's nightly gaming sessions.

Razer has done a fantastic job of taking its best gaming mouse and making it a lot more affordable, without sacrificing what the DeathAdder brand means to the gaming community. Its understated looks hide a seriously capable mouse and the lack of super-fast polling rates and laser-accurate sensors arguably makes it a better mouse for the vast majority of PC gamers out there.