Razer Basilisk V2 Review

Razer packed this mouse with a bevy of features that make it a clear leader in a very competitive class. The unit has a flawless optical sensor and switches that literally operate at the speed of light. It has onboard memory to store various button profiles and the proprietary Hypershift technology that allows the user to switch between these profiles with the push of a button. In a rare combination, this mouse is lethally effective and has a price that's hard to beat.

Performance Comparison

Performance

As the name of this metric states, it is an analysis of the performance of the mouse. Specifically, we take stock of the unit's sensor, switches, weight (excluding cable), and glide. We will go into the details of all of these points as there is much to unpack. However, for those that don't care for long-winded explanations, suffice it to say that the Razer Basilisk V2 checks all the boxes constituting the highest quality and capability in a gaming periphery.

Without further delay, let's get into the weeds. The Basilisk V2 employs a flawless Focus+ optical sensor that has adjustable dots/counts per inch (DPI/CPI) ranging from 100 - 20,000 in steps of 50. The polling rate is also adjustable in three steps — 125, 500, and 1,000. The unit boasts an outrageous tracking speed of 650 inches per second! If you can get this puppy to spin out, you probably wear a spandex onesie under your street clothes and fight crime in your free time. The switches on this unit are Razer's innovative optical sensor which eliminates latency in button actuation and, by removing the metal contacts, the bounce issues that can send false signals on mechanical switches.

Right about now you're probably thinking, dang, this mouse has it all. But wait, there's more. The sensor is flawless, too. This is a mandatory feature on any true gaming mouse but is worth mentioning because it means that the "corrective" firmware present on many mice is absent and thus on-screen movements are faithful to the user's hand gestures. Finally, the Basilisk V2 has even glide on both firm and soft pads while its weight is a well-balanced 91 grams.

Customization

The ability to customize the buttons on one's mouse is as important as the performance specifications discussed above. Less important, but nonetheless cool, is the ability to customize the light array on the unit. Thus, lighting adjustability is included in this evaluation. Plainly put, the Basilisk V2 is highly adjustable both in ways common to most gaming mice but also in ways unique to Razer products.

Like many gaming mice, the Basilisk V2 allow the user to remap its 11 buttons. Moreover, the mouse has onboard memory that will store up to 5 button profiles — a tremendous advantage when experimenting or playing different types of games. However, what sets Razer products apart in the realm of customization is their Hypershift feature that allows the user to seamlessly toggle between the different stored profiles. On top of that, the Basilisk V2 sports the highly adjustable Razer Chroma RGB lighting on the scroll wheel and shell-top icon. Finally, this mouse has adjustable scroll wheel resistance which is unusual and awesome.

Ease of Use

The ease of use evaluation looks at the mouse's supporting software that, ideally, makes programming the unit easier. Additionally, this metric covers on-the-fly programming as well as the cable attaching the mouse to the computer. Despite wireless models having a big advantage in this assessment, the Basilisk V2 is one of the highest-ranking mice.

Why is the Basilisk V2 so easy to use? First off, it uses Razer's Synapse software that makes programming the unit a snap. The software's interface shows an image of the mouse with lines leading to drop-down menus for each button. The dropdowns include commonly used functions as well as the macro option. There are very few limitations to what the sophisticated gaming tactician can program into this unit using this software. Actions like delays, multiple combination strikes, and the like, are all at the user's disposal. Moreover, the software allows one to program and save multiple profiles such that one can use the Hypershift function to switch between them easily and quickly. The software also facilitates adjustments to the lighting on the mouse as well as the DPI/CPI. All told, Synapses is easy to navigate while remaining highly functional.

Both the on-the-fly programming and the cable proved more than satisfactory. There is not a whole lot to say about the on-the-fly programming as it depends on the game one is playing. However, the Basilisk V2 does not pose any restrictions. Speaking of limited restrictions, the unit sports a 7-foot braided cord (Razer Speedflex) allowing one to set up their rig however they see fit without worrying about the mouse reaching the tower. Moreover, the cable is among the best in the class for its lack of interference in mouse movement and its durable construction material.

Buttons

The last metric in our mouse evaluation is buttons. In this section, we focus on button action including the scroll wheel, and the sound emitted when these buttons are actuated. Given this unit's record thus far, it should come as no surprise that the Basilisk V2 is a leader in the buttons assessment.

Initially, we expected there to be noticeable differences in the action of the right and left buttons amongst the various models in our review. This proved not to be the case. The resistance across the board was nearly uniform and satisfactory. However, differences emerged in scroll wheel rotation and scroll wheel clicking. The Basilisk V2's scroll wheel is adjustable allowing one to tune the resistance to their liking. Additionally, we found that the scroll wheel switch offered just the right amount of resistance to prevent accidental triggering while not being difficult to depress. The scroll wheel also has tilt clicks side to side of which we were skeptical but quickly became fans of as its resistance was just right and they add that much more functionality to an already action-packed device. Finally, the buttons on this unit are almost silent, which pushed this unit over the line as one of the finest examples of button design.

Value

The Razer Basilisk V2 is not an inexpensive mouse. However, it is an exceptionally well-designed mouse that provides users with every advantage in competitive gameplay. As such, we think this mouse has a favorable cost to benefit ratio that yields considerable value to consumers.

Conclusion

This hands-on review of the Razer Basilisk V2 covered every aspect of design and functionality that one will want to know before making a purchase. Specifically, we looked at the performance of the mouse's hardware, the level of customization afforded to the user, the ease of use as well as the behavior of the buttons and scroll wheel. With this information, one will have all the details needed to make an informed decision on whether or not this is the right mouse for their gaming needs.