Razer's new Viper 8K gaming mouse features true 8000Hz polling

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,256   +192
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In a nutshell: Razer on Thursday introduced an updated version of its Viper gaming mouse, a wired ambidextrous pointer that originally launched in 2019 (itself, a remake of the original from 2004). Its standout feature is a high-speed proprietary polling technology that is said to enhance responsiveness for all users.

The new Viper 8K packs a 20,000 DPI Focus+ optical sensor alongside Razer’s second-gen optical mouse switches, which are rated for 70 million clicks and are said to offer more tactile feedback than the originals.

The biggest change with the new mouse is the introduction of HyperPolling, a proprietary technology that boosts the polling rate from 1000Hz to 8000Hz. According to Razer, this allows the Viper 8K to send up to eight times more data to your PC each second, “effectively reducing input delay from 1ms to just 1/8th of a millisecond.”

“Latency is a very important part of gameplay that significantly affects the overall gaming experience – and yet, it is overlooked by many companies that focused for too long on increasing DPI,” said Alvin Cheung, senior vice president of Razer’s peripherals business unit.

Whether or not the average user or experienced gamer will notice the improvement is up for debate. Cameron Faulkner with The Verge spent some time testing out the Viper 8K and said, “I didn’t notice a stark difference in gameplay while testing out Ghostrunner, a first-person title that relies on fast reflexes.”

It's worth noting that the impact of the feature will be more apparent for those using monitors with a high refresh rate.

Razer’s new Viper 8K is available as of writing priced at $79.99.

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Never again a Razer Mouse with their stupid software that requires registration and keeps logging you out. Build quality isn‘t that great either. Mine still works, but rubber parts fall off.
 
Oh look more gimmicks. The day Razer QC is similar to Logitech is the day I'll consider buying from them. Their mice and keyboards feel like toys to me. I've recently purchased the Basilisk X Hyperspeed because I had the chance to snag it for $20. Terrible buttons all around, the mouse skates are the size lint balls and the lift off distance is too high. Not impressed with this experience along with other experiences I've had with them.
 
Yawn. I personally think gaming mice have peaked.
So I bought two G502's.
G502 Weight: 114g (4.3oz) mouse only

"gaming mice" are half this weight. If you want to compete against people in twitch shooters any advantage you can get makes a difference - that's who will buy this mouse. When the difference between a few pixels determines who lives and who dies - this product/technology is actually needed and wanted.
 
First, there is no such thing as twitch shooters, there is just shooters. Also some of the so called streamers/gamers have been caught or accused of cheating themselves. So let's not start saying this tech is needed when there is barely any proof of it making any bit of difference.

Also if weight was really a big deal then why are some of the best gamers using a controller? ... mic dropped
 
First, there is no such thing as twitch shooters, there is just shooters. Also some of the so called streamers/gamers have been caught or accused of cheating themselves. So let's not start saying this tech is needed when there is barely any proof of it making any bit of difference.

Also if weight was really a big deal then why are some of the best gamers using a controller? ... mic dropped
I got a hand it to ya, there are no "twitch shooters" on consoles. You can hardly consider any FPS with autoaim and gamepad accuracy as "twitchy".
 
First, there is no such thing as twitch shooters, there is just shooters. Also some of the so called streamers/gamers have been caught or accused of cheating themselves. So let's not start saying this tech is needed when there is barely any proof of it making any bit of difference.

Also if weight was really a big deal then why are some of the best gamers using a controller? ... mic dropped
Twitch shooters are a real subgenre of FPS games. And FPS games are not the one ones that have this twitch subgenre.
 
G502 Weight: 114g (4.3oz) mouse only

"gaming mice" are half this weight. If you want to compete against people in twitch shooters any advantage you can get makes a difference - that's who will buy this mouse. When the difference between a few pixels determines who lives and who dies - this product/technology is actually needed and wanted.
I know gamers that use 400dpi on 10 year old mice and ones like myself using 2000dpi. I know ones with 60g mice and 145g mice. There is no mold for the person or the tools. Your logic is gamers in general need every edge they can get and that is a fantasy world. You could give shroud YOUR ideal gamer setup and he could tell you to go jump in a lake. People are different. They have different playstyles and tastes. Never try to put them in one basket. This Razer mouse is for a small subset of gamers. A subset of a subset even.

TL;DR
Don't generalize gamers. Ever.
 
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I know gamers that use 400dpi on 10 year old mice and ones like myself using 2000dpi. I know ones with 60g mice and 145g mice. There is no mold for the person or the tools. Your logic is gamers in general need every edge they can get and that is a fantasy world. You could give shroud YOUR ideal gamer setup and he could tell you to go jump in a lake. People are different. They have different playstyles and tastes. Never try to put them in one basket. This Razer mouse is for a small subset of gamers. A subset of a subset even.

TL;DR
Don't generalize gamers. Ever.

I didn't generalize gamers, I specifically said what subset of gamers this applies to and who will be interested in it: "If you want to compete against people in twitch shooters any advantage you can get makes a difference - that's who will buy this mouse."

Am I taking crazy pills here?
 
First, there is no such thing as twitch shooters, there is just shooters. Also some of the so called streamers/gamers have been caught or accused of cheating themselves. So let's not start saying this tech is needed when there is barely any proof of it making any bit of difference.

Also if weight was really a big deal then why are some of the best gamers using a controller? ... mic dropped

1. There is proof it makes a difference on 4k+ monitors.

2. Twitch shooters have nothing to do with twitch.tv. A twitch shooter is an FPS where accuracy and aim are king: I.e. CS, Valorant, Tarkov, R6:S, Quake. A shooter is a game where accuracy doesn't matter as much and typically speaking there's no 1 shot headshot kills: COD, Battlefield, Apex, Halo, etc. There is a big difference between these games when it comes to what kind of input device you are using.

3. There is not a single "best gamer" using a Controller that is better than any of the top PC gamers. I'm not even sure what "best gamers" means. How do you determine who is best? Every single Gamer that I'd consider in the "best of the best" category are PC players using Mouse and Keyboard. Controllers have auto-aim - this is not skill. With that logic you could say that Hackers on PC are better than normal Gamers because the game auto-locks onto people for them. Obviously this is absurd.

4. I don't know why you've dropped your mic.
 
There is no such thing as a twitch shooter. a internet made up name.

There has always been best gamers. They are the elite, beat of the best. How do you not know what that means. Its been a saying since gaming or any sport has existed. Look on twitch for some of those guys or youtube. there are tons of pc players who use controllers.
also controllers have auto assist not auto aim. they do not lock on to your head. any gamer locking onto players a head is using a aimbot which can be done on console or pc.
 
There is no such thing as a twitch shooter. a internet made up name.

There has always been best gamers. They are the elite, beat of the best. How do you not know what that means. Its been a saying since gaming or any sport has existed. Look on twitch for some of those guys or youtube. there are tons of pc players who use controllers.
also controllers have auto assist not auto aim. they do not lock on to your head. any gamer locking onto players a head is using a aimbot which can be done on console or pc.

Dude. TWITCH SHOOTER'S ARE A THING. Period. They have been called twitch shooters since the 90s. I'm thinking you weren't even alive back then based on your apparent knowledge.

Do you honestly think because someone using a controller with auto-assist aiming that they are better than someone using a mouse? They are literally being HELPED to aim to be able to compete against Mouse players.

Provide ONE example. JUST ONE. Of a top tier player who uses a controller that competes against people using a mouse. And if you say a Fortnite player then this discussion is over.

I'll wait.

shroud, LVNDMARK, AceU, the entire CS community - would ABSOLUTELY run over anyone trying to compete with them using a controller.
 
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I didn't generalize gamers, I specifically said what subset of gamers this applies to and who will be interested in it: "If you want to compete against people in twitch shooters any advantage you can get makes a difference - that's who will buy this mouse."

Am I taking crazy pills here?
I already stated my disagreement with your comment. You referenced none of it in your reply.

You implied/stated 114g was too heavy to be a gaming mouse for twitch shooters. False in every sense of the word.
The topic was polling rate and input latency. Sure, someone will buy this mouse, but they won't flock to it because of an 8K polling rate. I would assume most will stick with what's been working for them. Some are long time users. Most don't jump on every new piece of tech.

Yes, people will buy this 8K mouse. No one said they wouldn't.
 
I already stated my disagreement with your comment. You referenced none of it in your reply.

You implied/stated 114g was too heavy to be a gaming mouse for twitch shooters. False in every sense of the word.
The topic was polling rate and input latency. Sure, someone will buy this mouse, but they won't flock to it because of an 8K polling rate. I would assume most will stick with what's been working for them. Some are long time users. Most don't jump on every new piece of tech.

Yes, people will buy this 8K mouse. No one said they wouldn't.
Okay - let me try again.

You said "Yawn. I personally think gaming mice have peaked.
So I bought two G502's."


What has been labelled as a "gaming mouse" in the past year is drastically different than what Logitech and other mouse manufactures had to offer when the G502 launched.

The mouses that have been coming out in the past year are lightyears ahead of older mice. On top of that, Logitech literally just launched a 60g mouse that's been very difficult to supply because the demand is so high. Do you think the people buying that mouse believe mice have peaked?

Here, point at something quickly in your room. Now, attach a 1lb weight to your hand and point at it again. Which was easier? A drastic example, yet still valid. Less weight = less force.
It's simple physics.

So again, your first statement is wrong. Mice have not peaked, and especially not at the G502 level. There are mice that are incredibly better than it.

Then you went on to say:
"TL;DR
Don't generalize gamers. Ever."


First off, how? HOW? How do you see my comment as me generalizing gamers? We are talking about gaming mice here - and IN GENERAL, GAMING MICE ARE BECOMING LESS WEIGHT. This is not me generalizing gamers, this is reality. This is a fact. The amount of low weight mice that pro-gamers use FAR out number the older school ~100g mice. You can research and find this info easily online.

If a company launched a 114g "gaming mouse" in 2021, people would laugh them out of the room. No one would buy it. This is not me generalizing anyone, this is the reality that what is considered "a gaming mouse" by 2021 standards. See how I put " Quotes " around it? I didn't make this up, I don't make the mice or brand them as "gaming mice" or not.

Let me remind you what I said ""gaming mice" are half this weight." Do you see the quotes there?

"..If you want to compete against people in twitch shooters any advantage you can get makes a difference - that's who will buy this mouse."

Did you get that? IF YOU WANT TO COMPETE IN TWITCH SHOOTERS, THAT IS WHO WILL BUY THIS MOUSE. Those gamers that want a slight advantage? That is who will buy this mouse. Is this you? Clearly not. Am I saying that you are not a gamer because you use a g502? Obviously not. Anyone can be a gamer.

However, since you've accused me of generalizing - let me make a general conclusion about you as a gamer. You use a g502 @ 20000 DPI. From this alone I'd guess you likely don't play FPS games, or you're not very good at them - not because of your skill, but because 20000DPI is insanity and you wouldn't be able to accurately aim at all. Most pro FPS players use 800-1200 DPI, for reference(this is not a generalization, it's knowledge that's available online.)

You said "Your logic is gamers in general need every edge they can get and that is a fantasy world."

People that are serious FPS gamers, GENERALLY speaking, have noticed that the less a mouse weighs the more comfortable, better their aim is, etc. These types of Gamers want better, more accurate mice to give them that slight edge. They buy $900 monitors to give them an edge. $600 headphones. And again, back to the Superlight being impossible to find in many places. Are you, someone who doesn't compete at a high-level of FPS skill going to tell these guys that it's a fantasy world? You wouldn't notice the difference between products like high-level gamers do.

Did you know that pro basketball players say their shoes are the most important part in them playing a good game? Shoes. A normal person that plays in normal shoes would think they're crazy for thinking that. How is this different? Whether or not you believe that better hardware gives you an edge isn't really your call, is it? You aren't a pro player. Who are you to say that it's a fantasy world? Micheal Jordan wore a new pair of shoes every game.

I honestly do not believe that anyone who is a serious FPS player would go back to a ~100g mouse after using one that weighs 60g. It's almost the equivalent of going back to a 60hz monitor after using 120hz+.

BUT, Obviously people play on 60fps/hz. And obviously people use old mice 114g mouses like you do. Does this mean you and they are not "gamers"? I didn't say that, now did I. Of course they are Gamers. But is anyone that's using a 60hz monitor and a 114g mouse competing at the top-tier of any FPS game? Point me to them. Show me that person.

Enjoy your G502s.
 
Never again a Razer Mouse with their stupid software that requires registration and keeps logging you out. Build quality isn‘t that great either. Mine still works, but rubber parts fall off.

who has better software in your opinion?
I have tried (and have)
Logitech setpoints and the rest
HyperX ngenuity
and Razer's, well razer central that has other apps under it.

In terms of possibilities and functions, Razer is 5 years ahead of hyperx and a millenia away from logitech.
 
who has better software in your opinion?
I have tried (and have)
Logitech setpoints and the rest
HyperX ngenuity
and Razer's, well razer central that has other apps under it.

In terms of possibilities and functions, Razer is 5 years ahead of hyperx and a millenia away from logitech.
Logitech software - most of the time I don‘t even use it. As far as I remember, it does not require you to log in, which is a big plus.

Razer has tons of features but I don‘t really need them. All that I really want is for the mouse sensitivity button working without me having to be logged in. And for some reason, Razer‘s software logs me out regularly and I keep forgetting the password. That‘s really annoying.
 
Okay - let me try again.

You said "Yawn. I personally think gaming mice have peaked.
So I bought two G502's."


What has been labelled as a "gaming mouse" in the past year is drastically different than what Logitech and other mouse manufactures had to offer when the G502 launched.

The mouses that have been coming out in the past year are lightyears ahead of older mice. On top of that, Logitech literally just launched a 60g mouse that's been very difficult to supply because the demand is so high. Do you think the people buying that mouse believe mice have peaked?

Here, point at something quickly in your room. Now, attach a 1lb weight to your hand and point at it again. Which was easier? A drastic example, yet still valid. Less weight = less force.
It's simple physics.

So again, your first statement is wrong. Mice have not peaked, and especially not at the G502 level. There are mice that are incredibly better than it.

Then you went on to say:
"TL;DR
Don't generalize gamers. Ever."


First off, how? HOW? How do you see my comment as me generalizing gamers? We are talking about gaming mice here - and IN GENERAL, GAMING MICE ARE BECOMING LESS WEIGHT. This is not me generalizing gamers, this is reality. This is a fact. The amount of low weight mice that pro-gamers use FAR out number the older school ~100g mice. You can research and find this info easily online.

If a company launched a 114g "gaming mouse" in 2021, people would laugh them out of the room. No one would buy it. This is not me generalizing anyone, this is the reality that what is considered "a gaming mouse" by 2021 standards. See how I put " Quotes " around it? I didn't make this up, I don't make the mice or brand them as "gaming mice" or not.

Let me remind you what I said ""gaming mice" are half this weight." Do you see the quotes there?

"..If you want to compete against people in twitch shooters any advantage you can get makes a difference - that's who will buy this mouse."

Did you get that? IF YOU WANT TO COMPETE IN TWITCH SHOOTERS, THAT IS WHO WILL BUY THIS MOUSE. Those gamers that want a slight advantage? That is who will buy this mouse. Is this you? Clearly not. Am I saying that you are not a gamer because you use a g502? Obviously not. Anyone can be a gamer.

However, since you've accused me of generalizing - let me make a general conclusion about you as a gamer. You use a g502 @ 20000 DPI. From this alone I'd guess you likely don't play FPS games, or you're not very good at them - not because of your skill, but because 20000DPI is insanity and you wouldn't be able to accurately aim at all. Most pro FPS players use 800-1200 DPI, for reference(this is not a generalization, it's knowledge that's available online.)

You said "Your logic is gamers in general need every edge they can get and that is a fantasy world."

People that are serious FPS gamers, GENERALLY speaking, have noticed that the less a mouse weighs the more comfortable, better their aim is, etc. These types of Gamers want better, more accurate mice to give them that slight edge. They buy $900 monitors to give them an edge. $600 headphones. And again, back to the Superlight being impossible to find in many places. Are you, someone who doesn't compete at a high-level of FPS skill going to tell these guys that it's a fantasy world? You wouldn't notice the difference between products like high-level gamers do.

Did you know that pro basketball players say their shoes are the most important part in them playing a good game? Shoes. A normal person that plays in normal shoes would think they're crazy for thinking that. How is this different? Whether or not you believe that better hardware gives you an edge isn't really your call, is it? You aren't a pro player. Who are you to say that it's a fantasy world? Micheal Jordan wore a new pair of shoes every game.

I honestly do not believe that anyone who is a serious FPS player would go back to a ~100g mouse after using one that weighs 60g. It's almost the equivalent of going back to a 60hz monitor after using 120hz+.

BUT, Obviously people play on 60fps/hz. And obviously people use old mice 114g mouses like you do. Does this mean you and they are not "gamers"? I didn't say that, now did I. Of course they are Gamers. But is anyone that's using a 60hz monitor and a 114g mouse competing at the top-tier of any FPS game? Point me to them. Show me that person.

Enjoy your G502s.
Thanks for the novel, but I don't have enough trouble sleeping to need to read it. People are odd and fit many molds. We do amazing things with various tools.

I will enjoy them.
Funny how a major player in gaming peripherals put the Hero sensor in a 121g mouse....

Fun fact:
MJ's shoes were different sizes.
 
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Hey, I don't game and I'm really old. Therefore 8000 dpi is too much and 800-0 dpi suits me fine. Besides, Micro Center sells those mice at about $4.00 a pop,
 
Logitech software - most of the time I don‘t even use it. As far as I remember, it does not require you to log in, which is a big plus.

Razer has tons of features but I don‘t really need them. All that I really want is for the mouse sensitivity button working without me having to be logged in. And for some reason, Razer‘s software logs me out regularly and I keep forgetting the password. That‘s really annoying.
I don't have those problems. I used razer software without an account for quite some time (application just makes a profile for you, no username or password). I must admit - I don't use mouse buttons to change mouse from normal to hyperspace, so I can't help with that. 800 is fine for me, 16000 just makes my mouse unusable...

edit: I have a button on the bottom of the mouse for changing the "profile" and it's dedicated. By default, it also came with two buttons bound to + - DPI, I of course changed those to something useful (to me).
 
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