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.