Razer Basilisk V3 Pro review: Gaming and productivity collide
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Razer appears to be having a busy month. The recent release of the DeathAdder V3 Pro proved a success on many accounts, including our own. Not even a week later, the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro landed in the office.
So it’s safe to say that we’ve been spoiled by Razer mice as of late, but which one is better? Are they even comparable? Let’s take a closer look, read on for our Full Razer Basilisk V3 Pro review
NOW READ: Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro review
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro specs
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
Sensor
Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor
Max DPI
30,000
Weight
112g/3.9oz
Buttons
10+1
- Extremely comfortable
- Hyperscroll tilt-wheel is a productivity game-changer
- Extensive and vivid RGB lighting.
- Expensive
- Might be too heavy for some gamers
Sensor
Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor
Max DPI
30,000
Weight
112g/3.9oz
Buttons
10+1
Handedness
Right-handed
Battery Life
Up to 90 hours
Skates
100% PTFE
Max IPS
750
Connectivity
2.4GHz/USB Type-C/Bluetooth
What’s in the box & setup
- Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
- USB Type-A to Type-C cable
- 2.4GHz dongle
- Dongle adapter
- Quick-start guide
- Warranty info
- Stickers!
Razer has begun to fully standardize their mouse packing now as the Basilisk V3 Pro’s unboxing experience is literally identical to the DeathAdder we reviewed recently.
It’s both utilitarian and classy, as the very sturdy box lid comes off and the mouse is right there, placed in a plastic insert.
Once the mouse is removed, you can lift the insert free from the box, revealing the dongle, adapter, and box containing the USB Type-C cable, some stickers, warranty card, and all the other boring stuff that’s legally required.
The box itself is constructed from impressively strong cardboard and is covered in the classic black and green livery that unmistakably marks it as a Razer product.
Luckily, the days of driver CDs and messing with the Windows device manager are well behind us, so plugging the dongle in and flipping the switch on the underside of the mouse to 2.4GHz will get you going.
Of course, Razer’s Ubiquitous Synapse software will help you make the most of the mouse, and given the massive feature set of the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro, we strongly recommend it, more than we usually do.
NOW READ: Razer Synapse 3 guide
Design
As with the previous Basilisk mice, Razer has done its best to aestheticize what is, at its core, an ergonomic mouse shape.
This poses an interesting design challenge as you’re constrained by a pre-existing shape, but have to make it unique.
Of course, Razer could have simply slapped the triple snake logo on it and called it a day, but we’re glad they went further as the mouse looks great.
Razer has successfully combined smooth-flowing curves with sharp, angular edges. This has resulted in an aggressive and animalistic shape that hints at the powerful feature set hidden within.
Luckily, it’s not all style, there is a lot of substance here, too, with Razer shrouding skillful ergonomic design within carnivorous flare.
NOW READ: Best gaming mouse 2022
The best example is the mouse buttons, the long sharp tips aren’t the same length which gives us a jagged arrowhead-like shape. As you begin to use the mouse you then realize that it’s shaped like this to reflect the difference in length between the middle and index fingers.
The case is the same when we get to the ergo-tilt. Unlike other right-handed ergonomic mice, for example, the Logitech G703, the tilt doesn’t present itself on the palm section of the mouse.
The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro put’s it’s ergonomic focus further down toward the front of the mouse, with both mouse buttons sloping down to the right, the right click taking a particularly deep dive. This more closely mirrors the naturally asymmetric curve of an open palm.
This shape makes it immediately obvious that it’s designed specifically for palm-grip users. This is where it’s most at home, yes, but it doesn’t perform too bad under the light touch of a fingertip grip either.
Moving aware from the ergonomic stuff, we get to the RGB lighting, and we’ve been truly spoiled in this regard, which makes a change actually, seeing as the last two mice that Razer has released (Viper V2 Pro and DeathAdder V3 Pro), have both been designed as competitive, performance-focused mice.
They both underwent strict weight-loss regimes, which means they lost any and all creature comforts that they previously had. Extra buttons, wireless charging, and yes, RGB lighting were all lost in the relentless pursuit of lightness.
Luckily, weight loss is not a concern for the Razer Basilisk, so it’s been kitted out with some of the most eye-catching and intense RGB lighting we’ve seen in a while, since the Roccat Kone XP Air, at least.
NOW READ: Roccat Kone XP Air review
In addition to the triple snake logo, you also get a pipe of light on each side of the scroll wheel and s full skirt of light around the underside of the mouse.
In mid-darker environments, this skirt illuminates the surface under the mouse with a pleasing diffused glow. If you’ve ever played the Need for Speed: Underground series, you’ll know why this creates a bit of childlike joy.
Build quality
The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro feels absolutely fantastic. As solid as a rock, and about as heavy as one at 112g/3.9oz.
The extra mass might be tricking us into thinking it’s more robust than it actually is, and indeed when given a violent shake there is a distinct rattle.
However, we think this is to do with the ‘Hyperscroll tilt wheel’, after all, something with the capability to spin freely will always have a little play, even when stationary.
Squeezing the mouse doesn’t produce any creaking noises and the buttons, wheel, and shift button all feel satisfyingly tactile.
The surface finish is worth noting too. Razer has gone for two different textures here. The thumb and pinky finger sides have a rubberized grippy feeling to them. This is caused by a very fine texture of tessellated triangles and it adheres to the hand with ease.
The palm section and the mouse buttons both have a sort of smooth yet grippy powder-coated texture to them. The combination of these two textures results in a very secure grip that even the fastest of users would struggle to lose hold of.
Performance
Despite this mouse touting a more general use weight and shape, the gaming performance is nothing to sniff at.
This is largely due to the supremely precise Focus Pro 30K sensor that Razer has been slapping into their mice for a while now, and it’s hard to get any better than the Focus Pro.
Additionally, the 100% PTFE feet keep the Basilisk V3 Pro sliding around without issue, however, we’d appreciate an additional foot between the edge and the on/off button, as the mouse can scrape when hitting the desk at an angle.
The gaming performance is great, there are enough buttons to get by in most games outside of MMOs and the weight, while substantial, isn’t prohibitive.
Additionally, if you’re sneaky, you can bind the fire button to scroll up or down
Another feature of the Basilisk V3 that we love is the Hyperscroll tilt wheel. This allows you to fully unlock the scroll wheel so that it spins freely, without clicking.
We’ve seen unlockable scroll wheels before though. What we haven’t seen is what razer calls ‘Smart Reel’ and it’s fantastic.
Essentially it unlocks the scroll wheel only when you flick the wheel quickly, then goes back to normal as it comes to a stop.
We think this feature makes the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro the ultimate productivity mouse, as it removes the need to repeatedly flick the scroll wheel to fly down or up a long webpage or document. The mouse also has side scroll, which is invaluable if you work with spreadsheets.
Razer mouse dock Pro
The mouse dock doesn’t come with the mouse, so it’s not affecting the score and we’ve avoided talking about it until now.
However, it’s a pretty cool piece of kit that is well worth picking up alongside the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro so we thought we’d give it some limelight too.
Razer has finally jumped on the Qi wireless charging train and we’re very happy about it, as it’s the smoothest and most convenient charging solution Razer has produced this far.
Similar to the Powerplay system from Logitech, you simply swap out the hollow plastic puck that comes in the mouse by default with the wireless charging-enabled puck that comes with the Mouse dock pro.
This will then allow the mouse to both magnetically adhere to the dock, and wireless charge. As with Razer’s previous mouse dock, it functions as a charging solution and display stand simultaneously.
However, this is a far nicer implementation, both from an aesthetic standpoint, and reliability-wise too, as it doesn’t rely on exposed copper contacts like the previous model.
Funnily enough, the Magnet is actually too strong. Attempting to lift the mouse off of the dock simply brings the dock along for the ride, which is equal parts amusing and annoying.
We found that sliding the mouse up or down off of the dock was the best way around this, but maybe Razer will weaken the magnet next time around?
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro – Final verdict
The Razer Basilisk V3 continues its reign as the king of ergonomic multi-purpose gaming mice with this new revision.
It takes a top-tier comfortable shape, and manages to cram more and more features in, without sacrificing usability, comfort, or too much weight.
The gaming performance is pretty good too, though many will find the Basilisk V3 too heavy, especially those with a penchant for competitive FPS games.
However, we think that the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro has struck a perfect balance as its well-suited to all applications, thanks in no small part to its multifunctional scroll wheel and ergonomic shape.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
