Razer Lancehead Wireless Mouse Review
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An ambidextrous joy to game with, boasting some high-end wireless technology but is it the best option?
The Razer Lancehead wireless gaming mouse is Razer’s answer to the Logitech G900 & G903 and their flagship ambidextrous wireless mouse. The Lancehead boasts some of the best wireless technology available in mice and is paired with what Razer is calling their best laser sensor. This premium mouse is a deadly beast in the looks department very much like its real reptilian brother however this one is an ambidextrous joy to hold. The ergonomic design of the mouse feels great and it’s relatively lightweight for a wireless mouse at 111g. Retailing at just under £100/$100 this mouse offers both right and left-handed gamers a premium gaming experience.
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Pros
- Futuristic Design – Packs a visual punch.
- Comfortable – Sits in the hand nicely.
- Great Tracking – Razer’s best laser sensor to date.
- High Quality – Well built and high-quality materials used.
- RGB – Really vibrant RGB compared to others.
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Cons
- Thumb button – Feels harder to press than others.
- Software – Had to restart PC after installing another Razer device.
- No Customisation – Cant remove thumb buttons that interfere with the ambidextrous nature.
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I have to say I was impressed with the overall quality of the Lancehead. It feels sturdy with the main outer shell being made of thin smooth plastic. It features the nicest RBG lighting on any mouse I’ve ever had to be honest. There are rubberised grips in the thumb grooves which help keep the mouse firmly in my grip regardless of the different playstyles I tried. It tracked well on my cloth and hard pads whilst also gliding with no issues. Ambidextrous mice are not normally my cup of tea but to give the Lancehead credit it would be a viable option as it’s really quite comfortable. If you pair the Lanceheads design with its new adaptive frequency technology (AFT) then you could be on to a wireless winner.
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Mouse Size & Weight
- Weight: 111g
- Size: Medium
- Length: 11.7cm – 4.6 inches
- Width: 7.1cm – 2.8 inches
- Height: 3.8cm – 1.5 inches
- Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
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Mouse Tech
- Sensor: Razer 5G Laser sensor
- Battery Life: 24 hours (With Lighting)
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Note: This review is part of our best wireless gaming mouse series. For details on competing products and how we tested them click here.
What’s in the box
I’m a fan of Razers simplified packaging, the Lancehead is no different. On the box, features a large image of the product with the specifications/features on the bottom and back of the box.
Inside you get:
- Razer Lancehead gaming mouse
- USB dongle
- USB dongle adapter
- USB to Micro-USB cable
- Information Guide
Size & Weight
With the introduction of the wireless Lancehead, Razer looked to cater for all hands (even you lefties). This ambidextrous beauty sits mid-table in terms of size and to put it in perspective it’s similar in size to the G Pro albeit 1 cm wider. It is however fairly heavy at 111 grams which I didn’t mind. The side grips housed my thumb, ring finger, and pinky perfectly but due to the Lancehead being low profile it felt harder to move across the mouse pad compared to the G900/G903 which are a similar weight. This movement issue I had could be down to my hand size and grip (palm) of course as the mouse was still comfortable in the hand while playing.
Shape & Texture
The overall shape of the mouse is excellent, it’s a little stunner on the desk as you’d expect from a Razer peripheral. It’s ergonomics really do allow for greater control and you can feel that. The body of the mouse is curved enough to provide a good grip and it helps me avoid pressing the DPI buttons on the top which is a welcomed design to implement. The curved body flows down the front creating 2 very comfortable grooves in the primary buttons. These sculpted buttons have an unconventional gap between them that house the illuminated scroll wheel, made possible by the lack of a wire. One of the nicest features other than the RGB on this mouse is the ‘floating’ scroll wheel, which gives the wireless Lancehead its deadly venomous vibe.
The outer shell is made from thin durable plastic and is very smooth to the touch, which feels quite nice in the palm. It uses the same brilliant rubber grips as the wireless Mamba and if it wasn’t for these on the sides id struggle to keep control in certain situations (where a very fast flick was required say). The side grips have extra groove indentations to assist in any slipping and the mouse feels sturdy with no loose rattling parts. The Lancehead I’ve been using it in a gunmetal grey and it looks great, the grey compliments the RGB lighting strips making it a very visually appealing mouse.
Buttons
The primary buttons are ergonomically great and have a satisfying click but they do fall short to the G Pro in terms of actuation as previously mentioned on the Lancehead TE review. I actually did notice this difference in the buttons and it could be a preference thing but the Lanceheads switches just didn’t feel as good. This mouse uses Omron switches co-developed with Razer and there was no performance lost in-game but It felt as though an extra effort was required when clicking, which was minuscule but noticeable.
The mouse features 2 thumb buttons on either side of the mouse, making it ambidextrous along with its symmetry. You can always disable the buttons that will sit near your ring finger if you are concerned about accidentally pressing them, although I never did and had no issues. The mouse seems to be designed to prevent accidental pressing and that’s the same with the side buttons which are narrow with a defined point in the middle. This sharply defined edge does assist you when pressing but for me, these buttons are too slim and slightly too far away. I prefer to roll maybe half my thumb up to the buttons so I never lose control of the mouse but I was unable to do that as effectively with the Lancehead.
The top of the mouse has 2 DPI buttons for quick on the fly changes (higher/lower) which some gamers demand when playing different characters in overwatch for example. They are small but solid buttons and are near impossible to accidentally hit. The DPI buttons shift through 5 preset custom DPI settings which you can customize in the Synapse software.
The Lancehead features a tactile scroll wheel that’s very similar to the Mamba Wireless with its grippy texture but its smaller. It lights up and is rather quiet so all in all a pretty good scroll wheel. The Mamba has a superior wheel but the fact you can see this one from 3 different angles and its ‘floating’ nature makes it very attractive.
It comes with a 2.1 metre USB charging cable and slots into the mouse nicely. The wireless Lancehead can be used while wired if you absolutely had to but like the Tournament Edition, it’s braided and can collect dust quite easily or sometimes fray. That said if you were in a pickle and had to use the wire then don’t worry, it fits in the different bungees I tried and is relatively smooth compared to other braided cables I have used before.
The final button is located on the underside of the mouse, it allows you to quickly change profile without having to leave a game or open up the software. Like the dpi stages, you can have 5 profiles all with different binds, colours, polling rate, and DPI.
Sensor & Performance
The Lancehead features Razers variant of the Philips Twin Eye 5G Laser Sensor and normally that’s enough to stop people reading but I can’t deny this sensor actually performed really well. Razer claim it’s the best laser sensor in the world and it might well be. It has a DPI range going up to 16,000 and an IPS speed of 210, which when you factor in the 50gs of acceleration it means this mouse won’t easily malfunction with faster movements.
I got to grips with the Lancehead while mainly playing CSGO as I feel this game gives you a great idea of how a mouse can perform overall. I didn’t notice a single issue when testing for jitter and tracking. When the mouse was set to my preferred DPI and sensitivity the results in-game were amazing. I found targets with ease, snapping between 2 was a delight, and there was zero jitter for me using the mouse over the week. The sensor didn’t spin out once which did use to happen with older laser sensors and considering this was a completely new mouse to me the micro-adjustments were flawless. Despite most people arguing against a laser sensor Razer really do have a great one here, it may not be as good but its incredibly hard to see a difference.
The lancehead can have up to 1000Hz polling rate and to test this I jumped on Zowies ‘Mouse Rate Tester’. The software gives you an average polling rate over however long you wish and the lancehead remained in the mid 900s which is pretty standard for mice.
Connectivity
The Lancehead features some really exciting technology. The mouse connects to the receiver using Razers proprietary adaptive frequency technology (AFT). Basically, the mouse connects to several different channels open to the mouse while constantly scanning them for interference every millisecond. If there was an issue with the current frequency of your mouse, AFT would then switch to a better performing frequency ensuring 100% transmission stability (less lag). It’s worth noting the AFT would only switch if your current frequency was underperforming. The Lancehead works on a 2.4gHz range which connects to the dongle receiver you plug into your desktop. I never had any issues while the dongle was plugged into my desktop but if you were concerned about connectivity issues then you can always use the adapter and use the dongle closer to the mouse.
Battery Life & Charging Time
The battery lasts approximately 24 hours and this can be extended if you turned off the lovely lighting (not that you would). A day of charge (24 hours) I found to be more than enough to get me through at least 4 hardcore days of gaming but I suppose if you were a professional training a minimum of 8 hours a day this may not be very convenient. It will take about 4 hours to gain a full charge from 0% but if you did get into this scenario you can always play while charging. The battery life is taking a bit of a hit from the AFT as it draws more power constantly scanning for frequencies. This drawback can’t be avoided but for us, if it makes the wireless experience as good as wired then we don’t mind.
Mouse Software
The Lancehead was the first Razer mouse to use the Synapse 3(beta) version. I didn’t have any issues and as I already had the software installed it immediately recognised the mouse and I was underway. Synapse is cloud-based which means if you go anywhere to game with the internet you can download the software, log in and voila your settings are implemented.
Our Verdict
When you get down to it and use this mouse you realise its actually a solid ambidextrous performer. The sensor despite not being a top of the line optical performs as good and with the AFT running in the background it does give you confidence in this mouse. Maybe it is a professional-grade wireless gaming mouse and in short bursts, I have no doubt most people could yield good results from the Lancehead but when you consider the G903 with a superior sensor is a similar price its a tough call. That being said if you’re a fan of Razer or really like the unique shape to the Lancehead go for it, it’s a solid mouse.