Manufacturer: Razer

Release Date: 8/17/2013

MSRP: $149.99

I love gaming mice and I am slowly building a collection of them. It may sound odd to some people but gaming mice are the most advanced mice out right now and companies are innovating them physically and technologically. We have come a long way since the first mouse which was just one button. They almost look like spaceships or android robots. Razer is one of the biggest innovators when it comes to gaming technology and their mice have reigned supreme for the past decade. While I love the Naga and Mamba 2012; the Ouroborous is by far their best product yet. It seems physical customization is a new thing since Cyborg’s series of R.A.T. mice have come out and the Ouroboros looks like it’s taken a few pages from the R.A.T. 9.

First off the box just makes you ogle at the mouse. Sitting on that pedestal in the plastic case. It even made the employee at Best Buy (where I purchased my mouse) gaze in amazement since she had never seen anything like it. Razer products are boisterous and bold and they are also sleek. The Ouroborous is the sleekest mouse I have ever seen or held. The low profile and sharp angles accompanied by the perfect LED placement makes this mouse look like something out of the future. While looks can be deceiving the mouse performs beautifully.

Having 8200 DPI may seem like overkill to most. This is one of the few mice out there that support it. After using my Mamba 2012 which had a max of 6400 DPI I figured it couldn’t get any higher. I have to say 8200 DPI is so sensitive a sneeze could make it move. Barely flexing my fingers and muscles allowed me to move the entire mouse across the whole screen. Some people prefer little movement while some prefer lower DPI. While I personally would never use 8200 DPI (I prefer around 3000) it’s there for someone. I also felt that the laser itself is just so much better than any other mouse I have used. It glides just right has the technology to detect what mat surface you are using. You can select your Razer mousepad in the Synapse 2.0 software which is great and I noticed a huge difference while using my Razer Vespula (speed side).

While the device may feel smooth and respond well in both wired and wireless mode, it’s also about how it feels in action. The Ouroborous comes with magnetic finger grips and/or rests. This is great for people who have a more fingered grip or use more palm, or just have big hands and don’t want your pinky or thumb to drag. The magnetic grips snap right on which is ingenious and much more practical than the R.A.T. 9’s need for a tool. Now, the Ouroboros does come with a screwdriver but it’s separate and only needs to extend the palm rest and insert the rechargeable AA battery. One feature that I love about the Ouroboros is the wheel underneath the palm rest that allows you to tilt it for better grip. It allows you to fill in that gap in your palm if you’re a finger grip gamer or lower the palm rest for a more palm-heavy gamer. This allows you to essentially suck the mouse into your hand rather than just trying to form the mouse into your hand like the R.A.T. series by Cyborg.

With that said the buttons themselves feel amazing. This mouse has a dedicated clutch below the scrolls wheel dedicated to DPI switching which is a must as certain games register DPI differently. With this being an ambidextrous mouse the mouse is symmetrical. One feature I was surprised at was the thumb rests being clutches for shortcuts or macros. This works surprisingly well and I never accidentally clicked it by gripping the mouse too hard. It requires the right amount of force to not be accidental. Each clutch can be individually locked if you don’t like it or want only one side working. The side buttons are great since it allows 4 shortcuts/macros instead of just the two by your thumb. The scroll wheel is also fantastic and I am usually unhappy with most scroll wheels. This one has a nice grip and clicks down just right and isn’t too stiff. I feel there are just enough buttons by they are in places that make sense and are also immersive. The final thing would be the battery indicator located above the palm rest. A simple three-light system is great for keeping an eye on your battery.

Most gamers scoff at wireless mice as they can lag and the battery can die mid-game. This battery can last about 12 hours on a charge on lower DPIs. The wired mode works just as great. I also have to mention this mouse comes with the best dock I have ever seen. It is very small (must smaller than the Mamba dock) and uses magnets to pull the mouse down right on top. It also looks good as it doesn’t stick out past the mice giving it a feeling of levitation which looks nice. My biggest downside would be that I had issues switching from wired to wireless mode. I had to fiddle with drivers and restart, but I tend to stay in the wireless mode so I’m not too concerned. I also wish the lights changed colors instead of just being that “Razer green” like the Mamba 2012. However, the green color does look nice and isn’t overused on the dock or mouse.