Razer DeathAdder V2 review

Name: Razer DeathAdder V2
Brand: Razer

Matt Sayer

Last updated: Feb 21, 2020

Quick verdict: New features and upgraded hardware make the DeathAdder V2 one of the best mice Razer has produced.

Optical switches are punchy, responsive and reliable
Lighter design allows for faster movement with less effort
New Focus+ sensor delivers higher precision and more customisability than ever

Not dramatically cheaper than the more feature-rich Razer Basilisk V2
No left-handed option yet

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Razer might be one of the biggest names in gaming mice, but the company isn't one for resting on its laurels. Since launching the original DeathAdder gaming mouse way back in 2006, Razer has iterated on it multiple times, culminating in its latest release of the DeathAdder V2.

Much like the Razer Basilisk V2, the DeathAdder V2 delivers a number of significant improvements over its predecessors. With a more precise sensor, new optical switches and a lighter, faster design, the Razer DeathAdder V2 reasserts itself as the go-to choice for folks wanting a capable yet accessible wired gaming mouse.

Design

Light, ergonomic design lends itself well to extended use
Sleek and simple aesthetic suits both home and office environments
Large thumb buttons are responsive and easy to hit
Speedflex cable is almost as good as going wireless

On looks alone, the DeathAdder V2 doesn't seem all that different to its predecessor, the Razer DeathAdder Elite. Both carve the familiar hourglass silhouette, with curves that support a comfortable grip I had no trouble maintaining throughout long work days or marathon gaming sessions.
Rubber pads on the sides of the mouse not only provide extra grip, they feel nice too, which to me is critical for conveying the sense of premium quality you want from a high-end gaming mouse like the DeathAdder V2. The left and right mouse buttons, meanwhile, are slightly concave which helps to keep your fingers centred even in the heat of the action. This in turn ensures you're pressing down at the lowest action point, minimising the latency between your physical action and the on-screen response.
Like the Elite before it, the DeathAdder V2 features especially large thumb buttons that are easier to hit and more conveniently placed than many of those I've tested. Their broad footprint means there's no need to adjust your grip to reliably access them, and they're responsive enough that you can press them with the edge of your thumb just as reliably as the middle. In fact, having gotten used to them, I'm finding it hard to go back to mice with smaller, less intuitive thumb buttons.
The DeathAdder V2's simple style works just as well in an office environment as it does next to a gaming rig. The all-black design can be subtle and unintrusive (so long as you turn off the RGB lighting, that is), and there are no sinister edges or aerodynamic appendages to call it out as a "gaming" mouse. Admittedly, that could be a downside from a certain perspective, but there are plenty of other options out there if you're after something a little more boisterous.
Where the DeathAdder V2 starts to distinguish itself is in the smaller details. First and foremost, the V2 is significantly lighter than its forebears, weighing in at just 82g. This, combined with the new PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) mouse feet, has a noticeable impact on how easy it is to skate the mouse around with minimal effort. Less effort means less wrist strain, allowing for longer gaming or working sessions without discomfort.
The other notable design improvement the DeathAdder V2 brings is its re-engineered cable. Encased in "Speedflex" material, it looks similar to your standard braided cable but promises less drag for faster overall mouse movement. In practice, it works surprisingly well. Not only does it glide across flat surfaces with minimal friction, it slides smoothly around troublesome objects like table edges and monitor legs without catching and jolting you out of the action. You don't have to worry about the cable getting tangled either, as its slick coating makes pulling it free from itself or other cables a cinch.

Performance

Optical switches are noticeably faster than regular mechanical switches
New Focus+ optical sensor delivers top-notch tracking precision
Scroll wheel is a joy to click

Under-the-hood performance is where the DeathAdder V2 really stands out from the mice that came before it.
Starting from the bottom, Razer has upgraded the tracking capabilities of the DeathAdder V2 by equipping it with a 20,000 DPI "Focus+" optical sensor. Razer's claim here is 99.6% resolution accuracy, and while I can't speak to those exact numbers, I can say that the sensor's precision is absolutely on-point. Both at the upper and lower ends of the 100-20,000 DPI sensitivity range, the accuracy of each mouse movement feels flawless, and that remains true even when whipping the cursor frantically around the screen.
The sensor isn't the DeathAdder V2's only optical component, either. Razer has swapped out the mechanical switches of previous models for its own optical switches, delivering what it claims is a 0.2 millisecond response time. Even without timing it, I felt the difference immediately. Each click is fast and satisfyingly punchy, conveying a sense of speed that drove me to go faster both in work and play.
There's no wobble or give to the switches, either, which speaks to the high-quality construction Razer is touting here. It also adds credence to the 70-million-click durability rating, a figure that feels entirely reasonable given the overall premium build quality of the DeathAdder V2.
Scroll wheel performance is another area Razer has refined with the DeathAdder V2. The resistance sits somewhere between firm, incremental scrolling and low-resistance freewheeling, offering a decent balance of speed and precision. It is a little looser than I personally prefer, and it's a bummer you can't manually adjust the resistance as you can with the Razer Basilisk V2. Nevertheless, it scrolls accurately and smoothly with minimal effort. It's also quieter than clickier scroll wheels, which is handy for folks working or gaming in public spaces.
The scroll wheel button also warrants a shout-out. Thanks to those optical switches, clicking it is as fast and responsive as hitting the left and right mouse buttons, a parity that very few other mice are able to deliver.

Features

Hypershift increases the number of custom functions you can access on the fly
Smart distance tracking is a boon for folks who switch between a variety of mouse surfaces
On-board memory profiles are a welcome addition to the DeathAdder line

The Razer DeathAdder V2 is packed full of features both familiar and fresh.
Starting with the basics, you get eight programmable buttons you can rebind to other key functions or custom macros as you see fit. Where that gets more interesting, though, is with Razer's Hypershift feature that lets you define a second set of custom bindings for those eight buttons. You then designate a specific mouse button or keyboard key as the "Hypershift button" which, when held down, will swap your mouse bindings to that second set.
This effectively doubles the amount of custom actions you can access at any one time, which is especially handy in MMOs, MOBAs and other games where the number of available abilities exceeds the number of buttons on a regular mouse. The downside, of course, is that you have to sacrifice a key or button to act as the Hypershift toggle, and it has to be one that's easy enough to hold down in the heat of battle.
One of the DeathAdder V2's more novel features is the smart vertical distance tracking enabled by its Focus+ sensor. Since different surfaces reflect light in different ways, the distance at which an optical sensor stops tracking movement when you lift the mouse into the air can change considerably from mousepad to mousepad. To mitigate this, the Focus+ sensor can automatically calibrate itself to new surfaces, making for a more consistent experience when swapping between multiple computer set-ups.
Additionally, folks who want to really optimise their experience can set separate vertical cut-off distances for when you lift the DeathAdder V2 up and when you place it back down again.
On the less-novel but still notable front, the DeathAdder V2 is the first mouse in the DeathAdder family to feature on-board memory for storing multiple profiles. Each profile records your custom bindings, sensitivity settings and customisation options like RGB lighting patterns.
There's room for five profiles at a time, with the ability to switch between them on-the-fly using a dedicated button on the underside of the mouse. A small indicator light next to the button lights up a different colour depending on which profile you've selected, so you don't have to worry about accidentally selecting the wrong one.
As I just briefly mentioned, the DeathAdder V2 supports RGB lighting, with the standard retinue of colour patterns available. The lighting itself shines through the sides of the scroll wheel and through the Razer logo on the base of the mouse where your palm rests.

Verdict

A meaningful evolution of an already excellent gaming mouse

Razer DeathAdder V2 left and right mouse buttons

Should you buy it?

With the DeathAdder V2, Razer has once again elevated the DeathAdder name to the top tier of gaming mice. It's lighter and more comfortable than ever, with higher-precision tracking and faster, more responsive switches that make the simple act of clicking significantly more satisfying.

My only hesitation in recommending the DeathAdder V2 stems from the fact that the Basilisk V2 with its wider array of features costs just $20 more. The Basilisk V2 isn't quite so subtle in its design, though, which may give the DeathAdder V2 the edge if you're after a mouse that won't stand out in public spaces or office environments.

Pricing and availability

Price: RRP $139.95
Where to buy: Razer

Specifications

Where to buy

Sensitivity

Maximum DPI

20,000

Polling Rate

1,000 Hz

Physical Dimensions

Number of Buttons

Depth

127 mm

Width

61.7 mm

Height

42.7 mm

Weight

82 g

Cable Length

2.1 m

Features

Wireless

RGB

Yes

Connection Type

USB

Matt Sayer

Matt Sayer is a technology writer and editorial engineer for Finder, combining industry expertise with data-driven solutions to help people make better decisions. His extensive portfolio spans investigative reporting on the roll-out of 5G, statistical analysis on the legacy of E3 and guides for popular products like mobile phones and smart speakers. Matt has a Bachelor of Computer Science from RMIT University and is passionate about finding ways that technology can better our lives.

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Razer DeathAdder V2 review