Razer has officially released its new mouse line with the Cobra and the Cobra Pro. The goal with this line is to offer an immersive mouse that features a symmetrical design with customization options. Ten programmable buttons on this mouse and the ability to save five profiles directly on the devices allows for a solid amount of variety for players. While the Cobra offers a wired solution for a much lower price and not as many tech options, the review unit provided was the Cobra Pro. While the Cobra Pro shines in some areas, it offers questionable design decisions, but does offer an immersive look.
Razer made sure to pack its latest technology into the Cobra Pro. The flagship Razer Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor is available that promises speeds up to 30,000 DPI and a 99.8% resolution accuracy rate. It tracks well on different surfaces including glass. This also includes 750 IPS maximum speed and a 70 G max acceleration along with Smart Tracking for automatic surface calibration, Motion Sync and Asymmetric Cut-Off. The Cobra Pro is wireless with HyperPolling Technology available, but the dongle needs to be purchased separately. This means when paired with that or the Razer Mouse Dock Pro, it can achieve a 4000 Hz polling rate. The HyperSpeed Wireless connection means a seamless response is felt with the mouse, as again there are no issues with latency when using the Cobra Pro.
The Cobra Pro also offers Bluetooth connectivity and can be wired via a USB-C for connectivity. Razer has added Wireless Charging Capability and has a place to insert its Wireless Charging Puck, again as a separate purchase. Razer is offering bundles with the Cobra Pro and one of the accessories, but not all three. What tech that Razer has introduced is local dimming to the mouse to help with battery life. The test mouse has been used for a week and a half and probably a total of twenty hours and hasn’t severely budged on the life. Razer rates the mouse up to 100 hours on HyperSpeed and 170 on Bluetooth, but this would be without any type of lighting.
Speaking of lighting, to implement the immersion aspect to the Cobra Pro, Razer has brought over what the Basilisk V3 Pro offered with an underglow lighting. It simply looks phenomenal on the Cobra Pro as there are eleven different lighting zones on the mouse that includes the scroll wheel and the Razer logo. These lights are customizable via the Razer Synapse software, as are the rest of the mouse features. A fine strip of lighting curves around the edge of the mouse except for the very front. Crank the brightness up on glass and it looks like the mouse is floating, or put it on a black surface and the reflection is exquisite. It isn’t overbearing like some mice on the market, but the lighting areas just accent the mouse so well. It’s a marvel to look at.
Razer also included its third generation optical mouse switches that eliminate double-clicking issues and offer no debounce delay. These are rated at ninety million clicks. The bottom of the Cobra Pro offers three areas of 100% PTFE for smooth movement along with the DPI button and a slider switch for choosing connectivity. This is where a bit of the ten programmable buttons issue comes into play. The Cobra Pro offers ten buttons, but one of these is considered the DPI button underneath. Razer does offer its HyperShift option within the Synapse software to expand this even more, but will require a hot key to initialize. There are two buttons on the left hand side and while the design is symmetrical and would make one believe that this would help with ambidextrous settings, but there are no buttons on the right hand side.
Coming from the Viper Ultimate Mouse, which offers buttons on both side, leaves one to question why this wasn’t included here. Yes, it’s a different mouse line, but the overall design feels similar. Instead, Razer has opted for two small mice at the top that also default to adjusting DPI settings. Two of the extra buttons are considered as scrolling up and down on the scroll wheel, with the scroll wheel having a button on a push. There are mice on the market that allow to push the scroll wheel left and right as buttons, but that isn’t here. So, the idea of having ten programmable buttons that aren’t easily useful in situations and would need to be cleared in Synapse ahead of time to use is a bit misleading.
The actual feel of the Cobra Pro is well-refined and offers the best feel based on your hand position. This sits slightly higher in the palm than the Viper Pro does with matte black plastic to help provide grip so the hand doesn’t slide. The two buttons on the side are smooth to clearly differentiate from the rubber trips that line both side of the mouse. Black gloss fills the crevices as it divides the areas of the mouse for a subtle yet futuristic design. Underneath, there’s a puck cover that’s meant to be removed when putting in the wireless charging puck. The only compatible dock is the Dock Pro, so I cannot use it with the dock for the Viper Pro. The Cobra Pro is a bigger mouse, but moves light and effortlessly, and it’s rather impressive that it doesn’t have to go the route of honeycomb plastic to achieve it. While it isn’t ultra lightweight, it doesn’t feel far off.
The Cobra Pro retails for $129.99 and for that price, there’s a lot here to offer with a mouse that’s going to last a good while. It’s worth noting the regular wired Cobra only comes in at $39.99 and with the gen-3 optical switches, and 8500 DPI Optical Sensor and 1000 hz polling rate with a weight of only 58g, that’s hard to beat for a gaming mouse in today’s market. The Cobra Pro combos, however, will rely on what the user wants to take advantage of. Combined with the Mouse Dock Pro, this is $169.99. Those wanting the HyperPolling Wireless Dongle will pay $144.99 and those wanting the Wireless Charging Puck will pay $139.99. These are also exclusive to Razer retail and won’t be found at other retail locations.
Closing Comments:
What stands out the most about the Cobra Pro is the immersive design. The lighting and glow that’s customizable with effects is fantastic while not lighting up the room or being seen from space. It’s similar to the subtle vibe offered by the BlackWidow V4 keyboard. Razer has included its latest tech while adding dimming zones to improve battery life and the capabilities of adding a wireless charging puck. This will just end up costing users extra, although this could have been a cost cutting measure as offering all the accessories and capabilities could have pushed this to $199.99, but it’s a good package with a futuristic design and customization for $129.99. The ten programmable buttons may be true, but not something seamless out of the box. The aesthetic and symmetrical design is what defines the Razer Cobra Pro as it bridges both innovation and performance into a nice package.
