Razer DeathAdder Chroma Mouse Review

When one thinks of a mouse reputable for its performance and quality, the term “DeathAdder” quickly joins the conversation. Razer has produced multiple iterations following the original DeathAdder from 2013. Their first attempt at improvement was the DeathAdder Chroma, just a year later, and looks to keep what was great while adding some minor upgrades. After three years, has the DeathAdder Chroma died out, or is it still the best gaming mouse in the world as some may say?

Keep the age in mind as we progress through this review. Moving forward, let’s begin from the start; the unboxing experience. As expected, Razer green and black reigns supreme on the outside, alongside a white font which states all the specifications. On the side of the box are also some quoted thoughts on the product from pros; we’ll mention one of them at the end of the review.  Lifting the flap reveals the green plastic which gives way to what you’ve bought with a tug. The unboxing experience isn’t as premium as we’re used to from today’s Razer, yet remains adequate. In the package is a product information guide and two slips of documentation with thanks from the company alongside, of course, the Razer DeathAdder Chroma itself. It’s ready to prove itself on the mousepad.

However, we’re first going to take a little peek around the product. Face up, we can see that it’s rocking a plain aesthetic mainly due to the lack of a dpi toggle which we’ve grown familiar with today. Needless to say, the three snakes sit at the palm waiting to be filled in with RGB colour. To the left are a couple of programmable buttons above a rubberised grip. Flipping the mouse over reveals three small TEFL feet with the sensor centrally placed. From the looks of it, the Razer DeathAdder Chroma isn’t experimenting too much, keeping a familiar look with no surprises. Playing it safe could pay off. So, let’s find out how it feels in the hand.

User experience is a tremendous strongpoint on this mouse, that is, if you’re right handed. Firstly, the aggressively hard plastic compound on the face does an excellent job at repelling finger oils while improving grip. Speaking of grip, the rubberised section underneath the programmable buttons is perfectly texturised to support you at all times. Also, well defined grooves on the main switches reward the user with a great ergonomic experience.  This mouse is built for those long high-paced gaming sessions for whatever game. Sweeping across a mousepad, whether it’s hard or cloth, is an elegant dance across the ice as the TEFL feet get the job done. The effortless movement is thanks to the cable too, its immense quality braid prevents it from brushing surfaces too much and it’s 2 m long. This leads to the point that it recovers well from the fatigue brought about from packaging. Perhaps the only drawback to the user experience is that the materials could be improved a tad, but that’s nitpicking at its finest. Such an experience is derivative from the performance, which is our next point of discussion.

If you’re looking at this review, it’s probable that you’re in search of a peripheral to satisfy competitive needs. Allow me to go through the specifications which will surely quench your thirst. The most important feature, the powerful sensor, is a 10,000 dpi 4G sensor which is capable of registering movements of up to 300 inches per second at 50G acceleration. Everything is sent to the connection at a staple 1000Hz. Flick shots will be nicely facilitated. Moving on to buttons, Razer’s “hyper response” buttons are practically hair-triggers-actuating thought seamlessly. The company has improved on the original’s overly sensitive actuation forces, perfect for MOBAs. Side-buttons are just as fine, needing a tad more pressure to carry out the programmed action. By the way, every single button is available for adjustment of function. Another feature which professionals will especially love, is the weight of the product. At 105g, it strikes a lovely balance between a flimsy feel and clunky movement to provide a super experience. Apart from the mentioned, the scroll wheel is average, rumbling when the rubber grooves are pushed against the moderate resistance.  

Those interested in the mouse are advised that the product’s architecture favours larger hands, while having preference for a palm and fingertips style.

Continuing to the software, here is where further features may be toggled, such as the RGB lights. Downloadable through Razer Synapse, the software allows one to create as many profiles as needed since everything is saved on the cloud. In these profiles, acceleration, dpi, lighting, surface calibaration and macros may be created. Sadly, this was done since there is no internal storage. To note, dpi may only be set in 100s. Lighting effects on the DeathAdder “Chroma” is rather limited, having only spectrum cycling and static for both areas of the mouse being the palm and scroll wheel. Strangely enough, a breathing effect is also available, but only for the palm area. Colours are great and standard to Razer Chroma. Onto macros, setting one up is self-explanatory and quite simple. After you’re done creating one, it may be assigned at the “customize” page to a desired button.

Something created for enthusiasts, Razer has created a “STATS” AND “HEATMAPS” page which show off what you’d expect- clicks, distance, movement patterns, wheel rotations and that sort of thing. The ordinary consumer won’t exactly care too much about it, but it’s there for whoever wants it. All the statistics can be shared too.

The Razer DeathAdder Chroma is definitely an upgrade from the original title holder of “the world’s greatest mouse”. The product does a fine job of upholding the title, even now, after three years of opposition. Yet, some modern features such as dpi profiles and toggles haven’t made their way onto the machine. At a price of €80, the performance, build quality and aged features succeed at creating quite the persuasive purchase.

If you fancy a professional opinion, here’s what Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng of CLG (at the time) had to say:

“The rubber side-grips coupled with the Razer DeathAdder’s comfortable shape allow me to make precision movements with ease so I can focus on the game as a whole. If you’re playing League of Legends at the highest level you need a mouse that does the work for you.”

Check out the link to learn more: http://shop.gamers.com.mt/product/28/razer-deathadder-elite-chroma