For the Hidden Gamer in You
The first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the Razer Orochi specs was “I am putting this mouse on my Christmas wish list”. I am a huge fan of Razer, but my soft spot for the brand does not influence my rational judgment. I weigh the pros and cons of every piece of merchandise they release and decide whether it is inferior or superior to its predecessors. The same scenario happened upon the debut of Orochi. After the initial thrill, I got to a point where I had to face the fact that a perfectly crafted piece of gaming merchandise is yet to be released. Now, I am going to tell you why I believe Razer Orochi is a great gaming mouse, but I am not going to shy away from expressing criticism, too.
The main features that captured my attention were the size, Bluetooth capabilities as well as the reasonable price tag. Later, I found out that the mouse is better optimized for Windows although it also works well on Macs. Let’s explore Orochi’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Fully supported by Razer Synapse, you can push your performance to the limit by customizing your Razer Orochi, tuning it perfectly to your unique specifications
- Coupled with Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, the Razer Orochi provides 60 hours of continuous gameplay, or 7 months of normal usage*, so you get over 3x more battery life than its predecessor
- Switch conveniently to the wired mode to experience gaming-grade performance, control, and accuracy at a blistering 1 ms response time ; The Calibration Tab allows you to optimize your Razer Precision Sensor to any mousing
- Capable of mouse movement speeds of up to 210 inches per second and 50 G acceleration, the Razer Orochi’s 4G laser sensor delivers uncompromised accuracy – from blazing speed to pinpoint steadiness
If you want to find out more details about the Razer Orochi Gaming Mouse before buying it, read the review below.
Basic Specifics
Razer Orochi is designed with incredible portability in mind. If you travel often, you will definitely appreciate the fact that the mouse is highly functional. It works well on all surfaces and it is also packed with a 4G laser sensor as well as PTFE feet. Plus, the battery lasts up to 60 hours, yet another reason why Orochi is the best gaming mouse for “on the go” play.
Orochi is a capable gaming mouse and its capabilities are in line with most Razer-branded gaming peripherals. It does not have as many advanced features as some of Razer’s most celebrated products, but it is a wonderful bundle you can take on the road.
To write an informative review I had to push the Orochi to its limits and to my surprise, it scored pretty good for such a small mouse. Well, if you have used a mouse for standard office tasks, the size will probably make no impression on you, but the truth is that gaming mice tend to be larger.
Although the overall performance was satisfactory, I have to tell you that in my tests, Orochi performed better in wired mode. So, if you seek superior experience like me, you should go with the wired mode.
Ergonomics
Orochi has a curved plastic body and textured rubber sides for added grip. Razer has released plenty of mixed-grip style devices lately. Having said that I don’t find Orochi comfortable for palm-gripping although if I give it to my toddler nephew he may disagree.
The Razer Orochi is an ambidextrous mouse that makes it suitable for left-handed gamers, too. There is also a pair of side buttons on each side. Overall, Orochi is a pretty versatile piece of hardware. You can use it not only for gaming purposes but also for office-related tasks where accuracy is of crucial importance. If you want to edit pictures you can switch to a lower sensitivity and get more accuracy on sensitive editing tools.
The scroll wheel is also rubberized and textured. I have some remarks about the bottom side, though. It does not glide as smooth as Razer Mamba, for example, but Orochi excels in other fields.
Size
The majority of gaming mice are big and flashy. That’s understandable given the number of buttons and extra features, but as you have already read, that’s not valid for Razer Orochi. It is a compact gaming peripheral that boasts about advantages found in premium-class gaming rodents. Its size might not be shocking for non-gamers, but if you have ever used a Razer Mamba, and you switch to Orochi, you would feel a great difference. The Mamba is twice as big as Orochi. The latter is lighter than most gaming rodents, but after all, it is intended for mobile gamers. Despite its weight, it stays firm on any surface, no worries about that.
Layout
Orochi is a great tool for specific office tasks, but after all, it is a gaming mouse. As such, it has seven customizable buttons – one scroll wheel, two DPI switchers, two right and left clickers. You can map the remaining two as you wish. The back and forward buttons, located on the left side are useful for web browsing and gaming. The right side houses the buttons for sensitivity adjustment. You can save up to 5 different sensitivity settings via the software.
Orochi is a Razer-branded mouse, so I expected nothing but a top-quality scroll wheel and my expectations were met. The scroll wheel does not click right or left. You can customize the lighting features via the Synapse software.
Gamers used to multi-button beasts might consider the number of buttons insufficient and I don’t blame them. Although the mouse has seven programmable buttons, you will be able to remap up to four of them. It all depends on how important the DPI switchers are for you. World of Warcraft fans may not be pleased with Orochi’s buttons, but the Razer Naga Epic Chroma will definitely meet their demands.
Responsiveness and Sensor
Frankly, responsiveness is not the biggest selling point of Razer Orochi, but I am going to outline both the advantages and disadvantages I encountered.
The mouse performed flawlessly in a wired mode. The response time in wired mode is 1 ms, but it jumps to 8 ms in wireless mode. It would be excessive to say that the mouse has serious lagging issues but in wireless mode, it feels a bit less accurate. However, the difference is negligible. I tested the mouse with some fast-paced games and it performed great in FPS and MOBAs.
The Razer Orochi comes with a 4G laser sensor. Razer has released some rodents featuring 5G sensors but the 4G Orochi has seems good enough to me. The maximum DPI is 8,200. I don’t know many gamers who go beyond DPI 2000-3000, but if you have a high-resolution display, you will be pleased with the staggering DPI range.
Wired or Wireless
I did not intend to go into detail about the wired mode. After all, it is not rocket science to connect the USB cable to the front size of the mouse. Well, after a few conversations with gaming addicts and a few days of testing, I found out that I actually have something to say about it.
If you damage the USB cable or you have to replace it, you will not find an exact replacement unless you purchase directly from the manufacturer. The other thing worthy of mentioning is that if you have an older Orochi, you will be disappointed to find out that the cable does not fit in the old plugs.
Let’s talk about its wireless capabilities. Switching to a wireless mode can be a dealbreaker. The mouse utilizes Bluetooth 4.0 so if your PC or laptop does not support the platform, you will have to purchase an adapter.
Wireless rodents are often condemned by e-sports pro gamers, but the wireless technologies have seen a rapid development over the last few years. Razer boasts about the decent wireless range and the tough battery Orochi comes with. The mouse runs on two AA batteries. Razer claims the batteries ensure 7 months of normal usage or 60 hours of intense gameplay. Plus, you can always plug the charge cable in and spare yourself the humiliating fail in the middle of big gaming sessions.
Software
The Razer Synapse software is one of the perks of using Razer Orochi. The software gives you access to a wide number of customization options. It is compatible with all Razer products, so no matter if you purchase a mouse or a keyboard, you just need to download the software, make the settings that suit your gaming style and even sync all Razer-branded devices you use.
You can change the mouse sensitivity, assign macros, and save profiles through the software. Note that the mouse does not have an onboard memory, so you have to be signed into the cloud to save your settings.
Wrap up
Overall Orochi is a stellar mouse and the only serious setback I can point is the slightly less impressive wireless performance. Other than that, it is portable, suitable for quick gaming on the fly. The improved ergonomics and battery life also make it an option to consider.
Orochi is perfect for games with a low number of commands as well as games where the action unfolds at a very fast speed. (I am sure MOBA and FPS enthusiasts won’t regret the purchase). I would not recommend Orochi for high-tier multiplayer gaming when it is off-USB, but when you plug it, you will have no issues tearing up the enemies.
- Fully supported by Razer Synapse, you can push your performance to the limit by customizing your Razer Orochi, tuning it perfectly to your unique specifications
- Coupled with Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, the Razer Orochi provides 60 hours of continuous gameplay, or 7 months of normal usage*, so you get over 3x more battery life than its predecessor
- Switch conveniently to the wired mode to experience gaming-grade performance, control, and accuracy at a blistering 1 ms response time ; The Calibration Tab allows you to optimize your Razer Precision Sensor to any mousing
- Capable of mouse movement speeds of up to 210 inches per second and 50 G acceleration, the Razer Orochi’s 4G laser sensor delivers uncompromised accuracy – from blazing speed to pinpoint steadiness
