Enjoy Your Gaming with Zero Disruptions
Razer was founded in 2005, armed and driven by the ‘For Gamers By Gamers’ tagline. Since then, the company has become an institution in gaming peripherals.
Given its wide array of products, it is not surprising that Razer has tapped into wireless technology. The Razer Lancehead Wireless Gaming Mouse is one of their answers to gamers who hate wires but hate latency even more.
Wireless mice still bear this stigma of failing when it really matters. Certain factors, such as the battery dying in the heat of the battle, and wireless interferences, are scary for gamers. Razer, however, has invested considerable efforts in assuring players that this is something possible to prevent.
One of the most significant selling points here is the Adaptive Frequency Technology (AFT) proprietary tech that checks for interference and instantly hops to a new, stronger frequency. Sure, frequency-hopping wireless technology is nothing new, but they claim that theirs is superior. Not convinced? Read on to know if it is just empty promises or the real deal.
- Gaming-grade wireless performance
- Through Adaptive frequency technology
- The world's most precise laser sensor
- Gaming-optimized Razer Mechanical switches
Ergonomics And Design
The Razer Lancehead’s design and frame are excellent, very aesthetically pleasing and stay true to Razer’s signature look. Its ergonomics are well laden out, as it provides superior control that you can feel. I like Lancehead’s curved body. It is symmetrical and offers a good grip, really anti-slip.
The body is made of thin and tough-looking plastic material that feels very smooth. The rubber patches also feel soft and pleasant. There are some indentations to support the grip, and it feels very sturdy.
Features And Performance
The Lancehead has a laser sensor that is capable of 16,000 max DPI. This mouse can also track up to 50Gs of acceleration. No more ‘laggy’ movements. As with most other high-end mice, the sensor supports polling rate of 1000Hz.
Buttons
Razer Lancehead has nine programmable buttons and can be considered a decent MMO mouse. This mouse employs premium well-built Omron switches, co-developed with Razer. They are ergonomically inclined and have a gratifying click. I find them harder to actuate compared to Logitech’s G Pro. It might be a preference thing, but to me, it makes quite a difference.
While there were no performance issues, I feel a tad too much effort is required to click. To be honest, it is a minor concern, but the difference is there.
This mouse has two thumb buttons on each side, making it truly ambidextrous.
On top of the mouse, there are 2 DPI buttons for quick on-the-fly changes. Very convenient when switching between game genres and game presets.
Though relatively small, the DPI switches are super solid and positioned well to avoid accidental pressing. They can shift up and down your DPI setting through 5 custom presets, and can be tweaked via the Synapse software.
The Lancehead has an easy to roll, tactile, and sturdy scroll wheel that I find similar to Razer’s Mamba Hyperflux mouse.
The last button is located on the underbelly of the mouse. This switch allows you to change profile automatically, no fuss needed. Like the DPI stages, you can opt to have 5 profiles with different button assignments, RGB scheme, polling rate, and DPI customizations.
Sensors
Under the hood, the Lancehead is powered by the True 16,000 DPI 5G laser sensor. Razer boasts it’s the best laser sensor in the world, and with 50gs of acceleration, it just means this mouse won’t easily malfunction with faster movements.
We gamers don’t get easily charmed by stuff on paper, so to testing I went.
I played some Titanfall 2, and I didn’t notice a single issue while playing — no jitter or tracking malfunctions whatsoever. I also played a ton of Tom Clancy’s: Rainbow Six Siege. When I set the mouse to my preferred DPI and sensitivity, the results were exceptional. I was able to lock on targets with ease, and I noticed that my aim is less shaky.
Connectivity
The Lancehead’s versatility will appeal to tons of gamers. It can be used in both wired and wireless modes. The package includes a 7ft braided USB cable.
But where it shines the most is in its wireless capabilities. Like the other high-end wireless mice, this mouse utilizes a USB dongle that is plugged into the mouse’s removable Micro USB cable via an adapter. , allowing for an easy switch from wired to wireless mode and vice versa.
Though wireless technology is not something new, Razer is making a huge deal about the performance of the Lancehead. In a video, Razer puts the Lancehead against an undisclosed wireless mouse. To me, it looks suspiciously like the Logitech G900.
Razer claims ‘Wireless Supremacy’, thanks to the ‘Adaptive Frequency Technology’. They say that the Lancehead hops to the strongest bands of the wireless spectrum in a matter of milliseconds, instead of reactively waiting for drops in coverage to adapt. Watch the video below for further explanations on how the AFT is different from others.
Battery And Charging
Lancehead’s battery can last for approximately 24 hours. Its life could be extended by switching off the fancy lights. If you run out of juice, 4 hours of charging will fill it up. If you can’t wait that long, you can still play while charging.
The AFT is awesome but takes its power from the battery, and drains it quite fast. Remember, it constantly scans for frequencies, so extra energy is needed. Unfortunately, hard-core tweakers can’t do anything about it because this feature can’t be turned off. But seriously, if it makes the wireless performance ‘wired-like’, then it is a fair price to pay.
Balance And Weight
With a size of 4.6 in x 2.79 in x 1.49 in, the mouse is just about right. Some might find its weight of 111g too much, I personally don’t mind heftier mice.
Software And Lighting
This is an RGB Chroma mouse and the Synapse will let you pick between Static, Breathing, Spectrum Cycling, Wave, and Reactive color schemes. There’s also the more granular Chroma Configurator (CC) for the personalization aficionados out there. You can even match the schemes to your games. Who would not like an orange hue to match their Dark Souls 3 marathon?
Button functions and DPI can be altered, and there is nothing new here. Razer has also incorporated a ‘Hypershift’ mode, which allows for assigning an additional function per button.
Final Verdict
Razer’s Lancehead is a super-ergonomic, charming, and well-functioning mouse. Remember, the advantages of wireless mice go beyond aesthetics and clutter. Even though the buttons may cause concern to some players, it is by no means a game-breaker. So, if you have the extra cash to splurge on a premium wireless gaming mouse, then you won’t go wrong with the Lancehead. The wireless performance and precision are oh-so-worth-it.
- Gaming-grade wireless performance
- Through Adaptive frequency technology
- The world's most precise laser sensor
- Gaming-optimized Razer Mechanical switches
