For a PC gamer the only thing more important than a good keyboard is a good mouse. Like the analogue sticks on a game pad, if your mouse sucks then you are doomed in any game you play. The Ouroboros is Razer’s new flagship mouse and incorporates many of the features found on the Razer Mamba. Like its predecessor the Ouroboros is a wireless gaming mouse and just like the Mamba it also can be plugged in so it becomes a wired gaming mouse.
So this is a chimera; a wireless gaming mouse that throws off the bondage of the oppressive cable and a wired gaming mouse that doesn’t have to worry about a battery going flat. Razer says that the battery will last for 12 hours of continuous usage, a claim which proved to be accurate in testing. When the battery did die it was a quick task to remove the cable from the cradle and plug it into the mouse. But, during testing, the reason the battery died was because it had not been put on charge in a few days. The charging dock, which also acts as a wireless receiver, welcomes the mouse into its loving embrace with a solid click thanks to the built-in magnets. Leave it overnight and in the morning it will be ready for work.
Razer has chosen to use a rechargeable AA battery so when it gets a bit old replacing it will be easy. The mouse also has a sleep function to ensure that the battery isn’t drained during the day and the battery indicator lights on the mouse show how much charge the battery has. When in use though the mouse has lights which do use up power but these can be deactivated using the Razer Synapse 2.0 software.
The Ouroboros is an ambidextrous 11-button mouse that can also be adjusted to suit the user’s hand. Before moving onto the buttons, and where they are all hiding, we need to look at the interchangeable side panels and the adjustable palm rest. Razer ships two sets of side panels with the Ouroboros, two flat panels and two wings. The wings provide a place for the user’s thumb and ring finger/pinkie to rest on. The R.A.T. 7 features such a rest on the right hand side of the mouse but with wings on both sides the Ouroboros proved to be far more comfortable. If you don’t like these wings then the textured side panels can be used which are wing-less. These side panels are attached using magnets and they don’t come off easily. The palm rest can be pulled out so as to elongate the mouse, making it more comfortable for those with a larger hand. Furthermore the angle of the palm rest can be adjusted, accommodating for different grip types.
Supporting the lead cast of the two main buttons and their loyal sidekick the clickable scroll wheel are eight more buttons. On either side of the mouse are two thumb buttons and a clutch button. By default this clutch is used to lower the DPI when held like the Precision Aim button on the R.A.T. 7. This can be adjusted in the software and is very useful when trying to snipe in games like Battlefield 3. But these clutch buttons are very stiff and make it difficult to use this feature. On the underside of the Ouroboros there is a switch that enables or disables the clutch buttons on either side. Below the mouse wheel are the DPI switching buttons and like all the other buttons on the Ouroboros these too can be programmed using the Synapse 2.0 software.
The Razer has used its “4G Dual Sensor System” which uses a laser sensor and an optical sensor to deliver highly accurate movement. In practice this cannot be faulted. Every twitch of the hand is detected by the mouse and using a DPI setting of 2,000 proved to be ideal for Battlefield 3 as well as Dota 2. The Razer Synapse 2.0 software is not the best however and still needs some work. When changing the DPI the on-screen indicator either fails to pop up or pops up a few seconds after the event. The Synapse 2.0 software does sync the mouse settings to the cloud so if you change systems or format your OS your mouse will be set up perfectly the moment the software is installed.
At this price bracket the only contender is the R.A.T.9 which uses the same ultra-customisable shape as the R.A.T. 7 but adds in wireless for good measure. But the R.A.T. 9 cannot be plugged into a cable so you need for the battery to finish charging before you can use it, unlike the Ouroboros. The Ouroboros ticks far too many good boxes not to be awarded top marks. This is a wireless gaming mouse that lefties can use that has a great sensor, is adjustable and very comfortable and has enough buttons to please most people, save for the Naga-loving MMO junkies. This is the mouse to get if money is no object.
Price R1,400
Manufacturer Razer
Supplier Razer
Type Wireless/ Wired
Buttons 11
Sensor type 4G dual sensor
Sensor resolution 8,200 dpi
Battery life approx. 12 hours
Extras Interchangeable side panels, adjustable palm rest
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Beautiful piece of kit this one!
Yes it is.
Beautiful piece of innovation, my friends would think i just got myself a transformers mouse if i get that one,
Nice mouse, but at the that price, I could buy a new cheapy mouse to use every single day of the month!
Thats the best looking mouse EVER!
It looks like a transformer. I likei it!
That thing sure is big
Wow good review! This helps for guys like me that has big hands. The deathadder is also big but not as wide.. Like the customization on this one
I neeeed it!
Looks Awesome! But the price
This looks awesome …. but R1400 is a *lot* of money for a mouse ….
What is that grill in the front of the mouse?
The grills are just there for looks.
Would like to win something like that…
Das fantastic
So sexy…damn
Very nice. Its a pitty it looks like a RAT though
kinda reminds me of a stealth fighter or something like that
WANT!
I’d rather buy a steelseries sensei to be completely honest D:
Steelseries is a great brand and the Sensei is an impressive mouse. I would just like to see Steelseries come out with more options and a wireless model at the very least. Some gamers want wireless.
I want it just for the way it looks!
Did you find any problems with the lift distance of the mouse ? I have the razer taipan and it uses the same sensor , even on the lowest setting for a specific mouse pad . The sensor picks up movement 3-4mm from the mouse pad
You can adjust the lift distance in the Synapse 2.0 software. I keep my sensitivity at around 2000 so I never need to lift.
Have you updated the firmware of your mouse? Synapse should be kept up to date automatically but playing with the settings for lift should help. Let me know if you come right.