Gaming hardware giant Razer is known for producing not only quality items among peripherals and systems but whole suites and families of excellence. Some of whose names are now permanently etched in the minds and discussions about the best gaming hardware: DeathAdder, Blackwidow, BlackShark, and so on. But in the last few years, three particular families have burst to the top of the pyramid, offering something for everyone, no matter who you are, what you play, or your preferred style of mouse and keyboard play on PC.
If you're on the lookout to improve your PC gaming setup or want to keep abreast of the latest boundary-pushing peripherals then Razer has you covered - and a few families stand out.
Unleash speed and up your precision with a Viper mouse
The Viper mouse family has emerged to firmly establish itself as a leader for speed and reflex-centered games. And also one that can be enjoyed by both right-handed and left-handed players due to the overarching ambidextrous design.
The Viper Ultimate is the place to dive into this suite of gaming mice if you're interested in getting a premium mouse, chock full of features, and - crucially - want to cut the cord on your gear. Powered by Razer's own HyperSpeed Wireless tech, the Viper Ultimate has a 20,000DPI optical sensor for precise and super-fast movement, battery life of up to 70 hours, weighs only 74g, and features Optical Mouse Switches for lightning speed actuation.
The Viper 8kHz is a wired mouse for those who are competitive players, online maestros, or for anyone who prefers their gaming tech turned up to 11. With a frankly unbelievable 8000Hz Polling Rate, the Viper 8khz blends the best of the Viper family, with the very fastest tech, and with the lightest design to ensure you're flinging your pointer across your mouse mat faster than your competitors and with the highest of precision.
Play on the go a lot? Or prefer something that you can wield in the palm of your hand? Then the Viper Mini is for you. Taking the distinct Viper shape but shrinking it slightly, the Mini weighs in at only 61g but retains all that makes the Viper mice great: a high DPI rate of 8,500, Optical Mouse Switches, a speedflex cable, and onboard memory profiles.
Gain a gaming advantage with a Basilisk
The Basilisk suite of gaming mice is a great choice for anyone looking for a mouse geared toward FPS games. And there are members of this family across the budget spectrum too, to cater to a wide range of players.
The Basilisk V2 is an updated version of the original and brings it right to the forefront of the conversation of top gaming mice in 2021. Wired to ensure zero-latency input, its 11-button layout - all of which are programmable, offering great customisation - is a stand-out attraction of this gaming rodent. Team that with its cutting-edge accuracy offered by a Focus+ 20K Optical Sensor and optical mouse switches, and speedflex cable, and what you have is a recipe for FPS success. And if you fancy cutting the cord with such a feature festooned mouse, then the Basilisk Ultimate is the one to go for, leading the way for wireless FPS mouses.
The Basilisk X Hyperspeed marks a great entry point into the wireless premium gaming mouse territory, as its compromises are so well balanced with maintaining quality, high-end features, and great performance - all within a more affordable package. There's a 5G optical sensor, an extensive battery life, and those sweet optical switches too - it remains a quality performer.
A Huntsman keyboard brings quality performance - but also an extra edge
The Huntsman suite of keyboards is rapidly becoming the benchmark in gaming keyboards - not only from Razer itself but across the board. And when it comes to choosing which one, you're really spoilt for choice - though a few key distinctions can help navigate you to your best match.
The Huntsman V2 Analog is a full-sized beast of a gaming keyboard with all the hallmarks of Razer's planks - but still offers an extra edge to make it a truly unique proposition. This comes in the form of its Analog Optical Switches that allow variable actuation points and pressures: Need to go around a corner sharply? Press the key harder. Want to have a halfway point for aiming, and then throwing a grenade in the space of one button? No problem. Along with its Doubleshot PBT keycaps, programmable buttons, and digital dial and media keys - to name but a few other features - the Huntsman V2 Analog is really striking new ground in gaming keyboards and should be the top of the pile for consideration.
What the Huntsman range of keyboards can also offer, however, is portable, small, light, and more-restrained models. The Huntsman Tournament Edition (TE) and the Huntsman Mini both offer scaled-down keyboard options: the TE loses the numpad keyset, while the Mini goes even further and drops the arrows and page keys to offer the most compact gaming keyboard Razer makes at a 60% form factor. Don't let either fool you, however, as they're chock-full of features and gaming capabilities to give you the edge. Both are USB-C keyboards offering easy setup, both have optical switches for faster inputs - with the TE's being linear keys for even faster control - Doubleshot PBT keycaps, and all the RGB goodness and Razer design and build quality you could ask for. That's a lot for within one family of keyboards.
In a strong, strong field, these three suites of Razer peripherals are standouts among their brethren, but also across the wider markets; these are some of the very best when you're looking to upgrade your setup or go with something new and top-of-the-line to gain that extra advantage. There's a reason why Razer's peripherals and these models, in particular, are increasingly popular with PC esports teams, and if you want your gaming gear and tools to be at their optimum for helping you and making you better, then adding Viper, Basilisk, or Huntsman into your setup is the way to do it.
