Razer's latest gaming mouse is a love letter to the OG Viper, and I couldn't be happier

Razer Cobra Hyperspeed | $99.99 at Amazon
The Razer Cobra maintains a slimline profile with a slick paneled design and shorter form factor, all for just under $100. If you miss the design of the old Viper, this is where you need to be looking right now.

Buy it if:

✅ You don't like the chunkier design of newer FPS mice
✅ You play casually
✅ RGB is a must

Don't buy it if:

❌ You want more modern FPS specs

UK: £99.99 at Amazon

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The Razer Cobra Hyperspeed was announced yesterday, but I've had this all-in-one gaming mouse on my desk for just over a week now. I loved the previous Razer Cobra Pro, so adding a wireless connection to a cheaper pointer was always going to go down well. It wasn't until I picked up the new generation, though, that I realized why it had stuck in my heart for so long - it reminds me of the good old days of the Razer Viper.

This is line of longstanding competitors in the best gaming mouse arena, but the Razer Viper Ultimate was actually one of the very first gaming mice I tested for GamesRadar+ specifically. A lightweight, skinny FPS-first gaming mouse, it sported the classic slimline form factor that came to define genre-specific pointers for some time. With my small hands and proclivity for a relaxed claw grip, it was a match made in heaven.

So, when the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed first introduced a chunkier shape and a higher dome I felt something slipping away from that traditional design. I was being forced into a flatter grip due to the extra height, leaving less space for finer movements between my thumb and pinky.

With the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 and Razer Viper V3 Pro sporting the same larger chassis, I've come to accept that lightweight speedsters just feel different now. That doesn't stop me yearning for the slimline days of yore.

The Razer Cobra Hyperspeed takes me straight back there. It's got the same angular aesthetic as the Viper Ultimate, albeit with more modernized glossy accents. The grippy rubberized sides are replaced by a matte finish similar to that of newer releases, and there's no tape in the box, but I'm happy. My hand is back where it felt so natural all those years ago, and it's not a position I can relax into with too many modern releases.

It's been five years since the Viper Ultimate, so specs are looking much tighter here as well. The Razer Cobra Hyperspeed features a 26,000 DPI / 500 IPS sensor, a much lighter 62g weight, and Razer's Gen 4 Optical Mouse Switches. It also adds a little extra RGB flair, with an illuminated logo on the back but also a strip of LEDs on the underside, casting onto your surface.

Look, it's not going to give the esports-focused (and $169.99) Razer Deathadder V4 Pro anything to worry about, but at under $100 it's already looking like one of the best Razer gaming mouse models for sheer value.

• See all gaming mice at Amazon
• Razer Cobra Hyperspeed | $99.99 at Amazon
• Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro | $169.99 at Amazon

I'm hunting down all the best wireless gaming mouse models on the market, but if you're after a full setup refresh check out the best gaming keyboards and best gaming headsets as well.