Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini review: "Crammed with quality and value"

Gaming mice often come with a one-size-fits-all approach, but the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini is keen to change that. Designed for gamers with smaller hands, it aims to make the brand a little more accessible while retaining that same high quality.

By and large, it succeeds. Will it knock the standard DeathAdder V2 off its perch as the best gaming mouse? No. But it's a great alternative if you find the original to be too bulky. And at a sub-$50 / £40 price point, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini is crammed with quality and value.

Features

Broadly speaking, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini is the same excellent mouse on a smaller scale. This one clocks in at 4.5in (114.2mm) long and 2.6in (65.4mm) wide, which makes it approximately 10% smaller than the Razer DeathAdder V2 overall. Meanwhile, it weighs just 0.14lbs (62g) compared to the original's 0.18lbs (82g). This is a properly featherweight mouse.

As for its other features, the Mini sees the return of Razer's Optical Switches - powered by the much faster infrared light instead of physical contact - for lightning-fast clicks. In addition, it comes with a braided Speedflex cable to reduce drag, six programmable buttons, stick-on grips, 100% PTFE feet, and 8,500DPI. 

Design

Let's not beat around the bush: the Mini is a shrunken version of the DeathAdder V2. That means it has the same gently curving shape, matte black plastic, slightly flared left and right buttons, a deep groove down the middle, a ridged scroll wheel, two thumb buttons, and a Razer RGB logo on the palm-rest. Business as usual, in other words, just scaled down proportionally.

However, it differs in a couple of key ways. Whereas the standard DeathAdder V2 has an RGB scroll-wheel, this one doesn't. There's also only one DPI button in the center rather than two. Finally, it doesn't have any grips out of the box. Rather, it comes with stick-on rubber anti-slip tape that's designed to fit the flanks and primary buttons. When they're attached, it feels like a very different mouse. 

Performance

As you'd expect, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini possesses all the comfort and speed of its full-fat sibling. There's a reason why the DeathAdder is often called the best mouse for gaming overall; it balances superb performance with a reasonable price. As such, this one hits the same notes - especially so because it's a little cheaper.

Alright, so a couple of features have been removed to accommodate the smaller size. It's not all bad, though. For example, you won't miss the standard DeathAdder's thumb grips. If anything, the grip tape is better than the alternative. Featuring a small rubber diamond pattern and deep grooves that keep the mouse firmly underhand, it provides arguably greater precision (even if it gathers dust and fluff all too easily). Going back to the original seems slippy and clumsy by comparison. A sweat-absorbent design also helps.

That reduced size allowed me to fully appreciate the Razer Optical Switches, too. Their crisp click is sharper and just a tiny bit less 'squishy' than on the standard V2. That doesn't mean it actuates any faster, of course - both DeathAdders are blindingly quick, much like the smooth PTFE feet that help you glide across the map in a game like DOTA 2. When paired with the Nvidia RTX 2080Ti-powered gaming PC we use for testing, it was quite the experience.

What's not as fast is its DPI, sadly. Rather than reaching the heady limits of 20,000 like its normal-sized counterpart, the Mini only has 8,500DPI. That's significantly less, and although it's not enough for me to avoid recommending the mouse, it's something to keep in mind when hunting down a new pointer. I can only assume there's some sort of technical or cost-related reason for that decision. Either way, it means the DeathAdder V2 Mini isn't a great choice for tournament or competitive use. It's reasonably priced and portable, but you're sacrificing a lot of speed.

That said, this won't be a sticking point if you don't care about being the quickest draw in the west. And to be perfectly honest, 8,500DPI is enough to see you through most of the time. It got me through a few matches of Call of Duty: Warzone without any trouble, for example. Unless you're familiar with faster mice, you may not even notice a difference - particularly if you've only ever used office pointers.

This is where the Mini really shines. If it's your first gaming mouse or you'll mainly be playing games that don't require twitchy responses, it's perfect. And if you have smaller hands, then you won't find a better Razer mouse than the Razer DeathAdder Mini V2.

Interested in all things Razer? Be sure to check out our guides to Razer headsets, Razer laptops, and the best Razer controller you can get (not to mention our top picks for the best Razer streaming gear).