RAZOR Ouroboros

RAZOR Ouroboros

Packed with features,  but critically flawed

 + AMBIDEXTROUS Looks great; ambidextrous; good software

- AMBIVALENT DPI switching issues; feels plasticky

The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. It’s classically interpreted as symbolising a repeating cycle, such as rebirth or recreation. As such, this mouse’s name could be an astute reference to the die, respawn, die, respawn grind of online gaming, or it might just have been chosen because it sounds cool – we’ll never know. What we do know, however, is that the wireless Ouroboros needs to be pretty special to justify its £110 price tag.

Aesthetically, it does have a certain X factor – the front vents and the split body look menacing, and the effect is enhanced by the green glow leaking from the side buttons and mouse wheel. The reason behind this deconstructed look is that, like the Cyborg R.A.T. series of mice, the Ouroboros has an adjustable body shape. Unlike the R.A.T. mice, though, the Ouroboros is ambidextrous. 

Adjustability comes courtesy of the rear panel, which you can slide forwards and backwards, and also adjust its angle. The side panels are also interchangeable with vertical, rubberised panels, or scooped plastic panels. 

Consequently, we had no trouble getting the Ouroboros to fit our hands, but we couldn’t help noticing the feel of the plasticky materials, which would leave you feeling a little let down if you’d just dropped £110 on it. Compare it to the cheaper Corsair M60, with its premium-looking exposed metal Monocoque chassis, and you’d think the Corsair was the more expensive of the two. 

One area where the Razer reigns supreme, however, is button count – 11 buttons adorn its body, all of which can be rebound in the excellent Synapse 2.0 software. The need to provide thumb buttons for both lefties and righties has led to some compromises, however. There are two on either side, and we found it very difficult to press the buttons on one side without also pressing those on the other, to the extent where we had to disable the buttons on one side. 

The two side panels where the thumb buttons reside function as buttons themselves too. By default, they’re set to temporarily reduce the DPI setting, helping delicate aim when sniping or doing Photoshop work. Unfortunately, though, we found that whenever we used them, huge lag was introduced into the movement of the cursor as the mouse switched between DPI settings. We couldn’t ascertain whether this was a hardware or software issue, but it happened both in Windows and in-game, and in both wired and wireless mode. Plus, a quick Google search shows we’re not alone in documenting this problem. It’s a critical flaw in what’s otherwise a competent mouse.

ELEVEN BUTTONS ADORN THE OUROBOROS’ BODY, ALL OF WHICH CAN BE REBOUND IN THE EXCELLENT SYNAPSE 2.0 SOFTWARE

CONCLUSION 
The Ouroboros looks great, and clearly has a lot of technology packed inside it, but small niggles prevent it from being worth its asking price. The DPI switching issue, whatever its cause, is unforgivable for a company of Razer’s pedigree, and while its ambidextrous design deserves credit, the mouse feels compromised in the hand as a result. If you want an adjustable mouse, you’re still better off opting for a Cyborg R.A.T.


OVERALL % 70

DESIGN 24 / 40
FEATURES 30 / 35
VALUE 16 / 25

 

 

 

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