Razer DeathAdder Elite Review: Superb Form and Function

Razer announced the latest iteration in its popular DeathAdder series of mice last month, which includes a new 5G Optical Sensor capable of tracking up to 16,000 DPI at 450 IPS with a resolution accuracy of 99.4%. The combination of all of these makes the DeathAdder Elite the fastest, most accurate and most sensitive gaming mouse currently available. But how does it stack up to real world use? Read on to find out.

Melts In Your Hands

One of the first things I noticed about the DeathAdder Elite was its comfortable shape. The mouse features a high arch, which may not look as sleek as some other gaming mice out there, but it’s obviously included as a way to help support the higher portion of the user’s palm. With this high arch, the portion of my hand where the palm meets the base of my fingers is supported, which cuts down on fatigue as my hand easily contours to its shape.

The DeathAdder Elite is pretty easy to grip as both sides of the mouse have rubber strips. The left strip is located just beneath its navigation buttons, while my pinky and some of my ring finger lands on the right strip. Its matte finish also helps in allowing me to keep my grip along with its textured scroll wheel. Fans of free scroll wheels will be disappointed to hear it isn’t included in the Elite, so you’ll just have to make due with clicking the scroll wheel for quick navigation.

The DeathAdder Elite keeps things simple as it only has two navigation buttons on its left side, while two additional buttons are located just below the scroll wheel. I enjoyed the size and location of the side buttons as my thumb was able to access them with little effort, although I’d prefer them to not be so long for the next iteration. When attempting to press the forward navigation button, my thumb needs to extend fully in order to access it. If the back button was just a bit shorter, I could probably access it while still keeping it slightly bent.

More Than Meets The Eye

The mouse itself is only half of the experience as you’ll need to download Razer’s Synapse software in order to customize it the way you like. Through its software, you can customize each button, lighting, and its performance in a number of ways. There’s even an option to calibrate it with a particular mouse pad to ensure you’re getting the most out of its sensor, although I personally don’t go that far with my gaming mice.

As far as its performance, you won’t experience anything better than the DeathAdder Elite right now. I played a wide variety of games, including Overwatch, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Mafia 3, and even Team Fortress 2 and I was impressed by how responsive and accurate the mouse was during use. While my own skills probably weren’t up to par with those who live and breathe online multiplayer games, I was still able to compete against them thanks to the DeathAdder Elite’s incredible accuracy.

After years of manufacturing multiple products geared towards gamers, the Razer DeathAdder Elite feels like the company has finally achieved its peak as it combines an extremely comfortable form factor with one of the best optical sensors currently available.

This review is based on loaner provided by the manufacturer. The Razer DeathAdder Elite is currently available for $69.99