Razer Basilisk V3: A Mouse That Wants To Do It All

The first Basilisk was billed as a mouse for FPS gamers. Two generations later, it has evolved into something a bit different. It still retains its signature thumb paddle, but Razer is now pushing the Basilisk V3 as a mouse built around deep customisation. With up to 11 programmable buttons, including the paddle, a smarter scroll wheel, and 11 different Razer Chroma RGB lighting zones, there’s plenty to tweak and play with.

- Hoots The Owl

AT A GLANCE

SENSOR Razer Focus+ optical

SENSITIVITY 26,000DPI

SWITCH 2nd Gen Razer Optical

WEIGHT 101G

Having said that, the Basilisk V3 isn’t vastly different from the V2 model at first glance. They share the same righthanded, ergonomic shell and design, alongside the prominent ledge for your thumb and rubber side grips. It’s a very safe, comfortable shape that works great with the palm grip, but less well with the more precise claw or fingertip grip.

The multi-function trigger button on the left presents something of a conundrum. While I’m able to palm the mouse quite comfortably, reaching the trigger button is a different matter entirely. My hands are pretty small, and I’m simply unable to reach the button without lifting the base of my palm completely off the desk. This makes for a rather awkward grip, and I think it’s safe to say that the Basilisk V3 is better suited to folks with larger hands. How you grip the mouse matters too – your thumb sits further back with the claw and fingertip grip, which will make reaching the trigger even harder.

Unfortunately, Razer has shortened the trigger button coming from the V2, and it is also non-removable now, so you can’t simply pop on a longer one as you could on the V1 model. The upside is that the trigger now feels very sturdy and tactile, and you don’t have to worry about losing it.