We have seen many a Razer mouse scurrying around the gaming terrain and into the trap of those who are constantly in search for new cheese. The company is known for producing various types of other products as well such as keyboards, mouse pads, headsets, earphones, and more which appeal to gamers who like to indulge in action sequences armed with nothing less than the best. There have been quite a few mice from Razer that caught our eye in the past and underwent the review treatment at our labs. The latest one to scamper onto our review table is the Razer Lachesis 5600dpi high-end gaming mouse.
With one glance at the box, we fathomed that the device boasted of 5600dpi 3.5G laser sensor along with nine programmable hyperesponse buttons and a customizable lighting system. But on diving further into its specifications, we realized it had so much more to offer. Revamped and refurbished, it incorporated loads of changes that were given a miss while previously fashioning the original Razer Lachesis. The packaging was similar to a few other Razer mice with respect to its outer covering box and nest it sat in. A velcro button was seen attached to the door that opened up to expose the mouse, but for now we’ll refrain from saying ‘in all its glory’ as the noteworthy aspects are still to be divulged upon. On ripping the package we found the innards contained firstly, the mouse itself along with contents such as the product catalog, Certificate of Authenticity, Razer logo stickers, quick start guide and master guide that were found neatly hiding in a black folder. With the system and hardware requirements all in place, we proceeded to attach the Razer Lachesis V2 5600dpi to our computer.
The ‘creepy-curvy’ mouse with a daunting appearance fitted right into our palm and was comfortable while not only playing games but surfing the Internet as well. Although, you may want to take the mouse out of the USB slot and stick in a usual one if using a family PC as the shape, usability and weight may not appeal to all home members. The famed Razer logo, as expected took its place on the lower-end visage of the mouse and gleamed alternatively with its eerie blue glow. That’s the immediate response we experienced when plugging the mouse into the computer which almost instantly recognized the foreign entity and embraced it like a python coiling around its prey.
Coming to the other buttons littered across the mouse, on the upper surface we see the company accommodating the left and right click buttons, scroll wheel and button in the middle with the Sensitivity Stage up and down found just below. On either side where the thumb would rest were the forward and backward buttons. Flipping the mouse over on its belly, we found the zero-acoustic Ultraslick Teflon feet on the edges along with a profile change button at the side and Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor right in the middle flagged by the relatively larger 60KB Razer Synapse onboard memory. Attempting to go lower we saw attached to the mouse a seven-foot long, non-tangle cord plucked right out from some 70’s horror flick at the end of which was a gold-plated USB connector. Overall, the device was extremely portable in nature as it weighed just 128 grams and measured 129 x 71 x 40 mm.
Being of the ambidextrous sort, it would appeal to both left-handed as well as right-handed gamers as it boasts of a shape that is carved to accommodate the thumb of both player types. Once the driver installer is downloaded and running on the computer, the configuration choices are endless. For one, all the nine buttons explained above can be altered according to the owner’s preference in order to get the best out of their game. This can be done with reduced latency for optimum gameplay thanks to the inclusion of the Hyperesponse technology embedded into the product. The company also offers tracking of up to 200 inches per second. Through the host of amendments, we acquired absolute responsiveness and that little edge over our counterparts during matches and online battles. Each preference is safely stored on a designated profile which can be opted for on-the-fly and taken advantage of on any other computer. Also amendable is the acceleration option which is looked upon as an internal filter built for low dpi mice gamers. Besides this, the current sensitivity and polling rate can also be adjusted as well as the ability to create and manage Profiles Tab and Macros Tab.
And not to forget one particular option that directly, didn’t help us during gameplay but certainly succeeded in intimidating a few of our opponents. In past reviews, we did complain about the eerie glow that emitted and termed it boring. Before we get the one-eyebrow elevated look, we aren’t upset by its inclusion, just the fact that the previous products gleamed with only one monotonous blue color. In this revamped version of the Lachesis however, we see the company heeding our plea and incorporating a customizable multicolor lighting system. And they say when it rains, it pours right, well the eerie blue glow that we experienced earlier was short-lived as we could configure that hue with over 16 million colors through the new tricolor-LED. This was looked upon as a satisfying reprise from Razer’s previous iterations that gleamed with just a monotonous shine. We had a choice of opting from a wide palette of colors ranging from dark hues to light shades. The overall capabilities and functionalities were observed to be very similar to that of our previously reviewed mice namely the Imperator and DeathAdder. One noticeable difference between the DeathAdder and Lachesis is that if left-handed players wanted to exploit the former device, they would need to acquire another edition while on the other hand, the Lachesis can be used by both types of players. Other features include the easily-accessible thumb buttons and on-the-fly sensitivity.
‘Bringer of silent death’ is the tagline Razer attaches to its Lachesis and we see precisely what the company was thinking when it jumped forth to christen this device. While employing the mouse with a round of the much loved Counter-Strike, we felt the movements and playability simply slide forth and in turn, translate into smooth onscreen action. With pre-loaded settings, we could easily and quickly get right into the mind frame of the in-game characters. The adjustable dpi comes in handy while either dishing out a round of fire onto the opposing team or aiming precisely for a head shot with the sniper. The large non-slip buttons and overall matte surface further aided our gaming endeavor as we could rely on the firm grip while simply concentrating on the situation at hand. The sides however were endowed with a smooth gloss finish that had the tendency of catching a bit of dust if left idle for quite some time.
Final Word: Emulating its namesake and categorized under Razer’s Expert tag, the Lachesis comes out with fangs blazing and commands owners with the war cry, ‘Victory beckons, Move in for the kill’. The mouse is seen making a comeback and this time with a noticeable bang. It serves up a more fatal precision while allowing players to dive into various games dressed behind a masquerade of different genres. Any type of title ranging from an FPS, third-person shooter, action or adventure can be enjoyed through the offering of formidable features. It also enters the gaming terrain bringing along a spark of brightness and a huge hint of hues with its customizable lighting options. The Razer Lachesis V2 5600dpi can be picked up for a price of $79.99 (approx. Rs. 3,554).
Looks: 9.7/10.
Functionality: 9.1/10.
Comfort: 8.9/10.
Overall (not an average): 9/10.