For Those Who Actually Want A Heavier Viper V2 Pro

This is the Razer Cobra Pro and since this launched, the gaming mice community has certainly been pretty split. In one camp, quite a number of people love it. It’s symmetrical, it has Chroma RGB, it performs admirably and has pretty good battery life to boot. In the other camp however, an equally same number of people kind of hate it. Simply because this wasn’t what the community has been asking for. Well, here’s our take.

According to Razer, they launched the Cobra line to address a segment in the market that’s been sorely lacking and truth be told, this does sit right within that exact space in their portfolio stack.

And that’s exactly it. The Cobra Pro is for all those of you who wanted a heavier Viper V2 Pro.

So first things first, if you’ve been expecting Razer to come up with what would probably be called the Viper Mini Pro or anything of that sort, don’t bother taking a look at the Cobra Pro. This is not the mouse that the community has been so vocal about ever since the Razer Viper Mini Signature Edition sold like hot cakes.

This is an entirely different mouse that serves a very different purpose and therefore, it’s also targeted at a crowd that would probably not want a quote unquote, Viper Mini Pro. At least, that’s what we do feel. So if you really want an affordable version of Viper Mini Signature Edition, continue waiting and watch another video. But if you want to know how the Cobra Pro actually performs and who should be taking a look at this, well… watch on.

A Similar Form Factor

For starters, the Cobra Pro has a really similar form factor to that of the Viper V2 Pro. It utilises a symmetrical shape but is not fully ambidextrous as you’ll only find the additional buttons on the left side of the mouse, but not the right. So ultimately, this is still catered towards right-handed users. Overall however, the Cobra Pro is certainly just a tad smaller as compared to the Viper V2 Pro. About 7mm shorter in length and 4mm shorter in width.

However, here’s where it starts to get different. The Cobra Pro features built-in rubber textured grips on either side of the mouse whereas you’ll have to use the grip tape for the Viper V2 Pro. The Cobra Pro also features separate buttons for DPI toggling, profiles and power with support for multiple different profiles unlike the Viper V2 Pro which has a single dual use button for DPI and power and only supports a single profile.

And we then get to the biggest difference between the two, and that’s the weight. The Viper V2 Pro weighs a mere 58g or 2.04 oz and the Cobra Pro weighs 77g or 2.72 oz.

The Weight Division

That is the biggest dividing factor that splits the two gaming mice apart and probably the gaming mice community in itself. Why would you get the Cobra Pro which weighs much more than the Viper V2 Pro when they both are pretty much the same in terms of overall feel and performance? If you want a really ‘Pro’ focused product, there’s no point in releasing a mouse like the Cobra Pro when there’s the Viper V2 Pro.

And if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re absolutely right. We wholeheartedly recommend the Viper V2 Pro because that is seriously an awesome gaming mouse.

But here’s the thing, the Cobra Pro isn’t meant to be that and thus it does come with a number of other features that aren’t present in the Viper V2 Pro. So in reality, it really is meant for a crowd who aren’t looking at the Viper V2 Pro for how it performs, but rather more on just the overall design and feel of it.

So as mentioned, the Cobra Pro features dedicated buttons for all three different functionalities. There’s two buttons on the top for DPI toggling, really ease of access. There’s a button for switch profiles on the bottom, to which you can have multiple profiles. And there’s another dedicated just for switching between 2.4GHz, wired and Bluetooth. To top it off, you get the great Chroma RGB.

All these are features which the Viper V2 Pro do not have and so if that’s what you’re looking for, the Cobra Pro is the exact mouse you’re looking for.

In addition, not everybody likes or wants a mouse that’s under 60g. Believe it or not, there are people out there who would prefer a slightly heavier mouse that’s not overly heavy but not too light either.

And it is this exact reason that Razer said that they are addressing. The segment in the market that is sorely lacking. One which comprises all the factors that the Cobra Pro provides. Now is that something that the community needs or is asking for? We don’t know. However, we do know that the Cobra Pro fits right into that hole within Razer’s own portfolio and thus completes it.

If you want performance oriented gaming mice, Razer will ask you to look at their Viper and Deathadder. If you want feature rich gaming mice, Razer will then ask you to take a look at their Basilisk, Naga and of course, the Cobra.

It Should've Been Named 'Razer Cobra Ultimate'

Now, we do however feel that all these discussions and split of opinions within the community could’ve been easily addressed with a simple name change. As mentioned, many wanted what would be called the Viper Mini Pro. But more so than that, we believe many have already kind of associated the ‘Pro’ moniker for performance oriented gaming mice, especially with how the industry is moving and with eSports professionals actually using them. So when the Cobra Pro was launched, it didn’t feel like it was deserving of the Pro name. In fact, the standard Cobra might even be more of a Pro than the Cobra Pro.

So our suggestion is to bring back the Ultimate moniker and name this the Cobra Ultimate instead. Think about it. Razer Cobra Ultimate, it just sounds right for what it is and we reckon it wouldn’t have disappointed as many people as it had. In fact, what Razer calls to be their Immersive Line, should be renamed to Ultimate. Ultimate just makes for a better naming scheme given what those mice within the Immersive Line are supposed to provide.

So if you’re looking for feature rich gaming mice from Razer, just look at the Ultimate stuff and if you’re looking for the utmost in performance that professionals actually use, look at the Pro stuff. Simple as that. It’s a clear, clean cut divide.

We Still Love It

Overall however, the Cobra Pro is not a bad gaming mouse at all. It feels great, isn’t as heavy as say the Basilisk or the Naga and it is also compatible with 4,000Hz Hyperpolling and the Razer dock which will provide wireless charging. And sure, the RGB is also a nice touch. Though we highly recommend just turning it off for the best possible battery life.

Speaking of, the Cobra Pro does boast a 100 hours battery life on 1,000Hz polling or 33 hours with 4,000Hz polling, which is a sizable increase as compared to say the Viper V2 Pro.

A heavier weight does come with added benefits.

So if you’re someone who likes the shape and feel of the Viper V2 Pro, but want the mouse to actually be slightly heavier while also providing better battery life and all the other features such as dedicated buttons, multiple profiles and RGB, the Cobra Pro is one in which we can recommend.

This is a mouse that’s aiming for the balance of everything. It’s not fantastic in any one particular aspect but it does perform great on almost all fronts. So if that’s up your alley, check out the Cobra Pro. Even if not, give it a try at your local store or something, you might surprisingly like it, just like I did.