Razer Basilisk V3 Pro Review: A Classic Pro

Razer is really getting into the lightweight scene with their recent launches of their favorite gaming mice. To that extent, we would say that even in the entire industry, the ‘Pro’ moniker seems to now be really closely associated with lightweight. So we now have the latest Basilisk V3 Pro and this isn’t like the rest. This is much more classic in terms of what ‘Pro’ usually means.

Right out of the box, you’ll be greeted with a really familiar design and that’s no surprise, really. This is the Basilisk design language through and through and with the new V3 Pro, it is still exactly that.

But before we get into the mouse itself, we do want to mention that there are actually a few key accessories that you can purchase separately with this mouse to fully enable the entire set of features this brings to the table.

For one, if you flip to the bottom of the mouse, you’ll find a small little round cover that when opened, reveals the small compartment that holds the Hyperspeed dongle. This is a plus point in our opinion for one, it makes it travel friendly and two, it’s a secure way to store the dongle so you wouldn’t lose it easily.

But anyways that’s not the key point here. Razer sells the Wireless Charging Puck which will replace that standard round cover and this is Qi-Certified. So with this upgrade, you can now charge the Basilisk V3 Pro wireless with any compatible Qi charger, really nice.

But if you want everything to be Razer themed, you can opt for the new Razer Mouse Dock Pro. This package not only includes the Wireless Charging Puck, but it is the wireless charging pad in it by itself and it also houses the Razer Hyperpolling 4K Hz Transceiver.

So yes, this mouse is very much capable of that wireless 4K Hz polling rate should you really want that enhanced wireless performance which you can achieve with the new dock or just the transceiver itself. Though do note it’ll come at a cost, which we’ll touch upon later.

For now let’s get back to the mouse itself, the Basilisk V3 Pro, and as mentioned, if you’re somewhat familiar with the Basilisk lineup or if you’ve tried the wired Basilisk V3, this is exactly the same mouse, except for the fact that it is wireless.

Which means you get that same iconic silhouette with the sharp edges that’s mainly designed for right-handed users. Most of the mouse will also be using the matte black textured plastic which provides a really comfortable experience without inducing much fingerprints while the side walls where your thumb, ring finger and pinky would usually rest will have that rubberized texture for even added control.

In terms of grips, it is a medium sized mouse and it has the exact same dimensions as its wired siblings, which means a claw or palm grip is the way to go here for most people. On that note, this mouse weighs in at 112 grams or 3.95 oz.

This isn’t a light mouse by any means and in fact, it might be one of the heaviest in its class. As mentioned at the start, it takes a more classic approach to the ‘Pro’ moniker. This has basically every possible feature packed into it.

First of all, Razer has spared no expense in Chroma RGB here, you get plenty of it. The Razer logo lights up, so does the scroll wheel and the perimeter of the mouse which gives you that really nice and diffused underglow effect.

Next you get plenty of buttons including that Hyperscroll Tilt Wheel and that multi-function trigger that’s really ergonomically placed. Alongside the main goods such as the latest Focus Pro 30K optical sensor, Gen 3 Optical Mouse Switches, support for HyperSpeed Wireless and everything else we mentioned earlier, such as the Hyperpolling 4K Hz and Qi wireless charging capabilities.

This is basically a mouse that’s feature packed to the brim with no regards to weight whatsoever. Exactly what ‘Pro’ usually meant for gaming mice in the past.

Now if you’re curious what the switches, buttons and scroll wheel sound like, have a listen. (Now go watch our YouTube video linked above!)

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Hyperscroll Tilt Wheel, this basically allows you to toggle between free-spinning or tactile, whichever you prefer with just a toggle of a button. But perhaps the more interesting mode is something that can only be enabled via Synapse, and that is Smart Reel.

In this mode, if you scroll slowly, it’ll be tactile and you can feel every bump or click. But the moment you flick the wheel, it’ll automatically switch to free-spinning mode and it’ll do so until it slows down, in which it will automatically switch back to tactile mode. You can actually hear the hook or clutch engaging when that happens. I pretty much got used to it with the wired Basilisk V3 so this isn’t anything new to me but if you’ve never tried it before, it’ll take some time getting used to.

But again, we do have to mention that it is software controlled via Synapse. So if you’re someone who doesn't like Synapse at all, you won’t be able to access this feature.

Overall though, if we’re just talking about the performance of the mouse itself, this is simply great. Razer HyperSpeed Wireless simply works like a charm and everything just feels on point. While I do prefer lighter weight gaming mice like the Logitech G303 Shroud or the Steelseries Aerox 3 Wireless, I do still find the Basilisk V3 Pro to be really comfortable to use.

Interestingly enough, if you’re someone who finds that you aren’t as accurate with a lightweight mouse simply because of the lack of weight, a heavier mouse might actually be much more suited for you.

I personally actually use at least 9,600 DPI and yes, all my in-game settings never have the sensitivity below 1, so it is true 9,600. For myself, I do find mice weighing around 70-80 grams to be the sweet spot. Anything below that and I do have to control my muscles a little better and anything above that, I can actually up the DPI to 12,800 with not much issues.

But I’m probably the odd one out here, so take that as you will.

At this point however, we have to talk about battery life.

With all the RGB off and running at 1000 Hz polling rate, you can get up to 90 hours of battery life. If you want that enhanced 4000 Hz polling rate instead, that will drop the battery life down significantly to just about 24 hours. Now if you like your Chroma RGB, at the default brightness setting, that will net you about 24 hours on 1000 Hz polling rate and that number drops to the single digits once you have it at max brightness and 4000 Hz polling rate.

Our recommendation?

Keep RGB off and stick to 1000 Hz polling rate.

Finally we have to talk about price and right off the bat, this is a ‘Pro’ mice and so definitely be ready to fork out quite a bit.

For just the Basilisk V3 Pro alone, that will set you back 159.99 US Dollars or 249 Singapore Dollars. Now if you want the add-on Wireless Charging Puck, that’s an additional 19.99 US Dollars or 33 Singapore Dollars.

But you can also get it in a bundle with the mouse, which will cost 169.99 US Dollars or 267.90 Singapore Dollars.

Or you can get the Mouse Dock Pro instead which also includes that Wireless Charging Puck and that will retail for 69.99 US Dollars or 119 Singapore Dollars. Again, there’s also a bundle with the mouse which will set you back 199.99 US Dollars or 319.90 Singapore Dollars.

Do note that these bundles seem to be a promo price for now, so we aren’t sure how long that’ll last but do take note.

All in all, we have to say that we are pretty impressed with the Basilisk V3 Pro especially more so when you consider where the industry is heading towards. Again, not everybody wants or prefers a lighter weight mouse and there are plenty out there who actually want something like this. More features, more RGB, not a care for weight.

If that checks all the boxes in your list, this might be a gaming mouse worth investing into despite the high price.