Is Razer's "world's fastest gaming mouse" overkill?

Raymond Wong Jan. 28, 2021 Gaming Most gaming mice come with a 1,000Hz polling rate. The Razer Viper 8K has an 8,000Hz polling rate.

One thing you can always count on from Razer: overdoing things . Take its new Viper 8K gaming mouse. Razer's touting it as the "world's fastest gaming mouse." Razer

8,000Hz The polling rate of the Viper 8K.

I did a double take just to make sure I was reading the number right. But, nope, Razer's claiming the Viper 8K is capable of an 8,000Hz polling rate. Most high-end gaming mice have polling rates of about 1,000Hz. Razer

“A mouse's polling rate is how often it reports its position to a computer.” How-To Geek Razer

In other words, the Viper 8K mouse reports its position to a computer 8,000 times per second. Higher polling rate = lower latency.

Clearly designed for competitive gamers, we have to wonder if a mouse with 8,000Hz overkill? At what point does a person no longer notice any perceivable improvement? The below chart shows Razer's polling performance (lower is better). Razer

“I will add that 8,000 Hz will not be game changing unless you're already at peak levels of your in-game performance though. If you're not, or you're just a casual gamer, you'd be better to spend more time in-game at 1,000 Hz than look for a miracle at 8,000 Hz.” justnvc, reddit Razer

Viper 8K specs:

• 8,000Hz (0.125ms) polling rate • 20,000 DPI • Up to 650 IPS / 50 G acceleration • Hybrid Cloud storage + onboard memory (4+1) profiles • 7+1 programmable buttons • Chroma RGB • 6-ft "Speedflex" cable • 71 grams Razer

If any of these specs mean anything to you, then maybe the Viper 8K will fit into your life. If you're just playing Among Us ... maybe save your money. The Viper 8K is available from Razer for $80 . FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

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Viper 8K specs:

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