These commands can be anything from keyboard letters or numbers - useful for hot keys in real-time strategy (RTS) or massively multiplayer online (MMO) games - to volume control. The Synapse software makes it extremely easy to select commands for the two extra buttons. Of the mouse's six buttons, users can program five the left mouse button is set in stone. By default, the DeathAdder displays a green scroll-wheel light and pulsing logo, but these can be distracting if they're not disabled. Users can set up dozens of individual profiles, each with different commands for extra buttons, dots-per-inch (DPI) sensitivities and lighting options. This software is not included in the mouse's packaging, and installing it manually from the Razer website, while not much of a hassle, could have been more streamlined. The mouse functions via the Razer Synapse driver software. Featuresįor a relatively simple gaming mouse, the DeathAdder boasts a robust feature set. The buttons extend far down enough to support a fingertip grip, but not comfortably.įor what it is, the DeathAdder has a good design, but that design could have been better with only a few tweaks.

These annoyances do not make the mouse uncomfortable, but they do prevent it from being as ergonomic as its designers intended.Īlthough the mouse is optimized for a palm-style grip, a claw style will work as well, albeit with a slightly unnatural resting place for the palm. The palm rest meets the palm too high up, and the thumb pad curves outward at too steep of an angle. The contours do not exactly match the average finger, which makes them feel like they are bending slightly the wrong way. While the design is excellent in theory, in practice, it leaves something to be desired. Textured pads on either side of the mouse provide a comfortable place for the thumb, ring finger and pinky to rest. Both the left and right buttons are grooved, and the left side of the palm is elevated ever so slightly. In addition to the standard left- and right-mouse buttons, Razer's device has a clickable scroll wheel and two large buttons within thumb's reach.Īlthough the DeathAdder appears straightforward at first, it's actually riddled with subtle contours to make a user's grip more comfortable. At 5 x 2.76 x 1.73 inches, the peripheral sports a comfortable size and elevation for just about any hand. The DeathAdder is a sleek, black mouse, available in both right- and left-handed conformations. For gamers who like a little bit of genre variety and need a mouse for all seasons, the DeathAdder is a strong contender, with only a few niggling limitations.

The DeathAdder sells itself as a simple, comfortable, efficient peripheral, and delivers on all counts.

Go to any gaming forum, and ask for an all-purpose gaming-mouse recommendation, and the DeathAdder's name is almost sure to pop up. The Razer DeathAdder 2013 ($69.99) is a good example of how to benefit from the wisdom of crowds.

Razer deathadder 2013 profiles