Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Two-minute review
The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is a large gaming mouse with plenty of clever features and multiple connectivity options, making it a versatile pointer suitable for various setups and use cases.
It adopts the familiar design popularized by the Logitech G502, with its long sloping front and protruding thumb slot. It’s fairly smart and understated, especially in its black variant, and the RGB lighting around the scroll wheel, logo and bottom edge is subtle and tasteful.
Feeling premium, the materials are among what the best gaming mice have to offer. The plastic chassis is lightly textured and the sides are finished with high- quality rubberized grips. These offer enough security without becoming sticky or collecting dust and dirt over time, as grips on other mice are prone to.
The buttons are of a similar quality. The mouse clicks feel robust and well damped, while the side buttons are snappy with a pleasingly deep travel, making them easy to use. The same is true of the DPI button on the top too.
The scroll wheel has a side-tilt function, which works well since the raised height of the wheel itself makes it easy to tilt left and right. Vertical scrolls are well notched; although it isn’t as tight as you’ll find on other gaming mice, it suffices. This is perhaps a small compromise given that it has a free spin ability, activated by pressing the button above it.
What’s more, in Razer’s Synapse peripheral software, you can set the scroll wheel to activate free spin automatically, triggered when you flick it more vigorously. This works well for the most part, although there can be a slight delay as the lock disengages after recognizing a hard flick. However, it’s still viable enough for practical use.
The mouse also features a sniper button, which is well positioned for easy access and clicks in towards the user, again facilitating easy presses. It too feels well damped and built to withstand the rigors of intense gaming.
Weighing in at 112g, the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is on the heavier side relative to pro-focused gaming mice. Despite this, it’s still quite maneuverable, and the weight feels more evenly distributed than other heavy mice, meaning it feels lighter than it actually is; I’ve tested lighter mice that are tougher to move around than this.
The PTFE skates are quite thin, but on padded surfaces it’s silky smooth and I had no issues with gliding. It does tend to scratch a little on hard ones, though, and unfortunately, there’s no spare set included in the box.
What is included, though, is a USB cable for wired play. It’s quite flexible but more weighty than other gaming mouse cables. As a result, I experienced a small element of drag when using it, but it was manageable enough to carry on playing.
The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is compatible with Synapse V4. While the layout is clear and easy to navigate, there are a few issues worth noting. For instance, when using the mouse in wired mode, the tab for it sometimes disappeared momentarily. Also, the battery readouts were initially sporadic, dropping suddenly at times and failing to indicate charging when a wired connection was active, merely displaying a 100% level even though this clearly wasn’t the case. However, these are minor bugs that’ll hopefully be quashed with future software and firmware updates.
When it does work as intended, however, Synapse offers plenty of customization options to sink your teeth into. Standard rebinding options are present, allowing you to map the buttons to other buttons, keyboard keys, and a generous selection of Windows shortcuts. There’s also the Hypershift function, which allows you to map a secondary layer of binds to all buttons, save for the one button you designate as the Hypershift button itself.
Disappointingly, though, there are only a few performance tweaks, such as customizable DPI cycling increments and polling rate changes that top out at 1K, which might not suffice for elite players (they’ll have to purchase the HyperPolling Wireless Dongle for that privilege). However, there is something called Asymmetric Cut-Off, which allows you to set the lift-off and landing distances independently, with plenty of adjustments on the slider for both – not something you see in many other peripheral software.
In use, the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K performs admirably. Gliding is smooth and the Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 are responsive, although the clicks are a little on the heavy side, which doesn’t make them the best for spamming. That aforementioned heavy weight can compromise swiping speeds too, so those who like low DPI settings might have a hard time here.
Also, the HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle, which is supposed to reduce latency, didn’t appear to make much difference over the standard 2.4GHz dongle during my tests. However, I did experience a few dropouts when using the latter, although my setup could’ve been the culprit, as objects may have been blocking the receiver.
The multiple connectivity modes work fine for the most part, although there is a slight delay when switching between the 2.4GHz and Bluetooth modes across two devices, and a press is required first to wake up the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K to the new device.
Battery life is a claimed 120 hours in HyperSpeed wireless mode, or 210 hours in Bluetooth, but during my tests, which involved switching between the two modes regularly, I was getting closer to sub-100 hours, which is still an admirable performance.
The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K acquits itself well enough, but it doesn’t really achieve anything that spectacular. At this price, it faces some stiff competition, chiefly from Razer’s own DeathAdder and the Logitech G502 X Plus. For performance and features, these two probably edge ahead of the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, so while it’s perfectly capable, it’s probably not the strongest feature-filled mouse out there.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Price & availability
- $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$279.95
- Available in black and white
- Rivals similarly priced
The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K costs $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$279.95 and is available now in both black and white colorways. The HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle is included, as is a USB cable for wired play and charging.
It’s the same price as the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, which is considerably lighter in weight (63g), but also lighter on features, since its pared-back design is focused on gaming prowess above all else. For instance, it comes with Razer’s HyperPolling Wireless Dongle, which boosts the maximum polling rate to 8K for great precision and smoothness.
Its nearest rival from another brand is the Logitech G502 X Plus, the best wireless gaming mouse for features. Both have a similar price and shape; however, the G502 does feature two more buttons next to the left click, which makes it slightly more versatile.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Specs
| Interface | Wireless (2.4GHz, Razer HyperSpeed Wireless, and Bluetooth), wired (USB-C-to-A) |
| Ergonomics | Right-handed asymmetrical |
| Buttons | 11 |
| DPI | Up to 35,000 |
| Switches | Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 |
| Weight | 3.95oz (112g) |
Should you buy the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K?
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Value | It’s the same price as its closest competitors, the DeathAdder V3 Pro and the Logitech G502 Plus X, which offer slightly more in terms of features and performance. | 3 / 5 |
| Design | The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is up to Razer’s usual high standards, and its smart looks aren’t likely to offend. The size and weight may put some gamers off, though. | 4 / 5 |
| Performance | Despite its heft, the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is pleasantly swift, although it’s not up there with the best gaming mice for pro-level players. It also lacks some advanced tweaks and an 8K polling rate. | 3.5 / 5 |
| Overall | The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is certainly a high-quality pointer, and it performs reasonably enough. However, it lacks some of the advanced functions and specs elite gamers want, and its size and weight might be dealbreakers for that crowd too. | 3.5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K | Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro | Logitech G502 X Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $159 / £159 / AU$279 | $159 / £159 / AU$299 | $159 / £149 / AU$299 |
| Interface | Wireless (2.4GHz, Razer HyperSpeed, Bluetooth), wired (USB-C-to-A) | Wireless (Razer HyperSpeed), wired (USB-C-to-A) | Logitech Lightspeed wireless, wired (USB-C-to-A) |
| Ergonomics | Right-handed asymmetrical | Right-handed asymmetrical | Right-handed asymmetrical |
| Switches | 11 | 6 | 13 |
| DPI | 35,000 | 26,000 | 25,600 |
| Switches | Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 | Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 | Lightforce hybrid switches |
| Weight | 3.95oz (112g) | 2.22oz (63g) | 3.74oz (106g) |
How I tested the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K
- Tested for over a week
- Used for gaming and productivity
- Over a decade of PC gaming experience
I tested the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K for over a week, during which time I used it for gaming and productivity purposes.
I played the FPS titles Counter-Strike 2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl in order to test the speed and accuracy of the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K. I also tested it on multiple systems and used every connectivity method, as well as the HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle.
I have been PC gaming for over 10 years and have experienced a number of mice. I have also reviewed various gaming mice, spanning a range of shapes, sizes, and price points.
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lewis.maddison@futurenet.com (Lewis Maddison)
