Razer DeathAdder Elite is the best mouse for gaming

For years, Razer has had the go-to gaming mouse with its DeathAdder. Now, in its latest revision, the device is better than ever.

The Razer DeathAdder Elite keeps everything that has made the mouse so great over the last half decade while adding some key new features to improve performance. As a result, I’ve never felt so in command or deadly in games like Overwatch or Battlefield 1 — especially when I paired the mouse with Razer’s excellent and enormous Gigantus gaming mouse pad.

What you’ll like

Unparalleled performance 

Playing with the DeathAdder Elite feels like a revelation. Razer has beefed up the sensors for unparalleled accuracy. It claims that when you move the mouse, your cursor should end up precisely where you want it to go almost every single time. In testing this, I discovered that the claim has some validity.

The big difference with the Elite, compared to other gaming and standard mice, is that it has a great optical sensor and supports a 500hz and 1,000hz polling rate. That’s the rate at which the mouse updates the computer about its position. The reliability of the optical sensor (especially compared to a laser) and the frequency of the updating makes the difference.

You can see the insane accuracy I was able to achieve with Mei’s secondary icicle fire in the Overwatch match below. That attack requires precision, and I was able to hit my marks better than I ever have before. And the DeathAdder Elite is at least partially responsible for that.

Design brilliance

But it’s not just the sensors that make the Elite so wonderful to use. Every place where the mouse interacts with your hand feels supremely designed. The base of the unit has a grippy, rubber texture that ensures you don’t need a vice-like squeeze to get an instant response from the DeathAdder. The scroll wheel has a similar texture that feels equally nice to the touch.

Razer also put sensitivity switches right behind the scroll wheel, which enable you to instantly adjust the responsiveness of the mouse motion. But you’ll also never accidentally bump into these switches, which is equally important.

And, of course, the mouse’s shape is ideal for most hands. I love that I don’t have to adjust my hand to make it fit to the mouse because Razer has already designed the DeathAdder to fit mine.

What you won’t like

Smaller hands may struggle

Literally the only issue I have with the DeathAdder Elite is that, maybe, some people with smaller hands may not like it. I think most people are going to have zero issues, but maybe you’d prefer the Logitech G Pro if you have smaller grippers.

Conclusion

The DeathAdder Elite is such a damn pleasure to use. It makes me want to play games even more than I already do. I’ve seen an absolute bump in my performance since starting to play with it, and that alone has made it worth the investment. I would also suggest picking up the Gigantus mouse pad to go along with it to get the most from the Elite. The smooth action of that pad is great, and you want a large surface area to work with to get the most from the DeathAdder Elite’s precise performance.

Razer provided GamesBeat with a sample unit for the purposes of this review. The DeathAdder Elite is out now.