Razer Naga MMO gaming mouse review

Jason Tsay Jul 14, 2011 Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Us Accessories, Exclusive, Gadgets, Gaming, Hardware, Okay Geek Review, Reviews

How many buttons does a mouse need? Razer would have you believe seventeen, that is if you’re into World of Warcraft. Most people would have no use for this insane amount of buttons but Razer designed this mouse for hardcore MMO players. Programming spells to the buttons on the mouse is supposed to be more efficient than activating them via the keyboard. but how well does the concept work in actual use?

Features

• 17 MMO-optimized buttons
• Maximum comfort for long gaming sessions
• Optional MMO-specific software add-ons
• 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G Laser Sensor
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response time

Our Impressions

The Razer Naga comes in the slick black and green packaging Razer is known for. Underneath the mouse is an envelope containing the quick start guide, master guide, certificate of authenticity, product catalog, grid trainer manual, stickers, and card with a picture of the Naga.

The mouse itself is not very large in size but is still very intimidating. The first thing that strikes you is that this mouse has a 12 digit number pad on the side. As a result, there is a slight bulge on the side and the mouse is taller than your typical mouse. Aside from the obvious stand out feature, the Naga is just as stunning as any other Razer mouse we’ve handled. The entire top surface features a matte black plastic while the sides and bottom are glossy.

In the top left corner are two small buttons which can be configured to your liking although they act as the forward and backward buttons by default. The scroll wheel is wide and has ridges on it for extra grip. When you scroll, you can feel the distinctive clicks, which we found to make switching weapons somewhat more accurate. The mouse is really molded to be as ergonomic as possible and despite the slight bulge, we found the Naga to be very comfortable to use. It’s not really intended to be a palm mouse and works better as a claw or fingertip one, especially since you need to reach all the number buttons. The right and left click buttons are very easy to depress and give off a light click rather than a heavy tactile one. We suppose this is also another gaming specific design element. 

Plug in the gold plated USB connector to a spare port and blue LEDs will light up all over. The num pad, scroll wheel rim, and Razer logo all light up in a cool blue hue. In fact, the palm area even pulses rather than just lighting up statically. There’s something about the way the logo was etched that makes it gradually fade if you look at it from different angles. Of course, you can disable either set of lights in Razer’s control panel but we thought they were exceptionally cool. On the bottom of the mouse, you’ve got the laser and a switch next to it. This toggle allows you to switch between “123” mode and a more advanced “num pad” mode. Rather than having individual feet, Teflon borders the entire mouse and circles the laser. The lightweight braided cable helps prevent tangling or dragging during intense gaming sessions. The Razer Naga has the same 5600 dpi laser found in many of the company’s flagships. It’s one of the most precise lasers out there and performed well on our Razer Goliathus cloth mousepad. Build quality is exceptional; this mouse should last you a good amount of time.

Now let’s talk about the side buttons. You won’t have to worry about accidentally pressing them since they do require a slight amount of force. Each button is decently sized and are all nicely separated. You might have some trouble reaching the bottom row of numbers but once you get the hang of it, they really are quite useful. Whether you’re just using them to replace your number keys or to program custom commands, it’s extremely convenient to have those extra buttons.

Razer’s software for the Naga is very simple to navigate and use. You can assign buttons, adjust sensitivity, manage profiles, manage macros, and turn off lighting. 

Overall

The Razer Naga is a mouse with a unique concept. We had our doubts at first and found all the side buttons to be gimmicky but we actually found them to be really handy. In addition to the special feature, the Naga is also a damn good gaming mouse. It’s ergonomic in the hand and looks great on your desk when you’re not using it. If you’re a big fan of MMO’s such as WoW, they we definitely recommend this mouse! 

Pro’s

• 17 customizable buttons
• looks badass, still ergonomic 
• powerful laser

Con’s

• not perfect for non-gaming tasks

Where to buy

Think Geek — MSRP: $79.99

///5///

This review was done by Jason Tsay, who was provided the Razer Naga by Think Geek.