Razer claims the Viper 8K is its most responsive mouse ever

In the constant arms race that is the PC gaming peripheral market, Razer believes it’s obtained an edge against its competitors with its latest mouse, the Viper 8K. The peripheral features the company’s second-generation optical switches and 20,000 DPI Focus Plus sensor. But the Viper 8K’s claim to fame is that it’s the company’s first mouse to include its new HyperPolling technology, allowing it to achieve a claimed polling rate of 8,000MHz.

Polling rate, for those who need a refresher, is the frequency at which a peripheral transmits data to your computer. When it comes to gaming mice, the current industry standard is 1,000Hz. That means most mice send data to your PC 1,000 times every second, leading to a 1ms input delay coming from the peripheral. The Viper 8K shaves that down to one-eighth of a millisecond.

In theory, that should make the Viper 8K more responsive, with fewer instances of micro-stutters, according to Razer. However, even seasoned esports pros may have a tough time sussing out the differences between a mouse with a 1,000Hz polling rate and the Viper 8K given that we’re talking about milliseconds here.

Realistically, the Viper 8K’s light 71g frame is likely to give you more of an edge than its advanced polling capabilities. It’s also worth pointing out the technology is only available on a wired mouse so far. So if you’re one of those people who swears by your wireless mouse, that may make the Viper 8K a non-starter. But if already in the market for a new mouse, at the very least it’s one of those features that won’t hurt your performance in the same way a mouse set to too high of a DPI setting will, and the Viper 8K has a lot going for it besides its headline feature.

The Viper 8K is available to purchase today through Amazon, Best Buy and Razer’s website.