Software

The Razer Viper Ultimate is compatible with Razer's staple software suit, Synapse 3. Synapse has quite the reputation, and although I feel that some criticism is warranted, it is merely a piece of software after all. Synapse is embedded into an overarching software suite called Razer Central. From there, it is possible to install additional optional modules, such as Chroma Connect, Chroma Studio, or the macro editor. Furthermore, the Viper Ultimate and the docking station can be accessed individually. For the docking station, the lighting can be configured, including the option to set it to display the charging status of the Viper Ultimate. For the Viper Ultimate, a much richer selection of options is available.


First, it is possible to remap all of the eight available buttons with the exception of the left mouse button, which is always set to "left click" unless left-handed mode is enabled. Second, up to five different CPI levels can be configured in increments of 50 and with the CPI ranging from 100 to 20,000 CPI. Additionally, x- and y-sensitivity can be set up independently. Polling rate can be set to 125, 500, or 1000 Hz. Third, the lighting can be controlled very thoroughly. There are five default "quick effects" to choose from: Audio Meter (reacts to audio being played), Breathing, Reactive (reacts to button input), Spectrum Cycling, and Static. On top of that, advanced effects can be realized by using the Chroma Studio module. Interestingly, I haven't been able to find an option to control the effect transition speed. All effects can be synced with other Chroma-enabled Razer devices. Of course, it is also possible to control the brightness and set the idle time after which the lighting is turned off. Fourth, the lift-off distance can be configured in a very detailed manner. One can either keep the default automatic calibration enabled or choose to run a manual calibration. When using the former option, LOD can be set to 1 mm, 2 mm, or 3 mm. Additionally, Asymmetric Cut-off can be enabled, which allows for a higher lift-off distance while keeping the landing distance low. Lastly, one can set the idle time (in minutes) after which the mouse enters sleep mode, as well as the battery status percentage at which Low Power mode is enabled. In Low Power mode, the Viper Ultimate merely lowers the proclaimed maximum PCS of the Focus+ from 650 IPS (16.51 m/s) to 480 IPS (12.19 m/s), which is still very high. According to Razer, power consumption will be reduced by about 40% in Low Power mode, and battery life extends accordingly. Low Power mode should not be confused with the low power warning blink displayed at 5% battery life, which is not user-configurable. All settings changes are saved and applied immediately.


On my system, the software had a RAM footprint of 380 MB (310 MB when minimized) on average. Irritatingly, even after exiting the whole software suite in the taskbar, no less than four processes (RAM footprint: 180 MB) kept running. In fact, even when setting Synapse to not launch on start-up, four processes with a RAM footprint of 105 MB were running nonetheless. For using Synapse to its fullest extent, registering with Razer (free of charge) is still required. However, it is possible to use Synapse with a "guest" account if one does not want to create a Razer ID. All of the options outlined above are accessible to "guest" account users as well, with the exception of profile cloud-syncing which requires a Razer ID. Of course, it is also possible to not use Synapse at all, or to set up the Viper Ultimate once and uninstall Synapse afterwards. All of the settings mentioned above (including the power settings) will be saved to the on-board memory, with the exception of the lighting settings, of which only the brightness level and the on/off-state (for each profile) will be saved (otherwise, the default will be used). So those who do not wish to deal with Synapse in any way are able to configure the Viper Ultimate once using a "guest" account before uninstalling it right after to never be bothered by it again.

Lighting

The Razer Viper Ultimate only has one zone for RGB lighting, which is the Razer logo on the back. This is understandable as the priority for a wireless mouse is battery life. Accordingly, the lighting is fairly basic, although color accuracy and vibrancy are good. Here's a short demonstration video of the "Spectrum Cycling" program:
Speaking of battery life: Razer indicates up to 70 hours of battery life without lighting. I'm unable to verify this claim as I lack the controlled testing environment that would be necessary to make any truthful assertions in that regard. The only thing I can offer is anecdotal evidence: After roughly five hours of usage with the lighting enabled (default setup), the battery status was at 90%. Assuming linear progression, a battery life of about 50 hours with default lighting enabled could therefore be expected (Razer's internal measurements arrived at roughly 46 hours). Based off these results, the expected battery life of 70 hours without lighting enabled seems believable. In order to maximize battery life it is strongly recommended to turn the mouse off each time it's not in use, as even in sleep mode power consumption is large enough to drain the battery considerably when leaving it on over night.