The Razer Viper Ultimate did amazingly well in my testing. Getting a wireless mouse right is no easy task, but Razer more than managed to do it with the Viper Ultimate. The wireless functionality of the Viper Ultimate is peerless at this point in time: Battery life is even higher than Logitech's wireless flagship, the Pro Wireless, and in terms of the reliability and quality of the wireless connection, the Viper Ultimate emerges as the winner as well. In fact, the Viper Ultimate does several things no other mouse currently is doing in terms of wireless tech. In the same vein, the usage of optical switches instead of mechanical switches for the main buttons ensures low click latency while also eliminating the risk of unintended double clicks due to switch degradation. Coupled with the fact that Razer didn't cut back in regard to sensor performance (which is excellent) and weight (which is just 74 g) to achieve this kind of battery life and performance, it is fair to say that right now, the Viper Ultimate indeed has no equal in terms of wireless functionality on the market. Above average RGB lighting options and the inclusion of the very handy charging dock only cement this position.

If we look at the material quality of the Viper Ultimate, things are looking great as well. Both main and side buttons provide a satisfying click response, the scroll wheel works without issue, and the combination of nicely gliding feet and a very grippy coating result in a mouse that handles very well. The ambidextrous shape is rather conservative, but that's most likely a good thing as it makes the Viper Ultimate suitable for all of the three main grip styles (palm, claw, and fingertip grip) and many hand sizes.

Is the Viper Ultimate flawless then? The answer to this question will depend on your stance on Razer's software suite, Synapse 3. I had little issue with using it during my testing, but I can understand why some people have a strong dislike for it. The software itself works well, but it is still quite the resource hog. Thankfully, the Viper Ultimate can be used just fine without having to use Synapse at all, so anybody who's on the fence about the Viper Ultimate because of Synapse can rest easy. These days, it's also no longer necessary to register with Razer to get access to all of Synapse's settings, which means it's perfectly possible to install Synapse once, set everything up, and uninstall Synapse right after—the Viper Ultimate saves everything but lighting to the on-board memory.

For these reasons I feel it's well-justified to award the Razer Viper Ultimate both the Editor's Choice and the Innovation (for its wireless tech) award.