Computer mice were originally designed as pointing devices able to translate 2D motion across a surface to a computer screen. They’ve been around for nearly 50 years now and we still have fond memories of our first encounter with one on the Commodore Amiga. They were never particularly comfy to use though and the old two-button mechanical design, with rollers and a rubber ball, was always problematic and required endless cleaning as bits of fluff got caught inside.
Fortunately mice have come a long way in recent years in technology, ergonomics and aesthetics. We now have fancy features such as wireless, optical, laser and programmable buttons. The mouse has also become the preferred control method for most PC gamers.
With PC games becoming ever more competitive, gamers are always looking for ways to get an edge on their opponents. If you play games and are still using the free mouse that came with your PC then you’re missing out. Finding a mouse that suits your play style and is comfortable to use for extended periods is essential if you want to compete. We’ve been spending some time with the Razer Taipan.
The Razer Taipan is designed with gaming in mind. In fact it was created with input from many professional gamers to ensure it would hold up in competition. The mouse features an ergonomic ambidextrous design making it equally suitable for both right and left-handed gamers.
This is an average sized mouse that we found to fit beautifully in your hand no matter what grip style you prefer to use. If you have very large hands then we’d recommend you try it out first though as you may find it to be a little small. The narrow form goes in slightly at each side where your thumb and little finger will find nice rubber grips.
The Razer Taipan is a wired mouse that features a generous 7ft thin braided cable. For gaming we much prefer a wired mouse and didn’t notice the cable during play. One comment we have from previous experience though is that these cables do tend to become frayed if you leave the wire hanging down the back of a desk. The other advantage of the wire is the mouse is nice and light with no worries of running out of power during gameplay.
No software is included with the mouse but basic setup is as simple as plugging it into a spare USB port. To get the most out of it though you are recommended to download Razer Synapse 2.0 from the official site. This software will auto-detect your mouse, download the latest updates and allow you to configure it. The Razer Synapse 2.0 software also allows you to save multiple profiles to the cloud allowing you to retrieve your settings from any internet connected PC. This is really useful if you play in multiple locations on different PC’s.
The mouse has nine programmable buttons – left, right, scroll wheel, two below the scroll wheel and two on each side of the mouse. Razer describes the buttons as Hyperesponse and they live up to the name. They need just enough pressure to ensure you don’t press them by accident but are so easy to press when you do. You can easily mash them many times a second with little fatigue.
The Razer Taipan uses what is described as an 8200 dpi 4G Dual Sensor System. On the underside of the mouse you’ll find both an optical and a laser sensor. These ensure incredible accuracy no matter what surface you play on and you can even configure the mat type you use in the software. The two buttons below the scroll wheel default to changing the X-Y sensitivity on the fly. There are five preset levels but the software lets you customise them to your liking. This is an incredibly useful feature if you play FPS games where you swap between low-mid range weapons and sniper rifles.
The mouse glides effortlessly on a decent mouse pad and also looks the part with a mix of black and grey for the body, silver for the side buttons and green lighting. The sides of the scroll wheel permanently glow green and the main body of the mouse features a pulsing Razer logo which you can disable if you want.
We’re not afraid to admit we’ve fallen in love with the Razer Taipan. It’s a beautiful mouse that just feels perfect in every situation. If you’re in the market for a new mouse and play a lot of competitive games then we highly recommend you consider the Razer Taipan. You can buy the mouse direct from Razer for £69.99. http://www.razerzone.com/gb-en/store/razer-taipan
Check out our interview with Min-Liang Tan, Razer CEO for more information about Razer and their products.
