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Razer Naga V3 Pro Review: Buttons Galore
One of my first gaming mice was the original Razer Naga Epic, which I was gifted as a teenager alongside my first gaming PC. Gaming has changed a lot in the past 15 years, and yet, the Razer Naga line hasn't changed much. It's general shape and function have remained remarkable consistent.
While PC gaming has come to emphasize ultra-lightweight, competitive mice designed for fast-paced shooters, that's not everyone's cup of tea. If you're a PC gamer who might prefer a more comfortable mouse—perhaps with some extra buttons—the new Naga V3 Pro just might be the best gaming mouse for you. The new model folds in some of the newest performance-focused innovations into a more practical and comfort-focused shape.
Comparing the current Naga to the models since 2015, the shape is nearly identical. The only major difference is the addition of a third mouse button. Recently, Razer has shifted its focus when refreshing mice for a new version: Instead of significantly redesigning the shape, new versions maintain a general silhouette and shell, while receiving significant updates to the internals. Considering how good the shapes of current offerings feel, it makes sense: There’s no reason to change purely for change’s sake, especially when something already works.
As far as that goes, the shell of the Naga V3 Pro is still quite nice. The large, wide shape is ideal for a palm grip, while still being usable with a claw. The third mouse button is a helpful touch, but with the locking mechanism underneath, I found its alternative use as a side support to be much more comfortable using either of these grips. (The third button was the most usable with a fingertip grip, where there wasn’t any risk of accidentally putting pressure on it.)
Really, the shape is ideal for long-term use. It’s fairly ergonomic, and it's easy enough to lay your hand across with a relaxed grip. I found it to be a great option for raid nights in Destiny 2 (with as many as five or six Crota runs in one night) and more chill games like The Big Walk, where precision and agility take a bit of a back seat to consistency and comfort.
While the Naga V3 Pro weighs 116 grams with the heaviest twelve-button side panel (the six-button panel is 115 grams, and the two-button is 113), the mouse doesn’t feel particularly heavy. The weight is all kept fairly low, and is distributed well across the mouse. Compared to some older mice with high-up batteries and nose-heavy shapes, the Naga hardly feels like its weight; I would’ve guessed it was below 100 grams if I hadn’t checked. You’ll notice the added heft if you’re switching directly from a 60 gram gaming mouse, but otherwise, this mouse manages its mass very well.
One downside to its old-school vibe is the limited color options. Black is the only version available, and while that'll always be the most popular (especially for Razer), a more niche mouse like the Naga V3 Pro could have definitely benefitted from another color.
This mouse has an absurd number of buttons. I found myself struggling to use all of them, but I’m sure there are quite a few people who still won’t think it’s quite enough.
Like the Logitech MX Master 4, the Naga incorporates a customizable mouse wheel with options for smooth or ratcheting operation, along with a “precision tactile” mode that decreases the space between each of the scrolling steps. The wheel also has a tilt function for horizontal scrolling; it’s ideal for spreadsheets and multimedia work that requires two axes of movement, but can just as easily be remapped to any number of macros (I could see it being useful for leaning to the left or right in a tactical shooter like Rainbow Six: Siege).
Drawing further comparisons to the MX Master line, I really found this mouse to be good for everyday work. The comfortable shape and extensive navigation capabilities made it great for multimedia work, and the number pad was ideal for mapping software-specific functions, especially for photo and video editi