To some people, the phrase "mobile gaming mouse" is a bit of an oxymoron. Even with laptops now being competent enough to run some of the most impressive games on the PC market, hardcore gaming on a laptop still doesn't quite feel intuitive or, for lack of a better term, "right".

That changed quite a bit with the release of the Razer Orochi Mobile Gaming Mouse a couple years ago. With a laser sensor running at a silky smooth 4000 DPI and an unrivaled amount of customization to the controls, the Orochi pretty much became the standard "travel" gaming mouse of choice.

Now, Razer has slapped a new coat of paint on the beast, releasing the Razer Orochi Black Chrome Edition, and just like its predecessor, it does not disappoint.

I want to get the elephant in the room sorted out upfront: the Orochi Black Chrome Edition is exactly the same as the original that was released back in 2009. The only difference is a cosmetic one, as the matte finish has been replaced with a sheen, chrome-esque gloss. However, that shouldn't discourage anyone from purchasing this mouse. Even two years later, the Orochi is still a beast to contend with in the mobile gaming mouse market; hell, I'd go so far as to say it's better than a lot of desktop mice out right now as well.

As a wireless Bluetooth mouse, the tracking on the Orochi is superb; I don't think I've used a wireless mouse, laser or otherwise, that's been this smooth and in control with minimal lag, and maximum precision. Thanks to the Orochi I've actually done considerably better as a Sniper in Team Fortress 2, and circle-strafing enemies was much easier than I anticipated. Mind you, I've been gaming on a simple wired Logitech laser mouse, and this felt far and away better as a gaming mouse.

Perhaps the only problem I've run into in its Bluetooth incarnation is that all those customizable controls and sensitivity are disabled in Bluetooth form. Razer has presumably made it that way so that Bluetooth connectivity and pairing would be relatively painless, but I really would have loved to adjust my sensitivity and whatnot in wireless mode. It's an easy fix by plugging in the wired USB cable and converting it to a wired mouse, but with the wire being only a scant 3 feet, it's not a complete fix, and gives rise to other issues. Additionally, I've noticed that the side buttons seem to be less responsive than the other buttons. There's been many a time when I've pressed them and seemingly no input was given. It's annoying when you're like me and you map weapon switches to the side buttons, and you need the precise weapon to effectively finish off an enemy.

Beyond that though, the Orochi is truly a fantastic mouse. Battery life is ridiculously impressive; it's been a little over two weeks since I've received their device, and it only just now ran out of juice on two half-charged AA Sanyo Eneloops. That's on heavy use as well, counting intense TF2 sessions and whatnot. Considering my previous wireless mice lasted for a week on one charge, if that, this is a freaking triumph in my eyes.

If you're looking for a gaming mouse on the go, this is most certainly a formidable choice. My knowledge of travel mice may be low, but regardless of that, the Orochi Black Chrome is still one of the best mice I've ever used, to the point where I'm actually using it for my desktop now, as a replacement to my old Logitech wired mouse. At $80, the price may be a bit steep, but if you're gaming that heavily on a laptop, chances are you already threw down a hefty amount for said PC; $80 isn't going to hurt too much in comparison.

  • Product Name: Razer Orochi Black Chrome Edition 
  • Product Distributor: Razer USA, Ltd.
  • System Peripheral is Available For: PC
  • MSRP: $79.99
  • Review Product Info: A review unit for this product was provided to DualShockers, Inc. by the distributor for the purpose of this review.