After a decade of slump, PC gaming is growing at an exponential rate. With more and more console gamers getting into the PC gaming community the demand for good, reliable, and sturdy products. Of course, while most of the products available catering to veteran PC players, Razer has launched a new line of novice gaming accessories, and the Razer Abyssus V2 Essential Gaming Mouse is one of them.
At first glance, the most notable thing many advanced gamers will notice is the lack of side and DPI buttons on the mouse. On a first impression, this is a significant flaw for dedicated PC gamers — such as those who prefer to play shooters such as Battlefield 1 or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Those extra buttons could be used as shortcuts to throw grenades, reload, or melee during combat. Missing DPI buttons hinders those who are gaming or editing videos for their YouTube channel.
What the Razer Abyssus V2 Essential does offer are three buttons: the left and right mouse buttons, and a scrolling wheel located in between both buttons. Performance wise, the left and right mouse buttons offer a snappy mechanical click, reminding me of the responsive clicking sound that you hear from the buttons of the Razer Wolverine Ultimate controller. The scrolling wheel feels pleasant to the touch, and the click of it is satisfying on the ears. In other words, the Abyssus V2 will provide (at least) the minimum experience that most others on the market offer.
Aside from the mouse’s bare bones, the Razer Abyssus V2 Essential is also physically very small. It is not designed for those who have bigger hands; gamers with normal hands will feel awkward when holding the product. Comfort is subjective, but to be transparent I was not a fan of the structure of the mouse.
Circling back to the overall design and features, the Abyssus V2 Essential weights approximately 78 grams before you connect the cable into the mouse, making it one of the lightest gaming mouses available on the market. Despite its lightweight build, this product is still very sturdy and reliable. Unless you are intentionally trying to break the mouse, do not expect the product to be busted anytime soon.
One (additional) flaw with the product’s design, however, was the actual act of breaking in the mouse. It took me a couple of days to feel comfortable with it. During those first few days, the mouse had this plastic-esque feel. When I was using the mouse during gaming sessions, it felt extremely slippery… almost as if the mouse was covered in oil. The feeling wore out (thankfully) over time, but expect to break in this mouse like a new pair of shoes or a baseball mitt.
Despite some novice-level design choices, one of the most significant selling points for this gaming mouse is the RGB lighting. Like a slew of many other products available by Razer, the Abyssus V2 Essential utilizes the Chroma lighting, and it can sync up to other Chroma-enabled devices, such as the Razer Goliathus Soft Mousepad (just to name an example).
During my time with the mouse I experimented with the sync up to other Chroma devices (the Nommo Chroma speakers and the mousepad above), and it was an immaculate experience to put it lightly. In case you were wondering, the LED strip on the mouse is located underneath the mouse, thus creating an under glow. This is absolutely a small pro to the mouse. Many other mice on the market that offer RGB lighting tend to feature the colors at the bottom front of the mouse via a logo or they will put it somewhere else on the front such as in between the left and right mouse buttons. The Razer Abyssus V2 Essential feels like a more dedicated experience in color customization.
So when it comes down to the overall mouse is it a bad product? Well, in one simple word, no. While the mouse was not my cup of tea, I’m just not the designated entry-level customer this is aiming for. This mouse was designed for gamers who are just starting out on the platform. Although, the $49.99 price tag might scare consumers away, especially when you consider the equivalent to this mouse (such as the Cooler Master MM530) is a lot cheaper and feature-rich. But part of the price-tag is buying into the Razer brand and eco-system, which is nothing to sneeze at.
Entry-level PC gamers can feel assured in purchasing the Razer Abyssus V2 Essential gaming mouse, especially if they are looking to capitalize on the RGB effects that have captured the aesthetic meta. Meanwhile, those wanting to make a deeper plunge into feature-rich mice can find other beginner and advanced products on the market.
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