Razer Naga Epic Review

Razer Naga Epic Review

Manufacturer: Razer
UK Price (as reviewed): £95.87 (inc VAT)
US Price (as reviewed): $99.99 (ex tax)

The Naga Epic is Razer's third attempt at an MMO mouse. It's even more expensive than other MMO mice that have rolled off Razer's production line, though, clocking in at just under £100. It clearly needs to offer serious benefits to MMO gamers in order to justify the price tag, so what do you get for your money?


The Naga Epic is basically an evolution of the original Naga, but there are a number of new additions too. The biggest change is that the mouse is now able to operate in either wired or wireless mode. A detachable braided USB cord is on standby for initial charging, and as a backup if your battery life wavers.

Meanwhile, the sturdy wireless docking station is rock-solid and feels heavy - it's not something that will be easily knocked over by the cat. The lag-free wireless operation of the Naga Epic is also flawless; this and the slick design of the plug-n-play cord are easily the biggest improvements.

The Naga is equipped with three magnetic, interchangeable side panels. These enable you to try three differently sized panels to determine which one suits your hand the best. Some people may prefer the skinniest panel for twitch-based encounters, while others might find the fattest of the three to be the best for marathon sessions. It's an innovative approach to customisation that doesn't overload the user with choices.


The hook for MMO players is the 12-button numeric keypad operated by your thumb. This array of buttons requires discipline and practice to master, but once you've tinkered around with it for a few nights, muscle memory will kick in and it becomes easier to use. The 12 buttons map directly to your keyboard's 1 to = keys, or if you're feeling fruity you can opt to have it map to your numeric keypad instead. With five other buttons bringing the total to 17, the Naga Epic's ability to map anything to anywhere is impressive.


Razer has seen fit to make two software add-ons available for the Naga series, including the Epic. One is for World of Warcraft and the other is for the less popular Warhammer Online. The WoW add-on is pretty neat, and can replace the need for other action-bar mods that are doing the in-game rounds. We're pleased to report that it works well.


The Naga Epic is also a technically highly desirable and competent mouse. Sensitivity tops out at 5,600dpi with a 1,000Hz USB polling rate, and the LED back-lighting can be configured to any of 16 million different colours for the LED lighting (yes, you can tell the difference). There are also user interface features such as recordable macros, which define profiling and power management; the Naga Epic covers all the bases extremely well. It has a decent, weighty feel too, being neither too heavy nor too light. This gels nicely with the slick form factor and general high level of craftsmanship.

Conclusion
The Naga Epic might cost considerably more than other mice, but there's no doubt that gamers who have both the dosh to spare and a willingness to train themselves to use the keypad will find it useful. The Naga Epic is an excellent MMO mouse, and thanks to the customisable design and smooth wireless control, it's a dab hand at regular gaming too.

Specifications

• Connection Wired, braided, and wireless
  
• Material Plastic
  
• Buttons 17, scroll wheel
  
• Sensitivity 100dpi - 5,600dpi
  
• Extras Three changeable side panels, software add-ons, configurable lighting