In this review, we continue our trials of using Razer’s suite of Chroma enabled gaming peripherals. The Razer Huntsman Elite was one of our favorite keyboards ever, and we used it alongside the Razer Mamba Elite mouse and Goliathus Extended mat. Continue reading to find out our thoughts.
Razer Mamba Elite
The Mamba Elite is a very unassuming mouse. It features two thumb buttons, a nicely textured area just below it to rest your thumb, and the requisite shift/DPI adjust buttons at the top by the wheel. As with all Razer mice, the build quality is excellent. Button clicks feel precise and fast, and the mouse wheel continues to be my favorite for gaming. Each scroll is distinct and I never once scrolled past the weapon I needed, even in the most intense moments of battle.
The Razer Mamba Elite is designed for right-handed gamers only, sorry southpaws. After having used several gaming mice with anywhere from 5 to 30 buttons, the fact that the Mamba only has two side-buttons left me in a bit of a bind. Yes, the included Razer Synapse software is excellent at configuring secondary functions, but I still missed having at least a third button for my thumb to quick-switch weapons in Destiny 2.
Razer is arguably the champ of RGB lighting across its wide range of Chroma-enabled devices. The Mamba Elite is fully compatible, of course, and takes full advantage of Synapse’s ability to sync colors across multiple peripherals. You can even get your Philips Hue lights into the mix or let select games impact your lighting experience based on what’s happening in-game.
The Razer Mamba Elite is priced as a mid-tier gaming mouse but offers many of the features of more expensive devices. If you don’t need a ton of physical buttons, are right-handed, and already use other Razer Chroma products, then the Mamba Elite provides excellent value for its price.
Goliathus Extended
Throughout the many years I’ve spent playing games on my PC, I’ve gone through several trends when it concerns mousepads. Remember those fluffy, small, square mats that typically had a company’s logo on it? Yeah, I used to use those. Also, ball mice. But that’s a different story altogether. For a while after that, I chose to forego mousepads entirely. Optical sensors tended to work just fine on a regular desk surface, and it made for a lot less clutter.
Cue the current time, and mousepads are no longer pads, they’re now mats that take over the entire desk, including underneath your keyboard. I find it a bit of an odd practice, though I do see the benefits of having a super large mousing surface and taking advantage of a less slippery base for keyboards. My dusting habits can’t quite keep up with these type of setups, however, but that’s another story again.
The Razer Goliathus Extended mat will cover most gamer’s desk, providing lots of room for a large keyboard, all the room you could want for your mouse, and still has space to boot. What sets the Goliathus Extended apart from other mouse mats is its Chroma-enabled lighting around the edge. With the Razer Synapse, you can now extend your favorite lighting schemes to your gaming surface via the Goliathus Extended.
The stitching around the mat is well designed, and in true Razer fashion, the surface feels excellent. I only wish that I could choose what side of the mat the USB cable was connected to. It does, however, feature a convenient clip for the mouse cord, but it’s on the left side. So, I’m not sure how that’s of value to me, a right-hander. Of course, the Goliathus Extended is a bit of a luxury item for gamers. But if you’re going to spend on Chroma-enabled devices, sync up your room’s lights, and let Apex Legends light up your life, you might as well go all in.
Review Summary
Guide Stash received this product free of charge.
Value - 7
Build Quality - 9
Features - 7
Software Support - 8
8
Rating
The Mamba Elite is a serviceable gaming mouse for the gamer without a lot of button requirements, while the Goliathus Mat is a must for any RGB-loving gamer with a large desk.