Razer Salmosa Gaming Mouse Emerges, Krait Starts Packing Its Bags

The Razer Salmosa gaming mouse has been revealed as the shadowy figure behind the Speed Of The Light teaser campaign.

According to Razer:

“The Razer Salmosa is the quickest entry level gaming-grade mouse armed with the fastest tracking optical sensor in the world. Designed to be one of the lightest and most compact mice of its class, it is the ideal mouse of choice for finger-tip grip gamers who seek both speed and control.”

So basically its a small mouse with two buttons, a mouse wheel and none of Razer’s trademark lighting. So what’s good about that? It’s hardly going to be a contender for the title of best gaming mouse.

Well, the first bit of good news is that it uses the 1800dpi 3G infrared sensor that’s proved so successful in the Deathadder and Diamondback 3G, making it a useful tool for gamers. The second bit of good news is the price, which is estimated to be $39.99 or 30 euros. I’d estimate that will translate to £25 when it hits the UK stores.

It’s an ambidextrous design so should work well for all gamers, although its small size will put off users with big hands who like to rest their palm on the mouse instead of using a ‘claw’ grip.

Razer have also added toggle switches to the bottom of the Salmosa that allow you to adjust the dpi between 800 and 1800-dpi and the polling rate between 125 / 500 / 1000Hz without the need for drivers to be installed on your machine.

The downside will be the lack of buttons. I use a Krait with my laptop, which is great for general Windows use, but try gaming with it and you’re soon wishing it had a few extra thumb buttons. This will doubtless be the main point of criticism that the Salmosa will face, but then you get what you pay for.

The 1800dpi infrared sensor is also a tried-and-tested piece of hardware, so the Razer Salmosa shouldn’t be plagued by the technical gremlins that hit the Lachesis so badly.

So where does this leave the Razer Krait? That was Razer’s entry level mouse, but with only 1600dpi it’s now outgunned by the otherwise identically equipped Salmosa. Looks like the Krait’s days are numbered.