Gaming peripherals make for a hotly contested market space, and one of its most ardent contenders for years is Roccat. Often prone to feats of ingenuity, always adding a unique flair to proceedings, I enjoy following their product releases and getting a Roccat product in for review is always a treat. This time it’s coming in with my personal favourite kind of gaming mouse – the Razer Viper clone.
That’s not to discount Roccat’s Burst series, but with its squarely targeted right-handed ambidextrous, medium-size, ultra-lightweight design aesthetic, it is eerily similar to the Razer Viper series. This isn’t a bad thing. After all, the Viper must be doing something right to be as dominant in this space as it currently is, right? And Roccat does know how to make a good mouse.
My favourite similarity to the Viper is the explicit choice not to embrace the swiss cheese trend of recent gaming mouses when shedding the weight (it’s gaudy, it’s nasty, don’t support it). Roccat has actually come up with an ingenious middle-ground here. The shell of the mouse exists in two layers, with an inner honeycomb-cut-out layer underneath an outer matte plastic layer protecting the precious innards. There is also a very cool honeycomb-patterned plastic on the side grips. This makes for a sturdy frame while keeping things light, simultaneously creating some interesting design possibilities. Let’s get into the two variants.
ROCCAT BURST CORE, AKA “THE BUDGET ONE”
The Burst Core is the cheaper of the two Burst offerings, and features some interesting concessions such as a budget sensor, rubberised USB cable, and fewer RGB zones. You might think this makes it inferior (and on paper, hey sure) but I say thee nay! The Burst Core was actually very much my favourite of the two. We’ll get back to this.
ROCCAT BURST PRO, AKA “THE PREMIUM ONE”
We’ll call this one the “bling” version because that’s the effect you get right from unboxing and noticing extra mouse skates, all the way to plugging it in and witnessing the disco light show play out on your desk. It has a Roccat’s signature “Owl-Eye” sensor, a braided USB cable, and – wait for it – the entire shell is semi-translucent plastic, because why have RGB zones when the entire mouse is the RGB zone.
Here’s the thing.
I didn’t hate the Burst Core’s matte-rubber outer shell even if felt like over time it might start picking up some finger oils and dirt and looking… less white. On the contrary, I quite enjoyed using this version. It felt soft but firm to the touch, was comfortable for long-term use, and made for some crispy clicks.
I absolutely abhorred the Burst Pro’s translucent outer shell. The problem of having this semi-transparent layer is you introduce a more plasticky feel to affairs, and because it’s only semi-translucent, the RGB doesn’t shine through evenly. To make matters worse, thanks to the softer plastic you’ve now introduced pre-travel on mouse clicks. Pre-travel from the same company that perfected the left-click with its Kain range? I never thought I’d see the day.
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Now sure, you could open up the Roccat Swarm software and turn off the RGB and carry on with your life, but there’s still the problem of the look and feel of that awful choice of materials, and just for some RGB you can only partly see. Form, no function.
For these reasons, and the relatively insignificant differences between the sensors, it’s tough to recommend the Burst Pro over the Burst Core. If RGB is your thing, and you absolutely love the design of this one, maybe the Pro is for you. For the rest of the world, and especially at the cheaper price point, the Burst Core is my pick, and one of the truly strong contenders for the Razer Viper’s throne.