Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro review: Qi charging and loads of RGB make this the best mouse of 2022

In late 2019, we reviewed the Razer Basilisk Ultimate, a wireless pro-level gaming mouse good enough for content creators or everyday use. It was loaded with technology, making it expensive but worth it. Indeed, it’s been my primary mouse since 2019 simply because of the wireless charging dock.

Now, Razer is back with the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and optional Mouse Dock Pro. It’s a wild combination and is ideal for anyone who wants the best all-around wireless mouse that money can buy. I can’t see anything else beating it anytime soon, and it’s the only mouse to successfully replace my Basilisk Ultimate (while fixing a few of its shortcomings).

The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro combo ($200) should be your go-to pro setup if you can afford the entry fee. Here’s why.

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro: Price, specs, and availability

The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro is now available from Razer.com and authorized retail partners (Best Buy, Amazon, etc.) for $159.99. That includes the mouse, 2.4GHz dongle, dongle adapter, and 6-foot Type-C cable for charging or wired use.

The Razer Mouse Dock Pro (optional) is $69.99 and includes the dock, wireless charging puck, and Type-A to Type-C cable.

An extra Razer wireless charging puck is sold for $19.99 should you need a replacement.

Razer is also selling a bundle, which includes the Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro for $199.99 instead of $229.98 if you purchase them separately. This bundle is only available from Razer.com and Razer Store.

The Basilisk V3 Pro supports Bluetooth LE, 2.4GHz, and wired Type-C connections. 

Battery life is heavily dependent on how bright you set the Chroma RGB, but Razer estimates 90 hours using the 2.4GHz dongle, and 100 hours via Bluetooth. 

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro: What I like

There’s a lot to unpack with the Basilisk V3 Pro because Razer has put all its best technology into one mouse. That’s the main takeaway: This mouse has everything that is cutting edge or even aesthetically “cool” in it.

The form factor is a right-handed ergonomic design with a “signature thumb rest for less finger drag and smoother flicks when gaming.” The thumb rest is found on many high-end mice, including the Basilisk Ultimate or Logitech’s MX Master series. It makes using the mouse very comfortable simply because your thumb is supported the entire time.

Compared to Basilisk Ultimate, Razer kept the entire chassis design identical. You’d be hard pressed to tell the difference by putting them side by side. But all the tech inside has been updated and refreshed, especially with the wireless charging dock.

Getting to the nitty-gritty new 2022 features for Razer Basilisk V3 Pro, they include:

• HyperScroll Tilt Wheel: Choose between Tactile scrolling (clicky), Smart-Reel, or Free-Spin Cycling.
• 13-Zone Chroma RGB: Unlike Basilisk Ultimate, the V3 Pro has a “full under glow.”
• 10+1 Programmable buttons.
• Razer Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor.
• Razer HyperSpeed Wireless: Default 1,000Hz polling rate, but can be boosted to 4,000Hz.
• Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3
• Support for “next-gen” Qi wireless charging via the optional Mouse Dock Pro.

The new scroll tilt wheel (side-scrolling capable) is fascinating and easily one of the best new features. By default, it’s standard ratcheting, which is what most people are used to using. With a flick of a button (behind the wheel), you can toggle to free-spin mode, something many people desire where high-speed scrolling is preferred. You can also click down for scroll-clicking (also programmable).

But there’s a third setting called Smart-Reel. This mode is the best of both: Tactile by default, but when you begin to scroll very quickly, it automatically switches to free scroll and back again when finished. It also supports “scroll acceleration,” where the faster you scroll, the faster the scroll speed ramps up. It’s genius and my favorite setting.

Getting to the guts, the Basilisk V3 Pro shares the same tech as the new DeathAdder V3 Pro (Razer’s top-tier, super light pro-level gaming mouse). That includes the 30K optical sensor, gen-3 switches, and support for 4,000Hz wireless Razer HyperPolling (optional). 

DeathAdder V3 Pro, however, doesn’t support wireless charging, has no RGB lighting, no scroll wheel modes, and lacks a thumb rest. It’s built for strictly hardcore gaming, whereas the Basilisk V3 Pro is fine for high-end gaming and everything else.

Razer’s famed Chroma RGB lighting is 100% not needed on any mouse, but there’s a reason why people want it: It just looks cool. I’m one of those people, and I'm glad to see not only that this mouse still has RGB lighting, but Razer added more with 11 new zones on the bottom (“under glow”). That's in addition to the scroll wheel and the Razer THS logo. 

And if you don’t like RGB Chroma? Just turn it off, or turn down the brightness. 

The bottom of the mouse has a round door that pops off where the 2.4GHz can be stowed during travel. It’s also where the next significant feature becomes relevant: Wireless charging.

Besides just an all-around great mouse, whether gaming or browsing the web, what makes the Basilisk V3 Pro special is the optional (but highly recommended) Mouse Dock Pro. You could recharge it by plugging in the Type-C cable or go all out with a magnetic Qi wireless dock with 8 RGB lighting zones.

The Mouse Dock Pro can also replace using the 2.4GHz dongle and can directly handle the wireless connection itself. This pairing of the two enables 4,000Hz HyperPolling, whereas the 2.4GHz dongle is limited to “just” 1,000Hz. 

So, Mouse Dock Pro is an upgrade in two ways: It adds wireless charging and extreme polling.

The Mouse Dock Pro is simple to operate. Pop off the bottom door from the Basilisk V3 Pro and replace it with the Mouse Dock Pro’s wireless charging puck. Plug the Mouse Dock Pro (Type-C to Type-A) into your PC and plop the Basilisk on it to recharge wirelessly. Magnets line the mouse up and hold it in place.

Razer had a similar setup with the Basilisk Ultimate called Mouse Dock Chroma, but it’s much better now. After a year, my Basilisk Ultimate became increasingly harder to recharge. Not because of the battery, but the Mouse Dock Chroma prongs did make the connection and required me to wiggle it until the charge was enabled.

That’s all gone now as the new system has no prongs and is Qi wireless. And yes, you could use any Qi charger to charge the Basilisk V3 Pro.

Razer will also use these Qi pucks for future devices, making them universal for its (eventual) wireless ecosystem. If you lose it, you can always buy a replacement for $20.

My other favorite feature is when charging on the dock, both the dock and mouse slowly pulse various colors indicating the current battery level of the mouse. If it beats red, it’s on low battery (<25%). It is in the 26 to 75% range when breathing orange to yellow. If pulsing green, the mouse has 76 to 99% battery, with static green indicating it is fully charged. 

It’s all very clever.

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro: What I didn't like

There’s not much to dislike about the Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro. Simply put, you’re getting the best of everything on the market in one setup. But nothing is perfect.

Pricing. Dropping $160 for a mouse or $200 for the setup I’m using with the Mouse Dock Pro is not trivial. Razer is known for premium (and costly) devices, and the Basilisk V3 Pro is the best example. Many will balk at the pricing, which is a shame, but also understandable if you’re on a budget or don’t consider a mouse that important to warrant 200 Benjamins.

It’s right-handed only. Sure, by most estimates, 90 percent of the population is right-handed, but this mouse will be problematic for those who are not.

Weight. The Basilisk V3 Pro is packed with technology, including those RGB lights, which add a lot of mass. Out of the box and without the 2.4GHz dongle stowed, the mouse comes in at 112 grams. Toss in the dongle for storage and the optional Qi puck, and the mouse’s weight goes up to 118 grams.

Razer’s new DeathAdder V3 Pro is just 63 grams, and Viper V2 Pro is an absurdly light 58 grams by comparison. And 2019’s Basilisk Ultimate is lighter at 107 grams. For hardcore gamers, lighter is better, so the Basilisk V3 Pro may not be great for fast-twitch gaming or gaming sessions with very long durations.

Under quirks, I mention the charging indicator status via the LEDs. In 2019’s Mouse Dock Chroma, Razer had a chart under the lighting settings to tell you what the colors meant. For some reason, it’s omitted in 2022’s Mouse Dock Pro, and I’m not sure why.

Finally, I don’t love how the Qi puck is locked into the mouse. The intention is right — low friction, no moving parts. But it’s like removing a battery door with a coin-edge slot to help twist it, except you don’t get the slot here. You must press down and twist this flat disk; it just feels odd. Also, if you don’t lock it into place, the Qi wireless charging won’t work as the contacts won’t align. Considering you won’t touch the Qi puck often after inserting it, this is far from a deal-killer and more of a nitpick.

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro: Competition

As a daily user of the Basilisk Ultimate, it’s still a great wireless mouse, just more affordable. Since it came out in late 2019, it is now only $70 instead of $150. But the real deal is getting the Basilisk Ultimate and Mouse Dock Chroma for $80 — a mere $10 more. Compared to the $200 for the Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro, that is quite a savings.

The Logitech MX Master 3S is considered to be the king of productivity for creators. The Logitech MX Master 3S is only $99, which is much more affordable, but there’s a good reason for that — you get a lot less. The sensor is “only” 8K instead of 30K; there is no wireless recharging or RGB lights. Performance is terrible for gaming with no 4,000Hz HyperPolling (versus a super slow 125Hz), you can’t use it wired via Type-C (only for charging), and there are seven programmable buttons (instead of 10). Finally, it doesn’t have a tilt wheel (but you get a thumb one instead). It’s great for creators but makes a terrible gaming mouse.

Logitech’s G903 is its top-tier wireless gaming mouse. It’s slightly lighter at 110 grams, is compatible with Powerplay (it’s wireless recharging tech), is ambidextrous, is much more affordable at $76 (on sale), and gets more battery life (140 hours versus 90). However, it can’t do 4,000Hz polling, and the sensor is “only” 25K instead of 30K. It’s also more aggressively designed for gamers with sharp, angular edges.

For more ideas, see our best mouse recommendations. 

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro: Should you buy?

You should buy this if …

• You want the best do-it-all wireless mouse
• You like to play games and use your PC for creativity
• You want simple wireless charging and like RGB lights
• You don’t know the meaning of the word “budget"

You should not buy this if …

• You stopped reading this when you read $160 for a mouse
• You need or prefer a light mouse
• Wireless charging is something you can live without
• You’re left-handed

I won’t mince words here: The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and Mouse Dock Pro is the top-tier PC mouse system right now. There’s nothing that packs this much into a mouse.

The ergonomics are excellent, the design is better looking than Logitech’s G903, you get slick-looking RGB, and the new wireless charging is aces. The new shifting scroll wheel is much better than I expected. Add in things like a 30K sensor and 4,000 HyperPolling — the highest and fastest available — and you don’t get much better than this. At least not today.

Another question is whether you need all the Basilisk V3 Pro offers. Let’s be honest: Most people won’t benefit from a 30,000 DPI or 4,000Hz HyperPolling, and these are ludicrous performance ratings that many won’t be able to use for gaming or productivity.

But hey, futureproofing is nice, too.

The big concern is the pricing, as $160 (just the mouse) or $200 (mouse and dock) makes this the most expensive wireless mouse to my knowledge. 

But, if you want the best, I can confidently say that the Basilisk V3 Pro is the best all-around mouse right now, making it worth the investment. I know it will be my primary mouse until the next Basilisk V4 Pro arrives in a few years.