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For the last few years, I could pretend all I wanted that my Razer Viper V3 Pro was a Pokémon collaboration by way of the placebo effect, believing its black, sleek chassis was inspired by my favorite Legendary, Giratina – that was the best I could get, while I waited for a Razer Pokémon collaboration to arrive in the West. Fortunately, I can finally stop faking it, as a new Kanto-focused collection is here, and my wallet is already hurting in anticipation.
Similar to the Razer Minecraft and Razer Fortnite collections, this new Razer Pokémon collection brings a variety of products that fill my desk with plenty of my favorite ‘Mon in their glory. Primarily, the latest set comes with a frenzy of Kanto’s starters in the form of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander’s faces planted everywhere. And, well, who can forget Pikachu, who’s also plastered across the collection?
Razer has had every opportunity to make each of these collaborations with any of its pricey choices, considering it has options such as the DeathAdder V3 Pro and the Viper V3 HyperSpeed in our best gaming mouse buying guide, or its selection of excellent keyboards, opting to put in the most expensive products in its library before putting an even higher price tag on them. That’s not the case, as many of these products are already affordable anyway, and the Pokémon design makes them even more appealing.
Let’s start with the Razer Cobra. It’s arguably the simplest in its design, with a yellow and black chassis that doesn’t resemble Nintendo’s franchise except for the obvious link to everyone’s favorite electric mouse. However, the left and right mouse buttons are covered in the aforementioned Kanto Pokémon, a pattern that is found across the entire collection.
The neon yellow reminds me of my favorite Razer collaboration; the now-broken remains of my Cyberpunk 2077 Viper Ultimate. I do wish that it had something more exciting in the place of the standard Razer logo, though, even if it was something simple like a larger Pikachu.
This is my first experience with the standard Razer Cobra, and I’m pretty impressed. The cable is fairly sturdy, which does make it a little heavier for those wanting fast reflexes in the best FPS games, but the overall design is comfortable, the buttons are exceptionally clicky, and the Pokémon theme is simply the cherry on top for a great mouse. Even though I do own a Viper V3 Pro in all of its wireless glory, I usually have it shackled by the charging wire as I’m too lazy to keep it charged, so the Cobra Pro being wired-only doesn’t bother me. However, I can see why others would prefer a wireless Pokémon Edition mouse.
Obviously, you can’t have a mouse on its own, without having a mousepad alongside it. So, the Razer x Pokémon collection also offers a patterned version of the Gigantus V2 in medium, a cloth pad that is pretty basic, all things considered, but just as gorgeous as the rest of the set.
Unlike the rest of the set, Pikachu’s giant face is plopped straight in the center, but the familiar pattern can be found printed across the rest of the Gigantus V2 with a high-quality print. The Cobra Pro glides effortlessly across it, and it sticks with the bold aesthetic. Usually, the pad I use is the SteelSeries QcK with the Call of Duty Monkey Bomb design, yet despite it having a place on our best gaming mousepad list, I actually prefer this Razer Gigantus V2, thanks to the colorful design, and it doesn’t get as dirty as quickly.
Moving on, we have the impressive Razer BlackWidow V4 X. Personally, I prefer the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, as the build quality and RGB lighting offer a better experience, but considering its high price, I think the V4 X is still a solid substitute. Once again, it’s covered in small Pokéfaces across the board.
Razer’s Green switches are also not my favorite, as I prefer linear, quieter clicks, but the quality of the RGB, alongside the premium feel of the keyboard, makes it worthwhile for fans of the franchise. However, I’d even take a special edition of the BlackWidow V4 75%, which is one of our favorite designs on our best gaming keyboard guide, mostly because I prefer smaller boards and I like the hot-swappable switches.
Finally, the last piece of the Kanto-focused set is none other than the Razer Kraken V4 X. Much like the keyboard, it’s a budget-friendly version of the standard Kraken V4, and while it’s not the best gaming headset in my collection, it’s certainly one of the most stylish.
Sporting that iconic yellow surrounding the Razer logo on the earpieces, alongside (you guessed it) the pattern across the band, it’s a great peripheral, but arguably my least favorite of the set – however, this is likely due to the fact that I am comparing it to the audio quality of my standard headset, which is the way more expensive SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro.
I do like the overall aesthetic of the Kraken V4 X, though. Much like the Cobra Pro, its design is thoughtful in its implementation of the familiar pattern faces. The Pokémon title, in its classic font, sits just at the start of the band, while the Kanto starters and Pikachu don’t go all the way over the headband like a copy-and-paste exercise, but instead go up to the signature Razer logo, with a slightly larger Pikachu face greeting you with a smile before you pop your headset on.
It all helps that these aren’t just simple decals, plastered onto the existing products in the aim of getting a quick buck. It’s all embedded into the design itself, with the keyboard even gaining the famous ‘Pokémon’ text in the iconic font printed onto the spacebar, while two Pokéballs replace the ALT keys. I wish they were transparent, to allow the RGB to shine through them, as opposed to staying yellow, but it’s a nice extra touch on top of an already brilliant package.
Overall, these Pokémon Edition versions of some of Razer’s great, but more budget-friendly, peripherals make it one of my favorite themed sets the company has made. The design is absolutely gorgeous, with Razer’s premium and high-quality hardware looking spectacular when plastered with Pokémon. I do wish that there were versions of the Viper V3 Pro or the BlackWidow V4 75% with a limited-edition Pokémon design, as I prefer the features and build quality of the more expensive peripherals. However, it’s a great collection for any fans of these iconic pocket monsters from gaming history.
If you’re looking for the perfect place to put your new Razer Pokémon gear, I’d seriously recommend picking up the Secretlab Magnus Pro, our top choice in our best gaming desk list. Speaking of Secretlab, the company’s Titan Evo is still one of our favorites in our best gaming chair guide, and with countless collaborations already, I know my wallet would be scared if a Giratina chair gets announced.
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