Growing up, I played a lot of PC games. I didn’t have a lot, admittedly, and I was generally several generations behind. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I even attempted to push into the PC space, as consoles had largely taken over my gaming interests. Tech has always excited me, and Razer’s recent run of gear has left me flabbergasted by its capabilities. While my use of Razer products may have started more recently, the gear maker has been at this for a very long time, and now, staring at another big anniversary, a very distinctive item has come back home.
The Razer Boomslang is a gaming mouse that many might not have heard of, including me. Back in the early 2000s, PC gaming wasn’t what it is today. After all, the original Boomslang still had the trackball inside. But it delivered features far beyond its time. That trackball was mechanically tracked to give a tactile feel. There was 2000 DPI built in, which sounds terrible today, but was five times the usual 400 DPI most other gaming mice had. You could even change said DPI on-the-fly, which was a first. Some tournaments literally banned the Boomslang – it was just that good.
Today, the Boomslang hasn’t been around for quite a while, as ergonomics have changed, and Razer has made advances to the modern gaming mouse. That said, you can never forget where you came from. The Boomslang is a reminder of where the team has been, but this 20th anniversary edition shows us how bright the future is, although maybe with not as wacky of a design.
This special edition Boomslang arrived at my doorstep in two boxes. One with the mouse, but another with a collectible frame. I’ll break that down momentarily, but rest assured, the exorbitance of the price is reflected in the extravagance of what you’re getting.
Opening the box for the Boomslang itself, the leather hatbox inside oozes with opulence. Again, for the cost you’re absorbing, the presentation is top-notch. Pulling off the lid, you’re greeted by the outstanding Razer 20th Anniversary Boomslang. Alongside it are several color-matched accessories: a USB-C cable, glass mouse feet, and even a custom Mouse Dock Pro wireless charger. On the Mouse Dock Pro, you cannot buy this color variant – this is exclusive to your Boomslang.
One thing is certain: the Boomslang is luxury personified. Translucent green highlights the plastic, giving those 2000s tech vibes. Sewn leather adorns the back border and side buttons, alongside the gorgeous leather-clad mouse buttons. A horseshoe underglow of RGB brings even more pizzazz on top – this is a level of class working to earn the price tag.
What might be most impressive is the insistence on following the old design. This is not just a subtle reboot; this is the Boomslang as if it existed in 2026. It’s hard to describe the shape (a reason I’m glad there are pictures), but it essentially resembles a snake head at the back, which flares out into a near spatula/spoiler with the mouse buttons. Wild is a good adjective to use; this thing isn’t like any other gaming mouse. There is also no USB port for charging or wired use on the Boomslang. The team thought it wouldn’t fit the aesthetic they were going for, hence the Mouse Dock Pro, which doubles as a connection point.
There might be a few upgrades inside this Boomslang compared to the 1999 version. Razer’s Focus Pro 45K optical sensor Gen-2 is the foundation of the mouse. Hyperpolling wireless featuring 8KHz ensures every twitch is registered. The Gen-4 optical mouse switches – on both the right, left, and side buttons, and the scroll wheel – are responsive. With wireless charging and Synapse powering the whole shebang, this snake has bite.
Here’s the thing: the grip is awkward. I can’t say I understand the design choice back in 1999, or if it worked better for gamers then, but it takes a lot of time to get used to now. My palm rests on the end of the mouse, almost like I’m grabbing it from the back snout. The side buttons rest perfectly in grip on either side, but they’re really easy to “fat finger” and press accidentally. On the plus side, the mouse buttons being so large makes them effortless to click, no matter if you have smaller hands like me or not. It’s just a bit unwieldy.
I decided the best way to check out this mouse is to play some old-school stuff mixed with fresh blood from today. My playlist came down to Quake II and Classic Marathon 2 for yesteryear, and Counter-Strike 2 and Halo Infinite for recent gaming.
Quake II was the more surprising of the two. Everything felt so natural, with the smooth frame rate (thanks to my RTX 4080 led setup) blending well with the 8KHz polling rate of the mouse. It was like I could just flick my aim from enemy to enemy with no challenge – it’s just that clean. I also love the automatic button mapping of the jump to your right mouse button; shooting and hopping are awesome.
Classic Marathon 2 was a bit of a different story. I probably should have checked the settings, as just a slight twitch of the mouse would nearly throw me into a 180-degree turn instantly. Even so, the control I had was bar none. Shooting in these older games rarely incurs recoil, so with a godlike feature set on this Boomslang, you’re better than anyone and everyone.
With the “next-gen” games, I had a few more conflicts. I’d imagine the grip has something to do with it, as the Boomslang doesn’t feel as natural to move. In both Halo and Counter-Strike 2, I was struggling with my aim, not because of the accuracy of the sensors or the responsiveness of the polling rate, but because of having to re-train my usual movements. Admittedly, it is twice as heavy as my usual DeathAdder V4 Pro, but the odd shape also doesn’t always lend itself well to the quick-twitch aiming. That isn’t to say it’s bad, but I certainly wouldn’t use it over my other Razer mice, at least in a competitive environment.
While that might sound like an indictment of this peripheral, we’re missing the point if we only view the Razer 20th Anniversary Boomslang through a daily use lens. It’s absolutely not supposed to be your daily driver. This is a set piece for your desk or shelf: a trophy for your procurement of a piece of Razer history. The fact that it works, and works well, at all is a testament to Razer’s amazing technological prowess. This mouse is a collector’s dream; it stuns in-person and is an incredibly limited edition item. There are only 1337 serialized Boomslangs available, so if you get one, you probably don’t even want to use it. In recent news, Razer cancelled orders trying to scalp them, and you can even get your hands on one June 3rd.
That brings us to what may be even more striking than the working mouse: the exclusive collector’s LED display frame. This frame features green LED’s to heighten the ambience of your special collectible, and holds inside a disassembled 20th Anniversary Boomslang. That’s right, you technically get two mice for the price of one, although the second is completely unusable. With a metal plate affirming the importance of the item inside, the way Razer has given care and attention to celebrating the Boomslang is as rare as the mouse they’re selling.
Look, $1337 is a whole lot to spend on anything. That said, if you’re a Razer fan or technophile, a piece like this speaks to you. I don’t keep a close eye on the sneaker market, but I know people spend absurd amounts of money for shoes that don’t reach this level of scarcity. Those tend to be sold more as limited editions to make a buck off of sneakerheads. The Razer 20th Anniversary Boomslang does more than that for its purchasers – it honors the past while embracing what’s ahead.
