The Razer Basilisk Essential is a stripped-down model in the Basilisk lineup. It shares the same ergonomic shape and has a thumb rest on its left side, but it lacks a few features found on more premium models in the series, like the scroll wheel lighting, a second CPI switch button, free-scrolling, and L/R wheel tilt buttons. It has a low lift-off distance and a fairly consistent sensor. While its CPI range isn't as wide as some of the other models in the Basilisk lineup, it should still be good enough for most people. Unfortunately, its click latency is fairly high, its cable isn't very flexible, and it's fairly heavy.
Our Verdict
The Razer Basilisk Essential is decent for office use. It feels well-built and is suitable for any grip type for almost all hand sizes, and it has a textured thumb rest and many programmable buttons. Unfortunately, its scroll wheel doesn't have L/R tilt buttons and can't unlock for free scrolling. Also, you can't use it wirelessly.
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Many programmable buttons.
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Feels well-built.
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Wired-only design.
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Wheel has no L/R tilt and can't unlock for free scrolling.
The Razer Basilisk Essential is decent for FPS gaming. It feels well-built and is suitable for all grip types for almost all hand sizes with any grip type. It has a low lift-off distance, a high polling rate, and a fairly consistent sensor. While its CPI range isn't as wide as some other gaming options, it should be good enough for most gamers. Unfortunately, its click latency is fairly high and may not feel responsive enough during fast-paced games. Also, the mouse is heavy, and its cable isn't very flexible.
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Many programmable buttons.
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Feels well-built.
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Low lift-off distance.
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Fairly high click latency.
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Cable isn't very flexible.
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Heavy.
The Razer Basilisk Essential is good for MMO games, although it doesn't have nearly as many buttons as dedicated MMO mice do. However, you can program almost all of the buttons it does have, and you can even set a HyperShift button to give you a second layer of controls. It feels well-built and should feel comfortable for almost all hand sizes with any grip type. It has a high polling rate, a fairly consistent sensor, and a low minimum lift-off distance. Unfortunately, the click latency is fairly high, and the braided cable isn't very flexible.
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Many programmable buttons.
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Feels well-built.
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Low lift-off distance.
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Fairly high click latency.
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Cable isn't very flexible.
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Doesn't have as many buttons as MMO mice.
The Razer Basilisk Essential is a decent ultra-light gaming mouse, but it's much heavier than dedicated ultra-light mice and almost what we'd consider a heavy mouse. While the PTFE feet glide well, the braided cable isn't very flexible and retains kinks from packaging. Also, it has fairly high latency and may not feel responsive enough for some gamers. On the bright side, it feels well-built and is suitable for almost all hand sizes.
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Many programmable buttons.
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Feels well-built.
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Low lift-off distance.
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Fairly high click latency.
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Cable isn't very flexible.
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Heavy.
The Razer Basilisk Essential is inadequate for travel. It's fairly bulky and may not fit in some laptop cases. Also, since you can only use it wired, its cable may be cumbersome in tight spaces, like in a plane, bus, or train.
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Feels well-built.
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Wired-only design.
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Heavy.
- 7.2 Office/Multimedia
- 7.3 Video Games (FPS)
- 7.5 Video Games (MMO)
- 7.3 Ultra-Light Gaming
- 4.7 Travel
- Updated Jun 17, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Jun 11, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 02, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated May 28, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Apr 26, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Razer Basilisk Essential has no variants and is only available in black. You can see our unit's label here.
Compared To Other Mice
The Razer Basilisk Essential is a stripped-down mouse based on the Razer Basilisk. It has the same right-handed ergonomic shape as other models in this series, although it lacks a few features that the more premium models have, like the scroll wheel lighting, a second CPI switch button, free-scrolling, and L/R wheel tilts. Compared to the other Basilisk mice we've tested, it has a significantly narrower CPI range, a higher lift-off distance, and you can't adjust the CPI as precisely. However, it's a good option if you're looking for something a bit cheaper than the other models but still want a fairly performant gaming mouse.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best wired mouse, the best gaming mouse, and the best Razer mice.
The Logitech G502 HERO and the Razer Basilisk Essential are both gaming mice with thumb rests on their left side, but the Logitech performs better overall. The Logitech has a wide CPI range, a more precisely adjustable CPI, a more consistent sensor, a lower lift-off distance, and much lower click latency. It also has many more buttons, and you can unlock its scroll wheel for free scrolling. However, if you prefer lighter mice, the Razer weighs much less.
The Razer DeathAdder Essential and the Razer Basilisk Essential are both right-handed gaming mice, but they have different shapes. The Basilisk Essential has a more ergonomic design with a textured thumb rest on its left side like the other models in its lineup, whereas the DeathAdder shares the same high-back shape as the other DeathAdder mice. Otherwise, they perform very similarly, but the Basilisk Essential has more programmable buttons, and the DeathAdder Essential has a much lower latency. Both are best suited for large hands, although people with small hands may be comfortable with a palm grip.
The GLORIOUS Model O is an excellent ultra-light gaming mouse, while the Razer Basilisk Essential is a decent FPS gaming mouse. The GLORIOUS has a honeycomb design, making it a better option for fans of ultra-light gaming mice. It has an ambidextrous shape with two side buttons, smoother-gliding mouse feet, and a better quality cable. On the other hand, the Razer is a right-handed mouse with a thumb rest and a dedicated sniper paddle. While the GLORIOUS has a higher maximum CPI and a lower lift-off distance, the Razer has a lower minimum CPI.
The Razer DeathAdder Elite and the Razer Basilisk Essential are both gaming mice, but the Elite has a much wider CPI range, a CPI that you can adjust very precisely in increments of one, a lower lift-off distance, and much lower click latency. On the other hand, the Essential has a dedicated sniper button and a thumb rest. Both are best-suited for larger hands, although people with small hands may be comfortable with a palm grip.
The Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed is wireless mouse in the Basilisk lineup, while the Razer Basilisk Essential is a stripped-down version of the original Razer Basilisk. If you prefer mice without cables, the Hyperspeed is a better choice since you can use it wirelessly via Bluetooth or with its receiver. Also, it has a wider CPI range, a more precisely adjustable CPI, much lower click latency, and onboard memory. On the other hand, the Essential is a wired mouse and weighs a lot less than the Hyperspeed.
The Razer Basilisk V2 is a later, improved version of the original Razer Basilisk, compared to the Razer Basilisk Essential, a stripped-down version of the original Basilisk. They have a similar shape and design, but the V2 has an RGB zone in its scroll wheel, two CPI switching buttons, longer and pointier L/R clicks, and some glossy accents. The V2 has a more flexible cable, smoother-gliding mouse feet, and more programmable buttons. It also has a wider CPI range, a CPI you can adjust more precisely, a lower lift-off distance, and a significantly lower latency. Both are best-suited for larger hands using any grip type.
The Razer Basilisk is a predecessor of the Razer Basilisk Essential. They have the same right-handed ergonomic shape, but the Basilisk has an RGB zone on its scroll wheel, an extra CPI switching button, and a different pattern on the side grips. Otherwise, the Basilisk performs better overall thanks to its wider CPI range, more precisely adjustable CPI, lower lift-off distance, and lower click latency. Also, it has onboard memory, which the Essential lacks.
Test Results
If you're interested in a similar gaming mouse with LED lights that indicate your CPI setting, check out the COUGAR Revenger.
The polling rate options are 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz.
If you're interested in a gaming mouse with a scroll wheel that lets you change between a 12 or 24-step incremental mode, check out the Dell Alienware AW510M.
