Replacing the Viper V4 Pro’s skates gave one reviewer some Razer warranty trouble after glass pad sensor issues

Given Razer’s recent release of not just the best gaming mouse on the market, the Viper V4 Pro, but also the Atlas Pro glass mouse pad, you might naturally have considered combining the two.

But peripheral reviewer Spec0 has recently struggled to do so using third-party skates, not just because of sensor issues but also because of problems with Razer warranty and support, though this is supposedly being resolved (via ManPhalanges).

After the Viper V4 Pro wouldn’t work on different glass pads, the response that Spec got from Razer said, “We noticed that the mouse’s original feet have been removed. Please note that the limited warranty does not cover issues resulting from improper use or handling of the product, including but not limited to misuse, abuse, negligence, unauthorised modification or repair, unauthorised commercial use, or use outside of Razer’s recommended guidelines.”

Presumably the replaced feet were being considered “unauthorised modification or repair”, despite skate replacements being a merely external affair requiring no unscrewing or tinkering inside the mouse itself.

After a call with Razer, however, Spec says it was resolved as the company will be replacing the unit and is “working to define their warranty terms better and look into this sensor issue.”

The default skates on the Viper V4 Pro are great, but replacing big PTFE feet with little dot feet is important when using a glass pad. The less friction the better, and it helps prevent scraping over dust, plus it can shave a gram or two off the weight. It’s not usually advisable to use them on cloth, though, as the dots can sink in too much—this issue obviously doesn’t occur with glass.

The underside of a Razer Viper V4 Pro gaming mouse in-hand, showing its skates.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s unclear what Razer means when it says it is “working to define [its] warranty terms better”, though hopefully it will mean clarifying its warranty to make it clear that replacing mouse skates doesn’t void it. I’ve reached out to Razer for official comment and will update this story once I hear back.

I also don’t know how widespread the sensor issue is with glass pads. I tested mine out quickly on a glass pad and noticed no issues. It seems unlikely that it will be a widespread issue given Razer would surely have tested the mouse out on its new Atlas Pro pad, as presumably both were in development at the same time.

Back to the replacement skates issue, though. I should note that the the Viper V4 Pro has a conspicuous lack of access divot next to the skates. In a lot of mice, there’s a little dip along one of the edges which allows you to dig underneath to peel the skates off for replacement.

Not so with the Viper, which does make me wonder whether Razer considers any skate peeling a no-no. That would suck, given how great replacement skates are and how non-invasive the process is, so hopefully any warranty clarifications will be in the right direction.

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