When it comes to gaming peripheral collaborations, Razer has been making a strong impression with both quality and design. That continues with the brand’s continued expansion of its Pokémon Collection, evolving with the Gengar Edition of the Razer Cobra mouse and the Gigantus V2 – XXL mouse pad.
Both the Pokémon Collection: the Razer Cobra – Gengar Edition and Razer Gigantus V2 – XXL – Gengar Edition (sorry, gotta use their government names here) keep the standard of collaboration products high. As discussed in our previous coverage and reviews. The marketing for these collaboration pieces pitches them as playful and powerful, so let’s put them to the test with aesthetics and durability first. Let’s get started.
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If you want to see what the Gengar headset has to offer, click here.
Razer Gigantus V2 – XXL – Gengar Edition
Now, this won’t be a true review, given that neither products truly feature any innovations beyond aesthetics. Still, as more and more non-licensed gear hits the market, it’s essential to understand why you would say, pay a bit more for the Razer Gigantus V2 – XXL – Gengar Edition mouse pad over one of the many cheaper “custom” mouse pads you can find. Or at least, that’s what I want to know.
With budgets tight, it can be difficult to upgrade your gaming setup and find good products with good design and even better quality. To kick things off, the Razer Gigantus V2 – XXL – Gengar Edition marks the seventh time this year I have changed out my deskmat. Whether I changed it because of freebies given out at events, or the want to try out different sizes, most of the time, I don’t notice too much of a difference.
However, the longer I use mouse pads with printed art, especially those with dark color schemes, wear and tear is quite noticeable, depending on the quality of the print. For example, working eight-hour work days and then spending another six hours at the same desk playing video games or working on this site, my desk is constantly filled with cups and other remnants of life.
The clean girlie aesthetic is far from my desk reality, and that means my mouse pads take a beating. Rings from condensation, accidental spills, and constant mouse movement have worn down my mouse pads in the past. Often, too, I’ve avoided the XXL mats because of the considerable space they occupy on the desk. At 37 inches wide and 16.14 inches deep, the mat covers over half of my desk depth-wise and leaves only around 10 inches on either side open. It’s large, a big boy like Gengar himself.
That said, to put this thing through the wringer, I didn’t adjust anything. I kept to my daily routine, which means making coffee, forgetting coffee, grabbing a Nalgene full of ice water that I will forget about, and eating at my desk during the day. Condensation rings formed and disappeared easily, and then, of course, I spilled an open can of Diet Coke while trying to set up my desktop to play Commander via Spelltable.
It was this spill that felt the most important for understanding the durability of the mouse pad. While I know that the micro-weave cloth is effective for maintaining mouse speed and tracking responsiveness, it was surprising to see how well it actually kept the liquid from soaking in immediately. Once the liquid had pooled a bit, a quick cleanup was easy, and it didn’t change the color of the mat by soaking it immediately.
Look, I know I am revealing a lot about myself in this review, including the sorry state of my desk, but I promise it gets cleaned on the weekend. To keep with that trend, when I picked up the mat to clean the surface beneath after the spill, I realized that the desktop itself had a couple of folded Post-its and a paper clip that the high-density rubber foam, 4mm thick, had hidden. It may not have been much beneath, but even my favorite Sailor Moon desk mat lets me know if even a crumb is below it. However, it’s not nearly thick enough to provide any wrist support, as the marketing material claims.
The crowning visual for the Gengar Gigantus V2 – XXL was that it glows in the dark. Like, it really glows in the dark. As someone who uses both the Sanrio and the other Pokémon collab items, the little details are what have sold me on looking to Razer for these kinds of collaborations. And that continues here.
Dubbed a “ghostly glow” in the press assets, the Gengar Gigantus V2 – XXL’s glow is even noticeable with dim lighting, not just in pitch-black rooms. It’s a cute element that embraces the ghost Pokémon spookiness and was something I didn’t think would hold up to scrutiny. I mean, I don’t think there has been a single thing I’ve bought with a “this glows in the dark” sticker that has actually made an impact in the dark.
To put it simply, the Razer Gigantus V2 – XXL – Gengar Edition mouse pad is visually perfect (and matches well with the Kuromi Edition peripherals if I’m honest, and it’s the right kind of durable. While work has been extremely busy, and I don’t anticipate being a desk gremlin after our busy season is over, it’s good to know that I can be.
Gigantus V2 – XXL – Gengar Edition: $49.99 USD.
Pokémon Collection: the Razer Cobra – Gengar Edition
Like the mouse pad, the Gengar Razer Cobra is all about aesthetics. It doesn’t add anything truly different, but it does look good. If you don’t have a Razer Cobra, the breakdown is simple. A wired mouse, Razer Cobra – Gengar Edition, has a 58g Lightweight Design, Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3, and Chroma Lighting with Gradient Underglow. It’s overall a good mouse.
Still, the base design of the mouse aligns with others in the collection. A deep purple with the same Poké Balls and ghosties that match the mouse pad nicely. Visually, the design is thoughtful, balancing both Gengar and the other icons so that the Razer Cobra doesn’t feel like you’re just moving around Gengar’s face as you use it.
What really sells me on the mouse in terms of durability is the quality of the cord and how it connects to the computer. There isn’t some proprietary connection that makes it difficult to use; it’s close to standard, and makes it easy to use compared to other USB/USB-C connections from other brands. Additionally, the thickness of the cord eliminates any concern about it reacting to constant bending over time or needing to be replaced frequently.
While I don’t have much to say on the negative side, the Gengar Razer Cobra comes down to visuals first, unless you’re upgrading old hardware. Still, in combination with the Gengar Gignantus V2, the soft underglow from the mouse remains one of my favorite RGB lighting in mice on the market. The visuals are strong with this duo release and for collaborations, that’s kind of all you need.
Cobra – Gengar Edition: $59.99 USD.
While both of the Gengar Edition expansions to Razer’s Pokémon Collection are great pick-ups, it’s the Gigantus V2 – XXL that stands out and gets our highest recommendation. Durability meets aesthetic in the best ways. However, both continue to allow gamers to rep their fandoms with ease – hitting that playful and powerful in a clean view.
All Gengar Edition products are available now at Razer.com, RazerStores, and selected retailers in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
