OpenRazer 3.6 Brings Support For New Razer Peripherals On Linux

[phoronix]

Phoronix: OpenRazer 3.6 Brings Support For New Razer Peripherals On Linux

While prominent gaming peripheral manufacturer Razer still is not officially supporting Linux with their vast array of products, thanks to the community-driven OpenRazer project there is unofficial open-source support and can work quite well when paired with the likes of Polychromatic as a nice user interface. Out today is OpenRazer 3.6 in enabling the latest Razer products on Linux...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/OpenRazer-3.6

[stormcrow]

Towards the end of my stint of buying Razer products with a multi-os system, their gear would wear out long before OpenRazer ever supported them. My original Death Adder lasted 4 years. Subsequent mice lasted less than 18 months, one even lasted less than a year. After that I gave up. Then there's that gawd awful Synapse, a requirement of all Razer products for the past several years.

Now they're at the point of offering cut down vendor exclusive models for cheap in brick & mortar stores that use the same name, model, and styling with a letter "X" or "lite" at the end to hint they're a stripped down version of the "real" model. It's a deception to casual buyers wanting to buy their gamer something "good". Razer isn't worth the effort any more. They're over priced, slimy marketing, and poor quality materials.

[Sethox]

Towards the end of my stint of buying Razer products with a multi-os system, their gear would wear out long before OpenRazer ever supported them. My original Death Adder lasted 4 years. Subsequent mice lasted less than 18 months, one even lasted less than a year. After that I gave up. Then there's that gawd awful Synapse, a requirement of all Razer products for the past several years.

Now they're at the point of offering cut down vendor exclusive models for cheap in brick & mortar stores that use the same name, model, and styling with a letter "X" or "lite" at the end to hint they're a stripped down version of the "real" model. It's a deception to casual buyers wanting to buy their gamer something "good". Razer isn't worth the effort any more. They're over priced, slimy marketing, and poor quality materials.

A good consumer always does a little research on the product they are buying and hopefully wait for the right bargain. Commercialism be damned, it's too good to entice people to do the exact opposite.

[stormcrow]

A good consumer always does a little research on the product they are buying and hopefully wait for the right bargain. Commercialism be damned, it's too good to entice people to do the exact opposite.

I was an earlier adopter of Razer products. I'm offering my experience to those who haven't tried them, yet, so they can be a good consumer.

I've had decent experience with Logitech G502 mice and Microsoft keyboards. I barely use my Logitech MX 3. My main gripe is that it tends to go to sleep more than I'd like.

If you have a repetitive motion disorder like me, you should likely be gravitating towards softer press membrane keyboards to relieve effort in typing. Mechanicals tend to be too stiff even with quality switches. Or better yet, switch to dictation if you can.

If you're a MS keyboard fan, you should probably stock up. MS is ending their branded peripheral line in favor of the supposedly more "high end" Surface brand.

[Paradigm Shifter]

If you're a MS keyboard fan, you should probably stock up. MS is ending their branded peripheral line in favor of the supposedly more "high end" Surface brand.

Microsoft have a habit of making something people like, then pulling it away like they were a kid deciding others can't play with their toys. The Sidewinder range of gaming peripherals were easily some of the best I'd used outside of some extremely expensive alternatives (which I never bought, but a family friend was a sim nut) and I was too strapped for cash to buy, e.g., three Sidewinder 3D Pro joysticks as a stock when Microsoft suddenly stopped making them.

[Quackdoc]

I currently have a razer viper ultimate and a razer tartarus pro, both in great condition but not new. razer viper is mostly fine, I cannot independantly bind the left and right side buttons, but considering you rarely use the outside buttons, not an issue, all in all it's a fine mouse.

the tartarus pro on the other hand, IMO is mostly unusable on linux, input-remapper is janky at best. and since you cannot store a profile on the device that will work when it's plugged into linux, It's definitely a nogo for first person gaming (also no analog controls on linux sucks). however if you are looking for a one handed accessibility device for emulation and other single player games, it's fine. but all in all, despite they keys on it being absolutely phenomenal, can't recommend it. maybe one day Ill look into modding it for QMK.

it's a shame I typically really like razer products in general, since when you can get them at a discount which is not too rare, they are really nice. but openrazer simply doesn't have the scope to support buying these devices.

[Forge]

I was an earlier adopter of Razer products. I'm offering my experience to those who haven't tried them, yet, so they can be a good consumer.

I've had decent experience with Logitech G502 mice and Microsoft keyboards.

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data". Just for the counterbalance, I ran Logitech mice from way back to when they had little rubber balls in them, and exclusively used Trackmans for many years, happily. I have had a 150% failure rate on G502s. I bought one, had it replaced under warranty, that one failed the same way a few months on, I bought another full price at support's insistence, and that one failed inside warranty and was refused service, because "the devices simply cannot be failing at that rate". I replaced the microswitches in both G502s and they once again work perfectly, but it's unreasonable to require me to do soldering replacements as an end user, and also unreasonable of Logitech to continue using switches known and proven to fail, even on mice that already had the switches fail! I've now been using a Razer Viper 8K for about a year and a half without any issue.

As another anecdote about Logitech and quality, I've also had a 150% failure rate on G935 headsets. Volume slider failed, replaced, failed, replaced entire headset with a fresh purchase, same volume slider failed in the same way, repaired, failed again. It's not corroded, worn, or otherwise mistreated. Just a terrible design on Logi's part, a tiny bit of metal and plastic just sitting on a track of flat contacts, no real supports or means to keep tension. Awful. I was originally planning to replace the switch, but that's difficult due to the design, so I ended up replacing the headset with a Razer model and have had no reason to regret it.

As with all things, YMMV.

[Melcar]

I may try Razer mice again this time. I have been using Logitech (or rather "Logi" as it's called now) since forever in Linux, mostly because of piper and being able to map buttons easily without hacking. But I'm kind of tired of Logitech to be honest. Overpriced and sometimes the devices don't last at all. I have had a few of their cheaper wireless devices and always the mouse wheel fails within a year. I had an older G502 Proteus Core and that lasted 4 years before the mouse wheel gave out. Replaced with a G502 Hero as I liked the mouse shape and the extra buttons (and well supported in Linux with piper) but it hasn't been more than 2 years and the mouse wheel is starting to squeak and the right click button now double clicks annoyingly.