The Razer Naga Hex was specifically designed for MOBA and Action-RPG games, but has the right functionality for MMO’s too. It’s best suited for MOBA games like Dota 2 and League of Legends, but if you’re going to use it for anything else, you’ll have to get used to it.

Razer Naga Hex Green

Design

What I absolutely love about the Naga Hex is that it’s, well, a Naga and the Naga is literally the best mouse I’ve ever owned. It fits perfectly in your hand and with a sturdy right-side grip it’s easy to control. The Hex’s design is the invert of the Naga Molten, smooth and glossy on top and textured on the side. I feel like this hasn’t been done only for the look of the mouse, but to improve the way it handles, because of the placement of the mechanical thumb-buttons on the left side, it’s now easier to move your thumb to the button you’d like to press without losing control in a fast paced game.

There are two buttons below the mouse wheel; the most common use for them could be adjusting your mouse sensitivity on the fly, although I find that I really never use them and prefer those buttons (Mouse Button 4 and 5) to be next to the Left Click Button, as it is on the Razer Naga Molten. There are six optimized mechanical thumb-buttons on the left side in a hexagonal layout with a thumb rest in the middle, even though it looks sleek and sexy, it makes using the mouse for everyday things a little bit awkward. On the bottom of the mouse lie five Ultraslick pads and a switch numpad and keybind functionalities. Overall, the Naga Hex is easy on the eye with a smooth and classy look enough to bewitch any MOBA gamer.

Razer Naga Hex Front View

Functionality

I’ve established that the Naga Hex is a very attractive chap, and I say chap because a woman could never be as easy to understand. But how does this baby handle? Does it function well? It does, kind of. I found that the placement of buttons on the mouse is not as ideal as I would have wanted it to be, here’s why.

Mouse Button 4 and 5 are always covered by my hand, moving my fingers down to press these buttons requires me to move my entire hand and ultimately, this makes it useless in a fast paced game like Dota 2 or League of Legends. I like the hexagonal layout of the mechanical thumb-buttons on the side, but find it harder to get used to using them, as in my opinion they are placed too far back, This means that placing my thumb on the thumb rest nested in the middle is uncomfortable and requires my thumb to curl back too far, making me lose control over the mouse. The thumb-buttons correspond perfectly with the six inventory slots in a game like LoL or Dota 2, this is what I found it most useful for.

These mechanical buttons are extremely sensitive, which makes it awesome for fast use in-game, but because of it’s placement a nightmare when you haven’t been using the mouse for long. You’ll find yourself pressing buttons accidentally all too often, which will cause you a lot of frustration in-game. Another problem with the buttons being placed too far back comes to light when you consider actually using all six of the buttons, button 1 to 3 is easily reachable, but button 4 – 6 a lot harder to reach. This leads to very rarely actually using those buttons. This is why I’d recommend binding items, rather than spells or abilities to these buttons.

On the bright side, the Left and Right Click Buttons work flawlessly, they’re super responsive and according to Razer can last up to 10 million clicks, and lets face it, if you’re playing a MOBA game you’re going to be clicking a hell of a lot. The buttons register up to 250 clicks per minute for those of you who are those freaks of nature with super fast reflexes.

Razer Naga Hex Left View

Configuration

If you own this mouse then you have absolutely no excuse not to have the Razer Synapse 2.0 installed. This software is easy to use and once you’ve programmed your mouse to your preferences, you’ll probably never have to see the interface again. It’s just cool like that, it always works.

You can set up multiple profiles, which you’ll be able to swap and change effortlessly between if you bind that functionality to one of your buttons, which you really should. All buttons, apart from the Left Click are programmable, with the switch on the bottom of the mouse, you can choose when you’d like to use your keybinds and when you want to stick with the numpad. This once again means, no going back to the software interface. The one button I find the most difficult to use after binding anything to, is the Scroll Click. Contrary to all the other buttons, it’s not sensitive at all, in fact it’s hard as hell to press down when you need to do so fast. These are the things you are able to program into your buttons:

  • Keyboard Function
  • Mouse Function
  • Sensitivity
  • Inter-Device
  • Switch Keymap
  • Macro
  • Switch Profile
  • Launch program
  • Multimedia

Razer Naga Hex Top-Right View

Everyday use

I found it really, really hard to get used to using this mouse for anything else but playing games. Those damn accidental button presses are just too frustrating. Having nowhere to rest my poor thumb without the fear of having a bunch of random numbers or letters in my writing, makes it less likely that I’d use this mouse indefinitely.

Because the thumb rest is so far back, using the mouse for extended periods at a time where you don’t require using the thumb-buttons becomes very uncomfortable. But this is not say that it’s impossible, gamers with smaller hands will find it easier to get used to the layout and find it more comfortable to use.

The verdict!

The Razer Naga Hex is designed to game, but you’ll have to tame this wild beast to play effortlessly. On paper, everything about it is perfect, but in reality it takes some getting used to. If you’re a MOBA gamer who prefers using mouse buttons to play instead of just pure hotkeys, then this is the mouse for you. I wouldn’t recommend the mouse for shooters, or anything else it wasn’t designed for. 

Razer Naga Hex Top-Left View

Tech Specs

  • 6 MOBA/action-RPG optimized mechanical thumb buttons
  • 11 total programmable Hyperesponse buttons
  • Special switches in buttons for 250 clicks per minute
  • 10 million click life cycle
  • Razer Synapse 2.0
  • 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G Laser Sensor
  • 1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response time
  • Approximate Size : 116 mm / 4.57” (Length) x 70 mm / 2.76” (Width) x 46 mm / 1.81” (Height)
  • Approximate Weight: 134 g / 0.30 lbs

Price

The Razer Naga Hex is available locally; you could buy it at a retail store for about R879. Alternatively it is available via Bravado Gaming’s Catalogue where you can order it online and have it delivered for R749.99.

Last Updated: April 10, 2013

Razer Naga Hex
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16 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief Erwin

    April 10, 2013 at 15:35

    I feel tempted to post about KFC here…..

    Reply

    • Rincethis: Spellalicious

      April 10, 2013 at 16:20

      You called?!

      Reply

  2. Masty

    April 10, 2013 at 15:50

    Review was 100% spot on! I bought one of these bad boys two weeks back and I can say that the ‘thumb rest buttom’ is a bit too far back for my liking. After a hour or two of playing my thumb joint really starts to ache, and the super sensitive buttons take some time getting use to. But otherwise definately no buyers remorse though 🙂 awesome for pvp’ing!

    Reply

  3. Admiral Chief Erwin

    April 10, 2013 at 16:01

    loving the Razer love on Lags!

    Reply

  4. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    April 10, 2013 at 18:01

    Great review.

    Is there no way to disable the thumb buttons during periods where it isn’t used? Seriously, why has this not been thought of? Click a button and the useless buttons disable. Click it again and they activate. Not too hard to do right?

    Reply

    • Yolanda Green

      April 11, 2013 at 08:58

      I don’t think it’s impossible, you can go and program every button individually to be disabled, probably create a profile for that only. Which could solve the problem…

      Reply

      • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

        April 11, 2013 at 09:23

        I guess that could help. But then you need to go enable or disable the profiles manually. Can’t set it to a side button coz you are going to be enabling and disabling it all day lol.

        But yeah. It is one way I guess

        Reply

        • Yolanda Green

          April 11, 2013 at 09:30

          If you set up a profile where they are all disabled, you could just bind switching between profiles on Mouse Button 4 and 5, then you wouldn’t have to go back to the software interface at all 😛 Only the initial configuration will require about, 10 minutes or so of your time.

          Reply

          • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

            April 11, 2013 at 09:44

            Fair enough. Ok yeah, I am stumped

          • Yolanda Green

            April 11, 2013 at 09:51

            Shouldn’t be necessary to find work arounds for things like this though :3

          • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

            April 11, 2013 at 11:27

            Yay! Someone who agrees with me! I feel all happy now 😀

          • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

            April 11, 2013 at 09:44

            Fair enough. Ok yeah, I am stumped

  5. Kobus Nel

    April 11, 2013 at 06:46

    Close to R900 for a mouse riddled with buttons you’ll press more by accident than anything else, and at a placement that seems too far back for comfort? No thanks. I’m still using my Logitech I won at the Battlefield 2 launch comp back in 2006, if I remember the date correct 🙂

    Reply

  6. Matthew Holliday

    April 11, 2013 at 10:05

    A friend of mine has one
    tried it out and thought the buttons on the side where too far back aswell, they always are, on every mouse.
    the shape isnt my cup of tea really, its designed for people who play with an “upright claw” hand, deathadder fits better for me.
    the two top buttons dont matter at all, ive never used them on any mouse.

    the buttons on the side are awesme for dota though, no more screwing with your micro to get to your inv slots. if you can just remember which button is which on te fly, your golden. hitting your refreshers instead of your dagon could be problematic =/

    Reply

  7. Amra

    July 22, 2013 at 08:15

    Got the Hex.
    Found needed to actually use Synapse to config it (wanted button 5 to be CTRL or SHIFT for “adding value” via doubling keys on my Nostromo at the left hand). AOK. Then. .

    F***ing Synapse diavowed my Nostromo Configurator recognizing my Nostromo.

    Immediate Synapse uninstall. IMMEDIATE.

    Nostromo Config again worked once Synapse got shoved out of the way, but now the Naga w/n even recognize in Windows.

    Razer. . Listen. . EVERY other company writes offline drivers for their gear, why are you the only company incompetent/lazy enough not to? Seriously..

    Now I will have to phone Razer to negotiate how to RESET everything. Again.

    Reply

  8. Alessandro Arantes

    July 30, 2013 at 20:24

    I own a Naga Hex and I say I don’t agree that buttons 4-6 are hard to reach, OR that you need to keep your thumb on the middle rest. I use my thumb JOINT (where the 1st phalange joins with the 2nd) to press buttons 4-6, leaving said joint on the middle thumb rest while not clicking stuff.

    That helped a lot for me to create muscular memory to access the buttons quickly, like… 1, 2, 3 = press with the tip of the thumb on rest position, or slightly up, or down, and 4, 5, 6 = press with the back phalange joint on rest position, or slightly up, or down. That made me fall in love wiht the mouse, and now I don’t ever see myself playing with any other device. Even on MMOs I’m used now to map some of the most used shortcuts to the thumb buttons. Thumb buttons = BEST THING EVER =D

    Reply

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