Since two decades ago, Shenzhen-based Rapoo has always tried to make wireless computer peripherals more accessible by bringing the costs down and offering products for all use-case scenarios. It’s been a good few years since Rapoo started doing the same thing for gamers, offering affordable, mostly wireless computer peripherals with a focus on design and especially RGB.Â
However, Rapoo is no longer solely focusing on bringing wireless peripherals to gamers or the average user. That is why in the latest releases by Rapoo geared towards gamers, we have also included their most recent wired peripherals. If you are in the market for the best gaming mouse pad with wireless charging, wish to up your game with a new gaming mouse and keyboard, or hear better the sound of your enemy’s footsteps with a 7.1 channel surround sound pair of headphones, keep reading to check out Rapoo’s latest gaming products. Â
Gaming miceÂ
Rapoo VT950 wireless/wired gaming mouseÂ
 The current flagship Rapoo wireless optical mouse is the VT950 ambidextrous mouse. Let’s get one thing out of the way: Yes––this mouse does look like an homage to the Logitech G903. It is distinct enough, however. We will only say that it has been inspired by the design of Logitech’s amazing gaming mouse.  The VT950 can be used both through the wireless dongle or the sturdy braided cable it comes with. If you opt for the wireless connection, you will need to charge up the lithium-ion battery in the mouse every now and then using the cable that comes in the box.  Specs-wise, this RGB backlit gaming mouse gets everything right: it has a polling rate of 1000hz for super-fast response and a powerful sensor that can track with an accuracy of up to 16,000 DPI. There are 11 programmable buttons that you can customize through Rapoo’s proprietary gaming software. And of course, RGB lighting! The RGB isn’t over the top though; it is rather subtle. Â
Not only does the VT950 feature the specs of a high-end gaming mouse, but it also has a couple of extra goodies. This Rapoo wireless optical mouse for gaming has an OLED display right on the mouse that can show various information, such as the current DPI, the VPRO logo, and even in-game stats (customizable in the software). The fact that the mouse is ambidextrous also means that it is left-handcompatible. Â
There is also a small gimmick underneath the mouse; you can take out a 10-gram piece of metal that is magnetically attached to the underside of the mouse. This is another homage to the G903, but we wish it was an homage to the G502, which gave you much more control over how much you can adjust the weight of the mouse (up to 18 grams). We can still appreciate the effort, even though it’s hardly a feature that makes a noticeable difference.Â
The real star of the show here is the price. You get all the essential features of a gaming mouse, plus a stylish ambidextrous design, an OLED display, and all the customizability you’ll need in a well-made package for a price that is lower than all competitors from a brand with 20 years of experience in the computer peripherals market.Â
Rapoo V360 IR optical gaming mouseÂ
An interesting and unique addition to Rapoo’s ambidextrous gaming mouse line-up, the V360’s differentiating factor is its modular design that lets you be creative with the look, feel, and weight of the mouse. You can swap the two-sided thumb rests and the backplate of the mouse to your liking using the six pieces that come in the box. The swapping is easy since they are made out of magnets. Before we get into why you would want to swap these pieces, there is one last bit of (hardware) modularity that you need to know about. There is a 9-gram counterweight in the box that you can slot in the inside of either of the two backplates if you want. Â
The main difference between the solid and perforated backplates and the side pieces are in how they change the weight of the mouse (the perforated side rests also have the same functionality). Removing the counterweight and using only the perforated plates makes a difference of 14 grams. Â
More on the design, you have two RGB backlight zones: one at the base of the mouse and one on the scroll wheel. Both zones are customizable through Rapoo’s proprietary software. The click actuators are quick to rebound to make sure you are only as slow as your own reflexes, without the hardware weighing you down. The design of the V360 IR is definitely the main selling point of it, along with its ability to turn it 15% lighter. Gaming keyboardsÂ
Rapoo V500 Pro RGB backlit mechanical gaming keyboardÂ
Sturdy aluminum alloy construction? Check! 4mm travel mechanical switches of every type? Check! Spill-resistant design? Check! Option to switch between wired and wireless connection? Check! N-Key rollover? Check! Per-key backlighting? Check! All of that in an affordable package? Check!Â
 On a more serious note, you will find other mechanical keyboards at the price-point of the Rapoo V500 Pro; what you won’t find is an aluminum-alloy construction and per-key backlights coming from more well-known brands at this price point. Another thing you are unlikely to find, this time, at any price point, is spill resistance for a mechanical keyboard. The ability to switch between the USB-C wired connection and the wireless dongle is also very much appreciated, at any price point. Â
If we had to nit-pick really hard, we might point out the lack of extra macro-keys, but we can’t even say that because the design has been made to be compact. What you get with the V500 Pro is an entry-level mechanical keyboard that looks and feels like anything but entry-level. Â
Gaming mousepadsÂ
Rapoo V1LÂ
XL mouse mats (aka desk mats) are becoming more and more popular. There’s hardly any benefit to having your keyboard also on a mousepad as they already (most likely) have some sort of rubber feet underneath them. However, it will add even more friction to the keyboard feet if you have a fabric mouse mat under it. But an XL mouse mat is mostly a matter of aesthetics, once it covers the basics of a good mouse mat: high-quality fabric on top, anti-skid texture at the bottom, and overlocked edges so the fabric doesn’t come off due to regular use. Â
The V1L XL mouse mat covers the basics of a good mouse pad while providing an aesthetic that goes great with a Rapoo VPRO gaming mouse and keyboard combo to tie everything together. So, if you do have a Rapoo gaming mouse and keyboard combo, this is going to be one of the best gaming mouse pads for you; aesthetically and otherwise.Â
Rapoo V10RGB Hard Wireless Charging Mouse PadÂ
Rapoo V10RGB wireless charging mouse padÂ
The V10RGB is a unique RGB mouse pad; and RGB mouse pads are already unique in their own right. Not only does the V10RGB come with its own buttons right on the mouse pad for customizing the lights that come out of the beautifully frosted-looking LED strip around the mouse pad, but it also features a very rare wireless charger inside the top-right portion, making it one of the best gaming mouse pad options for those who wish to charge their devices wirelessly. The mouse pad allows for 5W, 7.5W and 10W fast wireless charging, depending on the device that you put on it (just make sure the USB plug is connected to at least a 10W power brick).Â
 The fact that this mid-sized mouse pad comes with its own wireless charger means that you would have less clutter on your desk if you were already using a separate wireless charger for your phone/earbuds/Qi-enabled smartwatch. The surface on the mouse pad is a hard 3-layered surface. This means that the feel and even the sound coming from gliding the mouse around will be noticeably different from that of a regular fabric mouse pad. It’s not a matter of which is better, it’s a matter of whether you are a fan of the new feel. It isn’t, however, that drastic of a change; just noticeable enough that it might take some getting used to.Â
Gaming USB microphonesÂ
Rapoo VS300 heart-shaped cardioid RGB gaming microphoneÂ
No, this is not a heart-shaped microphone. Â
But let’s talk about what is heart-shaped inside this microphone: the audio pick-up pattern. You may also call microphones with this pattern cardioid microphones. The VS300’s heart-shaped pick-up pattern means that with no software meddling or any A.I. trying to cancel out the background noise, the microphone cancels out any audio that doesn’t come from the front of it by design (the effectiveness depends on how the audio is angled towards the front of the microphone; the higher the angle, the more it is canceled).Â
This can really help out with removing unwanted noise (especially if it comes from behind the microphone), but it means that you need to be aware of the orientation of your mouth in relation to the microphone. If you speak in a different direction, your voice is not picked-up with the same level of gain. If you want to delve more deeply into the scenarios in which a cardioid microphone would be better than an omnidirectional microphone (or the other way around), make sure to read the article we’ve written on USB microphones here. Â
Outside of the technicalities, the VS300 heart-shaped microphone is a stylish RGB microphone with a flashy design on a rotatable spider-leg stand that adds to the character of the microphone. The RGB is also semi-customizable through the button on the microphone, but it would be nice to see more customizability, perhaps through software. Thankfully, the microphone does come with a USB-C port for connectivity to a computeror other devices. Â
The VS300 offers a stylish, eye-catching design that offers good noise cancelling simply by the way cardioid microphones are designed. Along with our next entry into the list, Rapoo’s first gaming microphones keep in line with their usual offerings, quality gaming peripherals that punch above their price point.Â
Rapoo VS500 dual-point RGB gaming microphoneÂ
Released alongside the VS300, the VS500 comes in a sleeker, more subtle-looking package that brings with it some pro features that make it the more premium of Rapoo’s RGB gaming microphone duo. Â
The VS500 has a 3.5mm headphone jack that allows for real-time monitoring of the audio from your computer. A highlight among the features of the VS500 is the analog microphone gain knob, which is much easier to work with than having to fiddle around with the software input gain settings. The next addition is the inclusion of a pop filter to neutralize the audio clipping that occurs when the microphone picks up S and P sounds, especially from a close distance to the microphone; it’s almost like a physical compressor for the audio. Â
The VS500 has a fully-metal casing and comes with its own shock-absorbing stand. With this microphone, you have the option to switch between omnidirectional and cardioid audio pickup patterns using the microphone gain knob mentioned before, depending on the situation. The omnidirectional pickup pattern is more lenient to the direction from which the audio is picked up, meaning you don’t have to speak directly facing the microphone. The cardioid pattern might work better for noise canceling in certain scenarios because of its natural cancellation of off-axis sound.Â
The biggest selling point for this RGB gaming microphone is still the audio monitoring capability through the 3.5mm jack and the analog gain knob. Of course, the sleek design with some tasty subtle RGB doesn’t hurt the VS500 either. Â
Gaming headsetsÂ
 Rapoo VH110 illuminated gaming headsetÂ
Fortunately, Rapoo does not skip RGB in its gaming peripherals, even in their most affordable gaming headphones. Each gaming headphone in Rapoo’s lineup comes with its own unique RGB pattern; the VH110 is no different. There is one light strip in the inner circle of the cups that also shines through the V moniker on each cup. But the design of the outer circle in the cups is done in such a way that the reflection from it makes it seem like there are two light strips in the headset. There is also some light emitting from the microphone boom.  Leaving the RGB lighting aside, they VH110 comes with sizable cups with thick padded cushions, which, combined with the leatherette headband and the very lightweight design, ensures comfort for long gaming sessions. On the left cup, right where your thumb rests if you were to grab it, there is a handy volume knob for quick and always-reliable volume control.  The interface for the VH110 is both USB and 3.5mm plug. There is even a 2-to-1 audio dongle for laptops that separate the audio out and the microphone in plugs. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend using the USB plug with your computer because that is the only way the RGB will have enough power to turn on. Â
Rapoo VH160 virtual 7.1 channels gaming headsetÂ
 The VH160 deceives you—literally. The virtual 7.1 surround sound is a tactic to fool your brain into thinking there is more than just the one driver in each earcup. But how does it do that? Â
 Well, when you hear something coming from your left (in the real world) you don’t just hear it in your left ear. You hear it with slightly lower volume in your right as well with an almost imperceptible delay. The delay is crucial for your brain to understand the direction of sound. Virtual 7.1 surround sound, basically creates, or even exaggerates this delay to trick your mind into thinking it’s hearing the audio from a specific direction. Mind you, that was an oversimplified description of what virtual 7.1 surround sound is. Through virtualization of 7.1 channel audio, gamers can have access to most of the goodies of this elaborate setup without having to pay for seven different drivers.Â
Outside of this feature, the VH160 is a sleek gaming headset with a much more subtle and classy RGB than what most other Rapoo gaming headsets come with. It also features a retractable microphone, soft foam headband, and as usual, a volume knob on the left earcup with extra thick cushions for comfortable gaming sessions.Â
 Interested in learning more about Rapoo products? Â
As an official Rapoo distributor in the Middle East, Newcom offers a wide range of Rapoo products, including the above-mentioned models.Â
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