I just tried out the new Razer Pokemon gaming gear, and it's adorably brilliant

For the last few years, I could pretend all I wanted that my Razer Viper V3 Pro was a Pokémon collaboration, believing its black, sleek chassis was inspired by my favorite Legendary, Giratina. That was the best I could get, while I waited for a Razer Pokémon collaboration to arrive in the West. Fortunately, I can finally stop faking it, as a new Kanto-focused collection is here, and I got to try the lot.

Similar to the Razer Minecraft and Razer Fortnite collections, this new Razer Pokémon collection includes a variety of products that now fill my desk with plenty of my favorite 'Mon. Primarily, the latest set comes with a frenzy of Kanto's starters in the form of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander's faces planted everywhere. And, well, who can forget Pikachu, who's also plastered across the collection?

Like with previous collaborations, Razer hasn't focused its designs on its most expensive, high-end gear, such as the DeathAdder V3 Pro and Viper V3 HyperSpeed that feature in our best gaming mouse buying guide, or its selection of excellent keyboards. Instead, it has picked out a range of more affordable options. In some ways that's a sensible choice, as it makes these a more reasonably-priced gift or novelty purchase option, but part of me does wish there was a way to get this look with the very most top tier gear. Nonetheless, there's no denying just how charming these products are, and they're still quality items.

Let's start with the Razer Cobra, which is the more affordable, wired version of the Razer Cobra Pro. It's arguably the simplest in its design, with a yellow and black chassis that doesn't resemble Nintendo's franchise except for the obvious link to everyone's favorite electric mouse. However, the left and right mouse buttons are covered in the aforementioned Kanto Pokémon, a pattern that is found across the entire collection.

The neon yellow reminds me of my favorite Razer collaboration; the now-broken remains of my Cyberpunk 2077 Viper Ultimate. I do wish that it had something more exciting in the place of the standard Razer logo, though, even if it was something simple like a larger Pikachu.

This is my first experience with the standard Razer Cobra, and I'm pretty impressed. The cable is fairly sturdy, which does make it a little heavier for those wanting fast reflexes in the best FPS games, but the overall design is comfortable, the buttons are exceptionally clicky, and the Pokémon theme is simply the cherry on top for a great mouse. Even though I do own a Viper V3 Pro in all of its wireless glory, I usually have it shackled by the charging wire as I'm too lazy to keep it charged, so the Cobra being wired-only doesn't bother me. However, I can see why others would prefer a wireless Pokémon Edition mouse.

Obviously, you can't have a mouse on its own, without having a mousepad alongside it. So, the Razer x Pokémon collection also offers a patterned version of the Gigantus V2 in medium, a cloth pad that is pretty basic, all things considered, but just as gorgeous as the rest of the set.

Pikachu's giant face is plopped straight in the center, but the familiar pattern can be found printed across the rest of the Gigantus V2 with a high-quality print. The Cobra Pro glides effortlessly across it, and it sticks with the bold aesthetic. Usually, the pad I use is the SteelSeries QcK with the Call of Duty Monkey Bomb design, yet despite it having a place on our best gaming mousepad list, I actually prefer this Razer Gigantus V2, thanks to the colorful design, and it doesn't get as dirty quite as quickly.

Moving on, we have the impressive Razer BlackWidow V4 X. Personally, I prefer the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, as the build quality and RGB lighting offer a better experience, but considering its high price, I think the V4 X is still a solid substitute. Once again, it's covered in small Pokéfaces across the board.

Razer's clicky Green switches are not my favorite, as I prefer linear, quieter clicks, but the quality of the RGB, alongside the premium feel of the keyboard, makes it worthwhile for fans of the franchise. However, I'd even take a special edition of the BlackWidow V4 75%, which is one of our favorite designs on our best gaming keyboard guide, mostly because I prefer smaller boards and I like the hot-swappable switches.

Finally, the last piece of the Kanto-focused set is none other than the Razer Kraken V4 X. Much like the keyboard, it's a budget-friendly version of the standard Kraken V4, and while it's not the best gaming headset in my collection, it's certainly one of the most stylish.

Sporting that iconic yellow surrounding the Razer logo on the earpieces, alongside (you guessed it) the pattern across the band, it's a great peripheral, but arguably my least favorite of the set - however, this is likely due to the fact that I am comparing it to the audio quality of my standard headset, which is the way more expensive SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro.

I do like the overall aesthetic of the Kraken V4 X, though. Much like the Cobra Pro, its design is thoughtful in its implementation of the familiar faces pattern. The Pokémon title, in its classic font, sits just at the start of the band, while the Kanto starters and Pikachu don't go all the way over the headband like a copy-and-paste exercise, but instead go up to the signature Razer logo, with a slightly larger Pikachu face greeting you with a smile before you pop your headset on.

It all helps that these aren't just simple decals, plastered onto the existing products in the aim of getting a quick buck. It's all embedded into the design itself, with the keyboard even gaining the famous 'Pokémon' text in the iconic font printed onto the spacebar, while two Pokéballs replace the ALT keys. I wish they were transparent, to allow the RGB to shine through them, as opposed to staying yellow, but it's a nice extra touch on top of an already brilliant package.

Overall, these Pokémon Edition versions of some of Razer's great, but more budget-friendly, peripherals make it one of my favorite themed sets the company has made. The design is absolutely gorgeous, with Razer's premium and high-quality hardware looking spectacular when plastered with Pokémon. I do wish that there were versions of the Viper V3 Pro or the BlackWidow V4 75% with a limited-edition Pokémon design, as I prefer the features and build quality of the more expensive peripherals. However, it's a great collection for any fans of these iconic pocket monsters from gaming history who aren't quite so picky about cutting-edge features.

If you're looking for the perfect place to put your new Razer Pokémon gear, I'd seriously recommend picking up the Secretlab Magnus Pro, our top choice in our best gaming desk list. Speaking of Secretlab, the company's Titan Evo is still one of our favorites in our best gaming chair guide, and with countless collaborations already, I know my wallet would be scared if a Giratina chair gets announced.

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