Razer Synapse 4 Overview and CS2 Macros Guide
Every Synapse 4 tab explained on a Razer Basilisk V3, how to record and assign macros, profiles and Linked Games, plus six CS2 macros with exact delays
Razer Synapse 4 is the control center for Razer devices. If you use a Razer mouse, keyboard, headset or RGB accessory, this is where the real setup happens: DPI, polling rate, button assignments, macros, profiles, lighting and linked games.
I go through the whole interface using the Razer Basilisk V3 as an example: the dashboard, the Macro editor, Settings, Linked Games and the mouse's own settings. After that comes the practical part: how to create a macro, assign it to a button and a few Counter-Strike 2 macros with the exact delays from my editor. If you use another brand, I have the same guides for Logitech G HUB, HyperX NGENUITY and Bloody.
Razer Synapse 4 Interface and Main Tabs
Like other peripheral software, Synapse 4 splits the work into tabs. One important change compared to Synapse 3: device settings stay in Synapse, while advanced RGB effects moved to the separate Chroma App. The dashboard even opens with a banner about it.
The top bar has five tabs:
- Synapse
- Dashboard, connected devices, modules, online services, Gamer Room and global shortcuts.
- Macro
- Recording and editing macros: delays, keyboard and mouse actions, loops, text, and assigning macros to buttons.
- Settings
- How Synapse itself behaves: startup, notifications, recommendations, profile migration, language, updates.
- Linked Games
- Links games and programs to device profiles, so the right profile loads on its own.
- Device tab
- Named after your device, in my case BASILISK V3. Button assignments, DPI, polling rate, lighting and calibration.
Synapse Tab
The Synapse tab isn't about one specific device. It's the general hub with four sections: Dashboard, Gamer Room, Devices & Modules and Global Shortcuts.
Dashboard
The start page. Under the banner (you can hide it) there are three collapsible blocks:
- Devices: the Razer hardware Synapse detects right now. Click a device card to open its settings.
- Modules : extra features, such as Add WiFi Device , Linked Games , Synapse 3 Profile Migration and Feedback .
- Online Services : shortcuts to Razer.com, Razer Gold & Silver, Razer Community and Razer Support. Nothing here changes DPI, macros or lighting, so for setup you can ignore it.
Gamer Room
A section for room lighting: Razer Aether lamps, light strips and other Chroma-connected smart lights. Below it are two lists: Synapse Override (devices Synapse can take control of) and Controlled by Gamer Room App (devices managed from the Razer Gamer Room mobile app). For CS2 it doesn't matter at all.
Devices & Modules
The maintenance page: installed devices and modules, what was updated recently and which optional modules you can still install. Think of it as Synapse's own app manager, not a settings page.
Global Shortcuts
Here you create hotkeys that work across all profiles. The main use is profile switching: cycle through profiles, go to the next or previous one, or jump to a specific profile.
Synapse 4 Macro Editor: My Macros and Key Binds
The Macro tab has two parts: My Macros, where you build macros, and Key Binds, where you assign them.
My Macros
At the top left you pick a macro from the dropdown or create a new one. In the middle is the action list, on the left the ADD panel with everything you can insert.
- Delay
- A pause between actions. Without proper delays a macro can run too fast and the game won't register some inputs.
- Keyboard Function
- A key press, a key release or a key combination.
- Mouse Function
- Mouse clicks, scroll and other mouse button actions.
- Macro
- Inserts another macro. Handy for building long sequences out of small reusable parts.
- Launch
- Opens an application, a file or a game.
- Run Command
- Runs a system command.
- Text Function
- Types a piece of text.
- Loop
- Repeats a selected part of the macro.
Unlike G HUB, NGENUITY or Bloody, Synapse 4 lists actions vertically, one per line, with an arrow icon for press and release. It's easier to read than a horizontal timeline.
One detail that confuses people: the time in the top row, next to the checkbox, is not a delay. It's the total length of the macro, the sum of all delays below. In my Bunny Hop macro it shows 0.058s because there is one 0.058s delay inside.
Key Binds
Key Binds connects a macro to a physical button. A macro built in My Macros does nothing until it's assigned somewhere: a side mouse button, a keyboard key, a Hypershift button.
Synapse 4 Settings and Linked Games for CS2
Settings Tab
The Settings tab controls Synapse itself, not your devices. It has two sections, Synapse and General.
- Auto-Launch
- Start Razer Synapse automatically when the system starts. With Minimize to system tray on startup it opens quietly in the background.
- Notifications
- On-screen notifications from Synapse.
- Recommendations
- What Synapse shows you on the Dashboard.
- Tutorials Reset
- Brings back the tutorial pop-ups.
- Profile Migration
- Moves profiles, macros and Chroma effects from Synapse 3 to Synapse 4. Run it first if you're upgrading.
- Device Lighting
- Chroma RGB or Windows Dynamic Lighting. With Chroma RGB, Synapse controls the lighting and recommends turning Dynamic Lighting off in Windows to avoid conflicts.
The General section has the interface language, What's New with release notes, and About with the current Synapse version.
Linked Games Tab
Linked Games ties a game or program to a device profile. Start the game and Synapse switches to its profile on its own, close it and you're back on the desktop profile. No more changing DPI by hand every time. The tab has two sections, Games and Devices.
Games shows the added games and programs. If the list is empty, you'll see a big tile: Add a game/program or drag and drop here. For CS2 you need cs2.exe, which is here in a default Steam install:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\bin\win64\cs2.exe
Devices shows your Razer devices that can be linked to games. Open the Basilisk V3, for example, and you get a profile dropdown, a tile for adding a game, view filters, sorting and a three-dot menu. Link cs2.exe to your CS2 profile and it gets its own DPI, buttons, macros and lighting.
Razer Basilisk V3 Settings in Synapse 4: DPI, Polling Rate, Lighting
The device tab is the control panel of a specific device. For a mouse like the Basilisk V3 (wired, Focus+ 26K sensor, 11 programmable buttons) it has four sections: Customize, Performance, Lighting and Calibration.
Customize
Here you remap the buttons. A side button can become a keyboard key, a macro, a media control, a profile switch, DPI control, a launch command and more. There are two button layers: Standard and Hypershift.
Standard is the normal layout. Hypershift is a second layer: while you hold the Hypershift button, the other buttons do something else. More commands without more physical buttons.
The Scroll Wheel block sets Scrolling Mode: Tactile (normal notched scroll) or Free-Spin (the wheel spins freely and fast). Smart-Reel switches to Free-Spin automatically when you flick the wheel hard and goes back to Tactile when it stops. If you jump with the mouse wheel in CS2, keep Tactile and turn Smart-Reel off, a free-spinning wheel sends a random number of jumps.
Performance
Performance has DPI, sensitivity stages, polling rate and a shortcut to Windows mouse properties. The main block is Sensitivity: DPI sets how far the cursor moves for a given physical movement.
| Setting | Default on Basilisk V3 | Range |
|---|---|---|
| DPI stages | 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400 (stage 3 active) | 100 to 26000 DPI |
| Wired Polling Rate | 1000 Hz | 125, 500, 1000 Hz |
| Mouse Properties | Opens the Windows mouse settings |
For CS2, 1000 Hz is the right choice: the mouse reports its position more often, so movement feels smoother and more responsive. With DPI, remember that your real sensitivity in CS2 is DPI multiplied by the in-game sensitivity. If you change DPI in Synapse, change the in-game value too, or your aim will feel different.
Lighting
Three blocks: Brightness, Switch Off Lighting and Effects.
- Brightness turns lighting on or off and sets it from 0 to 100. Mine is at 70.
- Switch Off Lighting turns the lighting off when the display goes off, or after the mouse sits idle for the number of minutes you choose.
- Effects are ready presets you can save straight to the profile.
There is also Advanced Effects. Pick it and Synapse asks you to install the Razer Chroma App, because deeper RGB control now lives there and not in Synapse.
Calibration
Calibration adjusts how the sensor behaves on your surface. Synapse itself says the mouse tracks accurately out of the box, and calibration only fine-tunes it for a specific mousepad. Two modes: Smart Tracking and Manual Calibration.
How to Switch Profiles in Razer Synapse 4
A profile is a full set of button assignments, performance settings, lighting and macro bindings. Make one for the desktop, one for CS2, one for testing, whatever you need.
Profiles can be switched by hand at any time. That's the difference from Linked Games, where Synapse loads a profile automatically when a game starts. Manual switching gives you full control, Linked Games does it for you. You can use both.
In Synapse 4 a button can switch profiles in five ways:
- Next Profile
- Previous Profile
- Cycle Up Profile
- Cycle Down Profile
- Specific Profile
If you don't want to give up a button for this, put the profile switch on the Hypershift layer. Or use Global Shortcuts on the keyboard.
How to Create a Macro in Razer Synapse 4
A macro is a sequence of actions (key presses, mouse clicks, delays, commands, launching files) that runs when you press or hold a button. You can record it or build it by hand.
- Open Synapse 4 and go to the MACRO tab.
- Click RECORD, do the clicks and key presses, then click STOP.
- Edit or delete what was recorded. The delay before the first action and after the last one are usually not needed.
- Add extra actions from the ADD panel if you need them.
- Rename the macro so you can find it later: three dots next to the name, then Rename.
- Click SAVE.
How to Assign a Macro to a Mouse Button
- Open the device tab and click the button you want, for example Right Click.
- In the right panel pick Macro, choose the macro and its playback option.
- Click SAVE.
To get the original function back, click the same button, choose Default at the top and SAVE.
Left Click is locked. To put a macro on it, first move the left click function to another button, for example Scroll Click.
Macro Playback Options
The playback option decides how the macro runs when you press the button.
- Play once
- Runs one time per press.
- Play multiple times
- Repeats a set number of times.
- Toggle continuous playback
- One press starts the macro, the next press stops it.
- Play while assigned key is pressed
- Repeats as long as you hold the button.
- Queue
- Macros and actions run one after another in a queue, so you can chain them with click delays.
How to Import a Macro File (.xml)
Synapse 4 can import macros in .xml format:
- In the device tab, click the profile name at the top left.
- Click the three dots next to it, choose Import and pick the .xml file.
- Click the button you want to use.
- In the right panel pick Macro, choose the imported macro and its playback option, then SAVE.
Then test the button, ideally in Notepad or on an empty map, before you take it into a match.
CS2 Macros for Razer Synapse 4
These macros are here to show how the editor works and to test them on your own server or offline. Valve's position since August 2024: automating movement or shooting with scripts or hardware is not allowed, and on official servers it can get you kicked from the match. FACEIT and other platforms have their own rules, check them first.
Below are six macros from my Synapse. Each table is exactly what's in the editor: action, then the delay that follows it. ↓ is press, ↑ is release.
CS2 Bunny Hop Macro
Repeats the Space key with a fixed rhythm. On your own server you could just turn on sv_autobunnyhopping 1 (auto re-jump while you hold jump), it doesn't need sv_cheats. The macro does the jumping on the keyboard side instead, so it works on any server, but your speed is still capped at 1.1x unless the server has sv_enablebunnyhopping 1. The legal way to bunny hop on official servers is jump on the mouse wheel.
| # | Action | Delay after |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Space ↓ | 0.058s |
| 2 | Space ↑ |
Playback option: Toggle continuous playback on/off using assigned key.
CS2 Quick Scope Macro
A fast right click, then a left click. It's not a real no-scope: the scope does open, just for a moment, so the Scout or AWP shot lands close to where you aimed instead of getting the random no-scope spread.
| # | Action | Delay after |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right Click ↓ | 0.022s |
| 2 | Right Click ↑ | 0.049s |
| 3 | Left Click ↓ | 0.033s |
| 4 | Left Click ↑ |
Playback option: Play once.
CS2 Burst Fire Macro
Holds the left mouse button just long enough for a short burst, usually 2 or 3 bullets, instead of a spray. Made for controlled bursts at medium and long range with the AK or M4.
| # | Action | Delay after |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left Click ↓ | 0.111s |
| 2 | Left Click ↑ | 0.101s |
In my screenshot there are two more empty mouse actions with 0.044s and 0.039s after that, they only add a short pause at the end. Playback option: Play once.
CS2 Single-Shot Cycle Macro
While you hold the button, it fires single shots in an even rhythm, about five per second. It feels like tapping with the SCAR-20 or G3SG1, only steadier.
| # | Action | Delay after |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left Click ↓ | 0.017s |
| 2 | Left Click ↑ | 0.175s |
Playback option: Play while assigned key is pressed.
CS2 Tec-9 Fire Macro
Repeated left clicks with a fixed interval. Instead of clicking as fast as you can, you get an even rhythm that's easier to control.
| # | Action | Delay after |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left Click ↓ | 0.056s |
| 2 | Left Click ↑ | 0.095s |
Playback option: Play while assigned key is pressed.
CS2 Jump Throw Macro
The classic jump throw bind stopped working with the August 19, 2024 update. Binds with several actions on one key are now ignored, you can only turn them back on with cl_allow_multi_input_binds 1, and that command is cheat-protected. A mouse macro does it from outside the game, and with the right timing the throw is the same every time. My jump throw guide also has a script method without macros.
| # | Action | Delay after |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left Click ↓ (pull the pin) | 0.055s |
| 2 | Space ↓ (jump) | 0.127s |
| 3 | Left Click ↑ (throw) | 0.05s |
| 4 | Space ↑ |
Playback option: Play once.
Razer Synapse 4 Setup Tips for CS2
Don't load everything into the default profile. Make separate ones for the desktop, CS2 and testing.
Keep only the DPI stages you really use. Extra stages mean accidental switches mid-round. Polling rate 1000 Hz.
Keep the main buttons predictable, assign side buttons carefully. Test every macro outside the game first.
Add cs2.exe by hand if Synapse doesn't find it, and link it to your CS2 profile.
Basic Effects are enough for simple RGB. Install Chroma App only for advanced scenes.
Default is fine for most players. Touch it only if the mouse feels odd when you lift and reposition it.
Conclusion
Razer Synapse 4 is more than a DPI slider. It has profiles with automatic switching, button remapping with a second Hypershift layer, polling rate, Chroma lighting and a full macro editor with recording, manual editing, five playback options and .xml import. My order for a new mouse: profile first, then Performance and buttons, then Linked Games, and lighting and calibration only if you need them. And keep macros for your own server, on official servers it's not worth the kick.
Razer Synapse 4 Macro FAQ
Does Razer Synapse 4 support macros?
Yes. The Macro tab lets you record actions, add delays, edit key presses and mouse actions, import .xml macros and assign them to Razer devices.
Can I assign a macro to any mouse button?
Almost any programmable button. Left Click is locked until you move its function to another button.
What macro playback options does Synapse 4 have?
Play once, Play multiple times, Toggle continuous playback, Play while assigned key is pressed and Queue.
What is the time shown at the top of a macro?
The total length of the macro, the sum of all its delays. It's not a separate delay.
Can I use different macros for different games?
Yes. Make a profile per game with its own macros, DPI, lighting and buttons. Linked Games switches the profile automatically when the game starts.
Where is cs2.exe for Linked Games?
In a default Steam install: ...\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\bin\win64\cs2.exe.
Are CS2 macros allowed in Competitive or Premier?
No. Valve doesn't allow automating movement or shooting with scripts or hardware, and on official servers it can get you kicked from the match. Use them offline or on your own server.
How do I move my Synapse 3 macros to Synapse 4?
Settings, then Profile Migration. It moves profiles, macros and Chroma effects from Synapse 3.
