Microsoft's SideWinder gaming mouse gets reviewed

We know, Microsoft's resurrection of the SideWinder brought back fond memories for most us of, but with all the alternatives already out there in the gaming mouse niche, it's going to take a bit more than fuzzy feelings to get our $80. Thankfully, the folks over at I4U News spent some quality time with the new SideWinder mouse, and after realizing that it looks a bit gentler in person, they proceeded to crank through hours of gaming to see how it fared. Notably, the LCD screen was dubbed "actually useful," the 2,000dpi was said to be "plenty of sensitivity," and the thumb buttons were deemed "perfect from a tactile feedback perspective." Still, reviewers found more hype than substance in the Quick Turn button, and while the scroll wheel seemed "great for gaming," it wasn't as friendly during everyday tasks. Nevertheless, the crew awarded the revived critter a very generous nine out of ten stars, but if you've still got your doubts, hit the read link and check out the full skinny.

[holycow @ Sep 28th 2007 8:43PM]

sexy

[anthony @ Sep 28th 2007 8:46PM]

Id rather get the Logitech G9

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 28th 2007 10:16PM]

Heck I'm still getting great use from my G5!

[SteveMB @ Sep 28th 2007 11:59PM]

I'll stick with my Logitech track ball mouse. If you get used to it, it's great for gaming.

[Michael La Framboise @ Sep 28th 2007 8:50PM]

meh; my Logitech MX Revolution is still my fav mouse by-far - plus the second scroll wheel adds like 15 coolness points or something like that...

[Feb30th @ Sep 28th 2007 8:53PM]

The MX Revolution actually quite horrible for gaming. With it ultra fast scroll wheel, it's very hard to percisely select a weapon in FPS for example.

I'm looking for a mouse... and this is my first choice right now.

[Michael La Framboise @ Sep 28th 2007 9:00PM]

Well, you gotta remember that you can customize all those settings to your own preference - but while I can't consider myself a pro gamer or anything, I use it to play Unreal Tournament 2004 all the time and it works pretty nicely for me, but things like mice/keyboards are just w/e you get used to really...

Anyways I don't really believe too much in the whole "gaming-specific-hardware" -- I mean if you suck at a game, it doesn't matter how good your hardware is, it still wont make a difference when BOOM HEADSHOT! - and you're dead.

[Reader @ Sep 28th 2007 9:12PM]

"Anyways I don't really believe too much in the whole "gaming-specific-hardware" -- I mean if you suck at a game, it doesn't matter how good your hardware is, it still wont make a difference when BOOM HEADSHOT! - and you're dead."

That's half true half false. It won't help someone that sucks at gaming, but it will help someone that is really good. There's a wall you can hit where you're pretty much as good as you can get, and so is everyone else you're competing with. Any small advantage over another is extremely important in the scenario.

[ND @ Oct 1st 2007 2:28PM]

I have an MX Revolution, and after installing UberOptions and customizing the controls for the game im playing its the best mouse I've ever used for gaming! @Feb30th obviously if the scrollwheel is left on free-spin mode it won't be optimal for scrolling through your weapons!

[ot @ Sep 28th 2007 9:10PM]

this mouse actually costs ~$16.40 to produce, per 1000 units

[Feb30th @ Sep 28th 2007 9:23PM]

I guess R&D, marketing, distribution, etc. don't need to get paid. Ya, and companies shouldn't make a profit either.

[Charles Han @ Sep 28th 2007 9:19PM]

man oh man im so behind the times T_T, im still using my old trusty mx510, still kicking ass in cs source ^^V

[Dan @ Sep 28th 2007 11:14PM]

Yah, we need Back and Forward buttons. Down with the one buttons! 510's for everyone.

[sn1per420 @ Sep 29th 2007 12:54PM]

Yea, I'm using a mx516, which is basically the same thing. I like that the design fits my hand (sorry lefties), and I don't know how I'd live without forward/back buttons anymore.

[sylv3r @ Sep 28th 2007 9:44PM]

*Yawn* I saw it a while back. Am waiting for it to become available where i live

[windyridge @ Sep 28th 2007 9:59PM]

Never got the email

[Byrongman @ Sep 28th 2007 10:52PM]

This thing is seriously ugly.

It's pretty much a regular looking mouse with a fugly box on the side.

My Deathadder looks twenty times better...

[prokanda @ Sep 28th 2007 11:03PM]

MS keyboards/mice usually hold up pretty well and I think it looks pretty snazzy... but red? Ugh. Maybe if they had a blue version.. but for now my Copperhead is doing just fine.

[Jacob @ Sep 28th 2007 11:40PM]

hrm I must be behind the times with my "Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0".

If there were a wireless version of this I would give it a go, I'm not good enough at any game to worry about the half millisecond delay with wireless (I assume that's why most "gaming" mice (mouses, meese?) I see are wired).

[Brian @ Sep 29th 2007 12:07AM]

I'd like to trade my gorgeous DeathAdder for that mouse...

The sidewinder is ugly as hell, but it looks effective... I love those side buttons!

[Brian @ Sep 29th 2007 12:14AM]

Yea... how criminal. They should go to child labor. Maybe if it only cost them $15/ea to make, they'd hack $10 off it's price tag.

Are you going after Microsoft for putting money in these people's pockets? There are a lot of people involved in getting this mouse from theory to design to manufacturing and to the shelf? Your comment doesn't say anything, it only implies your malice towards Microsoft.

[Evan Dornbusch @ Sep 29th 2007 12:33AM]

I think the Lachesis will do better... IGN claimed it was the best mouse they had ever used for gaming.

[JBDragon @ Sep 29th 2007 1:09AM]

Once again, it looks like a cool mouse and I might have even gotten it IF they made a version for left handers. I'm stuck having to by Mice that will work in either hand, so I'm more limited. I just can't use a mouse right handed. One of them many sucky things being left handed in a right handed world. It's almost IMPOSSIBLE to just pick up a pen and write my name right handed. My parents tried when I was a kid to get me to be right handed and it just didn't work.

I do like my MS wireless mouse I use now, and I don't really want to go back to a wired mouse. So I can just look at like that. Thank goodness it's not wireless, I feel so much better now.

[David @ Sep 29th 2007 3:00PM]

I feel your pain on most things. I'd probably poke my eye out if I tried to pick my nose with my right hand. Mouses are different for me though. I actually prefer to use my right hand; of course, I've never had access to a left handed mouse either.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Sep 29th 2007 3:50AM]

> [...] LCD screen was dubbed "actually useful" [...]

Just how "useful" it is?

For over all the time I was buying and helping others to buy gaming gear (for PCs), main point of such gear was to not to distract player from screen by tuning controls more optimally (eat that, console freaks).

IOW, the LCD screen is useless by default, because nobody during game has time to look at at. Main point of mouse is to be "invisible" - it is continuation of your hand in the game. Consequently screen is bit like defies the purpose.

Those all those extra buttons are welcome.

High sensitivity? I'm not sure about that. But probably I wasn't MPing Doom3 enough recently. I mean where do you really need that kind of sensitivity - 2000dpi? 800 was always plenty even on sanely high sensitivity set in game. I'd say in good game lower sensitivity is more than enough. In bad game, you can be pretty sure that extra sensitivity would be wasted by software.

Though, I know some gamers of past, who now would buy that thing right away - only for its name.

P.S. I wish M$ has implemented in Wind0ze the same thing as in Linux - dynamic number of mouse buttons. Two game controllers I have were easily setup under Linux w/o any hustle (I'm lying: no setup was required at all). Under Windows all such stuff requires extra drivers what is hustle because such drivers are often of sh*tty quality. (M$ drivers are rather exception - they are good.) But it is really stupid when OS with boasted good hardware compatibility dies miserably at hands of of some crappy drivers.

[Mike @ Sep 29th 2007 6:21AM]

Did you somehow get ten years younger after typing the "P.S."? I felt like I was reading a post written by two different people.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Sep 29th 2007 6:32AM]

Whatever. But I already got WinXP install completely screwed up by trying to install together bunch of Microsoft and bunch of Logitech drivers.

How silly it is if OS gets totaled by *trackball* *driver*!??

[CaptCaveman @ Sep 29th 2007 10:09AM]

Don't you love it how the Linux missionaries can invade any article to trash anything having to do with "M$" or "Windoze". And then give their testimony on how "Windows (insert version here)" ruined their life and held them back from being the successful person that they could have been.

It's a mouse dude! Relax!

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Sep 29th 2007 1:22PM]

Yeah, right. I'm missionary. And all those stupid people who try to point at what can be improved in Wind0ze by comparing it with other OSs, which didn't stuck in DOS 3.30 times.

Better call me a Mac OS X missionary then. I compare Wind0ze to Mac OS X more often than to Linux.

P.S. "M$" and "Wind0ze" are honorary titles used for bug reports. To highlight (1) priorities ($$$$) and (2) actual state of M$ OS development (canned). Nothing to be shy away from.

[Mouse @ Sep 29th 2007 6:18AM]

No, but thank you for the offer, Microsoft. I'd rather stick with my Apple Mighty Mouse. Yes, for gaming.

[Joe Blo @ Sep 29th 2007 6:52AM]

Been using a Creative Optical mouse for years I got on sale at Fry`s for like ten dollars and it works great...but if it dies , I want this new MSFT mouse.

[a robot @ Sep 29th 2007 2:40PM]

You can get mice for free, pretty much. Why would you ever pay $80 for a MOUSE? You could get a decent sized hard drive for that much.

[SBM_from_LA @ Sep 30th 2007 1:43AM]

I really wish someone would come out with a good dedicated Left-Handed Gaming Mouse. We may make up a small percentage of the population, but we're the coolest!

[kuzu-b @ Sep 30th 2007 4:30PM]

http://cgi.4chan.org/r/src/1191183593592.jpg

[kuzu-b @ Sep 30th 2007 4:31PM]

Ignore that, my cousin is an idiot.

- kuzu-b (the real one)

[Mark @ Dec 27th 2007 6:18AM]

I just got this for christmas. Got it at futureshop for like 38$, other store had it on sale and futureshop bet their price by 10%, awesome mouse, no complaints here.