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A gaming mouse is a luxury I don't need, but I still want one
A while ago I assembled a list of eight gaming mice worth buying. They ran the gamut in terms of design, customization and, of course, price. Though all of these mice are still available and I'd gladly recommend any of them, quite a few contenders for the crown have made their debut since I published my roundup. For the past few months I've been using the Cougar M550 and the SteelSeries Rival 100 and, while both have a lot to offer hardcore gamers, a "filthy casual" like me also found plenty to like.
Which gaming mice are worth buying?
The peripherals you play with can be just as important to your gaming success as actual skill. A suboptimal keyboard or sluggish mouse can open the door to defeat, which is why it's a good idea to pick up equipment specifically made for the job. But like a lot of specialized tools, gaming mice don't come cheap, and you wouldn't want to spend a pretty penny on one only to find it lacking in speed or features. We don't review mice very often here at Engadget, so we've consulted the opinions of trusted critics to find some recent options that can help pave a path to victory.
Corsair unleashes second gen Vengeance gaming peripherals at CES, goes fully mechanical with K95 keyboard
When Corsair introduced its Vengeance line of PC gaming accessories last year, it made the odd choice of creating the K90, a mostly mechanical keyboard marred by a collection of out of place membrane keys. The keyboard was a little less expensive for the effort, but was nearly universally reviewed as a "really weird decision." Corsair got the message, and is now releasing the Vengeance K95, a black anodized brushed aluminum take on the K90, but with fully mechanical Cherry MX Red switches on every single key, including 18 dedicated macro toggles. In addition to normalizing the keyboard's tactile pleasures, Corsair has also upgraded its backlighting, allowing each key to individually enable or disable its illumination. Eliminating its predecessor's cheapo membrane keys does kill their savings, however, giving the K95 a $150 price tag. Corsair's filling out its pointer line-up too, trotting out the M95 and M65 gaming mice. Both of these rodents feature an 8200 DPI sensor and an aluminum unibody chassis, but veer off wildly when it comes to toggles. The M95, for instance, features 15 programmable buttons and onboard storage for six switchable profiles, whereas the M65 is a more modest clicker -- featuring little more flair than a DPI dropping sniper button. Choose your weapon in a variety of colors for $79 and $69, respectively.
IRL: Nuu SoftKey, MacBook Air and Thermaltake's eSports Cyclone Edition gaming mouse
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Welcome back! This week in real-life adventures with gadgetry, Sharif recommends an $80 gaming mouse and Dan pleads with you all not to buy a certain keyboard case for the iPad. As for Philip, he just purchased his first Apple product after years of buying Windows laptops and Zune players, which means he's got a little explaining to do.
ROCCAT Savu hybrid mouse ready to assault PC gamers' senses for $60
If ever there were a prime candidate for Pimp my Mouse, ROCCAT's Savu would be it. The R.A.D. peripheral (no, really, that's the acronym) incorporates a category-first: an achievements application that rewards players for "a wide range of gaming feats, such as mouse movement, button clicks, scroll steps, etc." The tricked-out mouse also features an adjustable 4000 DPI optical sensor and Easy-Shift+ tech to let gamers program up to two dedicated functions per button. But, wait, there's more superfluousness to endure. In the event you feel the need to take this whole affair to 11, the company's also tossed in a customizable rear light bar that can be preset to one of 16.8 million colors. If you're a fan of over-the-top desktop accessories, you can snag this posterboy peripheral now for $60 at the virtual (or brick-and-mortar) retailer of your choice. Need more convincing? Then click on past the break for the hyperbolic presser from this extra-ordinary PC gaming kit.
Roccat unveils Savu hybrid gaming mouse ready for CeBIT
In the increasingly complex world of gaming mice, we'd be happy with one that doesn't scrape the paint from the top of our desk. Still, if your ambitions are a little loftier, Roccat's unveiled the Savu gaming mouse in anticipation for its big day out at CeBIT. Named after an Indonesian province, its the first mouse to include a trophy system (nope, us neither) that rewards "gaming feats" when you reach the milestone of having clicked your right button a thousand times in an hour, or something. The 4,000 DPI optical sensor device has the company's usual clutch of features including Easy-Shift+ and customizable colors and it'll be available in May where you can customize it to your whimsy for an as-yet unspecified price.
Rude Gameware's Fierce Laser Gaming Mouse v2 has a long name and a lengthy spec sheet
When the crew at Rude Gameware aren't flipping burgers, they're building gaming gear -- like this Fierce Laser Gaming Mouse V2 -- and while we haven't seen anything particularly groundbreaking, there's some bang for the buck to be had. This rodent in particular brings the heat with a 5000dpi laser sensor, a 1ms response time and 1000Hz polling rate, on-board memory to save configurations and macros for each of its seven programmable buttons, adjustable weights and on-the-fly DPI, a braided cord and even a moderately comfortable-looking design. Best of all, it'll manage to deliver all that for a nickel shy of $50 next month. Oh, it'll have some storied competitors at that price point, to be sure, but now you have more choices. Isn't capitalism grand? PR after the break.
Tt eSports' new Azurues gaming mouse has FPS players in its sights
Taiwanese peripheral manufacturer Tt eSports has launched a new three button gaming mouse aimed to please those with a penchant for fragging. Unlike other options out there such as the Razer Lachesis, which tout ever-increasing sensitivity specs, the Azurues' optical sensor engine is content to top out at 1600 dpi, and can easily be adjusted down to 400 / 800 dpi via a hardware switch on the bottom. That makes it ideal for those who prefer a little more wrist leeway while shooting. Other niceties include a black rubber coating for grip, an adjustable weight design, low friction Teflon feet, integrated lighting, and a braided cable to take repeated abuse from the thrill of desk-side battle. Unfortunately, pricing and availability are still unknown, so there's no need to remove your cursor from the back of your next victim's head until more details surface.
Logitech G700 mouse and G930 headset review
Logitech's been making quality peripherals for as long as many of us have been computing, introducing some of us to our first wheel, wireless and infrared mice in the process. But when it comes to the latest in gaming peripherals, the company's not always ahead of the curve. Razer and Microsoft have had high-end hybrid wireless mice for over a year now, and the 2.4GHz wireless headset isn't exactly a new concept. That said, the company's reputation is strong for a reason, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that Logitech's created a mouse and headset that leapfrog -- rather than just catch up to -- what competitors have offered. See what we mean in our review after the break.
Logitech's G700 mouse and G930 headset cut the cords, G510 chops price tag of primo keyboard parts
If you've already got a headset, mouse or keyboard, here's hoping they suit you just fine, because if they don't you'll be tempted to blow oodles of money on Logitech's latest gaming peripheral lineup. Today, the company revealed (and is launching) the G510 keyboard, the G930 headset and G700 mouse, and while the first is merely an amalgamation of solid peripherals that have come before (customizable RGB backlighting, USB audio, 18 programmable buttons, the whole nine yards) the latter two are premium wireless products. That's right, Logitech finally has an answer to Razer's Mamba and Microsoft's Sidewinder X8 with its own 2.4GHz, 1000 report-per-second hybrid wireless mouse (with thirteen programmable buttons on tap) and they've ripped the wires right out of the G35 surround sound headset to stuff a play n' charge battery and two 2.4GHz antennas on board. They'll run you a pretty penny, of course, at $160 for the headset, $120 for the keyboard and $100 for the mouse, but you'll find out if two of the three are worth your while later today when we publish our full review. We'll let you guess which two. Press release after the break. Update: Logitech's got a breakneck video rundown of all the hot new G-series features; spot it right after the break. All three products are also on Logitech's website now, though the headset and keyboard are labeled "out of stock."
Razer promises Mac support for all upcoming products
Razer already provides full Mac support for a few of its gaming peripherals -- including the Naga and DeathAdder -- and basic support for others, but it's now taken avantage of GDC to "reaffirm" its commitment to Mac users. That apparently means that "all upcoming" Razer products -- including the company's line of StarCraft II peripherals -- will boast full Mac support out of the box, and that the company will be rolling out updates to some of its existing products "later this year," including the Orochi, Mamba, and Imperator gaming mice. First Steam, now Razer peripherals -- dare we say it's a good time to be a Mac gamer?
