For energy customers, avid gamers, and people in search of a extremely purposeful mouse, extra buttons is useful. Roccat needs to attraction to such individuals with its upcoming Kone XP, which has 15 buttons that may function 29 totally different inputs after programming through software program.
Roccat’s announcement of the Kone XPÂ at this time described the peripheral is “ideally suited” for MMOs and technique video games. However excessive programmability makes the Kone XP probably interesting for superior basic use, too.
The programmable buttons are: left- and right-click, the scroll wheel (5 inputs: up, down, left, proper, and in), the button south of the scroll wheel, two buttons close to the left-click button, 4 aspect buttons, and a thumb button close to the mouse’s base.
Downloading Roccat’s software program offers every button a secondary operate when pressed alongside a delegated button. The designated button might be on the mouse or a Roccat keyboard concurrently. That Straightforward-Shift[+] function means you could possibly program 29 totally different inputs with the mouse’s 15 buttons. Why not 30? As a result of one of many buttons must be the Straightforward-Shift[+] button.
That is a variety of performance, however the Kone XP must compete with mice in its worth vary particularly geared for MMO video games. These button-laden rivals embody the 20-button Logitech G600 MMO ($35 MSRP as of writing) and the 16-button Razer Naga X ($80 MSRP). The latter system has Razer’s HyperShift function that works like Roccat’s Straightforward-Shift[+].
A lot flash
I mentioned the Kone XP primarily targets avid gamers, however you could possibly in all probability already discern that from its look. The mouse has 22 RGB LEDs in complete. With the assistance of eight gentle guides, the LEDs blast colour by the mouse’s clear chassis and scroll wheel, which has what Roccat describes as a “smoky clear design” meant to diffuse the lighting.
The mouse would not attempt to lure avid gamers on its colours and button format alone. It additionally has a sensor based mostly off the PixArt PAW3370, known as the Roccat Owl-Eye, with excessive specs, together with 50-19,000 DPI (dots per inch). That is a lesser max DPI than another gaming mice, just like the 25,000 CPI Logitech G303 Shroud Version, supply. However for many, that DPI vary is ample.
In the meantime, the left- and right-click buttons use the Turtle Seashore sub-brand’s homegrown Titan Optical Switches. Within the Roccat Kone Professional mouse I’ve examined, I discovered the switches simpler to actuate with a softer noise than many customary mechanical mouse switches. However the Professional’s clicks additionally felt much less sharp. Time will inform if the Kone XP’s clicks differ.
And in a final nod at avid gamers, Roccat’s Kone XP will even work with Nvidia’s Reflex latency analyzer.
The mouse formally comes out on March 29 however is presently obtainable for preorder.
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