It’s bright. It’s colorful. It has tons of button options. Roccat’s brand new Kone XP mouse does a lot of things well. Did I mention it has tons of button options? Seriously, I’m questioning whether I even need a keyboard when I use this thing. Excuse the hyperbolic statement, but I never thought I could use the number of buttons this mouse offers in a single unit. As I tested this mouse I couldn’t help but wonder – is it the greatest ever?
Design
I did not review the Kone XP’s predecessor so I’m not able to compare it with any original. It has a nice ergonomic feel with a slight indentation on the left side for your thumb to fit securely in place. Please note that this mouse will only work for right-handed gamerfolk (for a great left-handed option check this mouse out). By now, I’ve tested quite a few mice, and I really have yet to complain about the feel of any of them. I’m just being honest here. The Kone XP feels great, albeit slightly different from Logitech’s less ergonomic Pro Wireless or CoolerMaster’s perfectly ergonomic MM720.
I have to say it is just nice to see a gaming mouse isn’t a honeycomb shell (sorry to any beekeeping gamers I may have just offended). The 22 LEDs and 8 light guides steal the show on this mouse. Be sure to check out the Roccat website if you want to see the 3D RGB lighting in action. It’s flashy and really stands out in the over-crowded space of gaming mice. Paired with AIMO and other Roccat products makes my setup really pop.
I may have lied in my statement above – yes the lights steal the show when it comes to eye candy. The capabilities of the Kone XP more specifically come from the 15 button options it features. True confession, I’ve had the mouse for roughly two weeks and just discovered two of the buttons beneath my thumb this week. I’m so used to having two buttons below the thumb that I failed to realize there are four on the XP. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
The mouse wheel even gets in on the button action. I can click the wheel laterally left or right in addition to straight down with different results. In addition to the usual left and right click of the main mouse buttons, two additional buttons lie on the left button. These default to DPI adjustments, and I leave this set up alone.
Gameplay
Roccat claims the Titan Optical Switches featured in the Kone XP (and many of their mice) are faster than any other mechanical switch and offer twice the durability. I’m not ready or prepared to test the millions of clicks (100 million to be precise) it will take to find out the truth. I will say the mouse feels durable, and unless I chuck it in a rage quit I don’t see it breaking anytime soon.
Gaming is a blast on this click happy little beauty. I am now able to assign so much more to my mouse that I used to need extra keys for. The challenge is recalling what button I assigned to what on it. I’ve mentioned 15 buttons, but what I haven’t mentioned is the extra button on the towards the bottom left (again below the thumb) of the mouse that functions as a shift key. Press this in and you now have 29 different button combinations to use. Too many for this aging gamer.
I find the extra buttons come in fantastically handy for Strategy games, but I tend to get a bit mixed up in shooters. I don’t truly end up using the full array of options, but I can imagine if I was a young gamer, this mouse would be a dream come true.
Additional Features
The best combination is using the Kone XP with the Roccat Swarm software. This allows for AIMO pairing and a plethora of customization options. I typically set my keyboard and mouse up for AIMO RGB functionality which syncs the devices to the same color scheme at all times. It truly is a sight to behold.
Button assignments within the software are quick and easy. If I don’t like the default settings I simply hop into Swarm and change them. Swarm is overall easy to use, if not a bit jumbled.
This is a wired mouse, but companies may as well advertise them as wireless these days. The cable is lightweight, and it doesn’t get in the way. I still like wireless mice, but perhaps the pro gamers out there like the wire for reduced latency.
Summary
The Kone XP offers more features than any mouse in recent memory. It certainly has the most button options. I didn’t see a distinct improvement in gaming, but I rarely do with gear these days. My gaming skills are maxed at amateur levels. I did notice a newfound enjoyment of options without going to my keyboard in some cases for shortcuts. If you love RGB lighting and premium quality – don’t pass this mouse up. I’ll never say a product is the greatest ever, but the Kone XP gives “prettiest gaming mouse ever” a new definition. I’ve yet to see a cooler looking mouse with the functionality this one offers. Happy gaming!
