Roccat has been ramping up its equipment vary not too long ago, with mechanical keyboards, headsets, and much more gaming mice, all loaded with RGB. Nonetheless pushing the aggressive esports theme, every peripheral guarantees one of the best efficiency and top quality. They’re nonetheless manufacturing below the Turtle Seaside umbrella, making waves within the gaming {hardware} scene.
Its newest providing is the Kone XP Air, basically an enchancment of the sooner wired Kone XP ergonomic gaming mouse. Now touting an included charging dock with RGB lighting to match, this slick-looking improve touts as much as 100 hours of battery life with speedy charging. I took it for a spin to see the way it performs in real-world testing for our Roccat Kone XP Air assessment.
Roccat Kone XP Air: Worth, availability, and specs
Roccat sells the Kone XP Air by its official retailer and third-party retailers, together with Amazon and Greatest Purchase, for a $170 MSRP. Accessible in two colours, each black and white variations embrace the identical RGB lighting, packaged with the charging dock and USB-C cable.
Class | Specification |
---|---|
Sensor | Owl-Eye 19K optical |
Switches | Titan Change optical |
Lifespan | As much as 100 million clicks |
Sensitivity | As much as 19,000 DPI |
Polling charge | As much as 1,000Hz |
Acceleration | 50g |
Wi-fi | 2.4GHz / Bluetooth |
Connectivity | 1.8m USB-A to USB-C cable |
Dimensions | 126mm x 40mm x 72mm |
Weight | 99g |
Roccat Kone XP Air: What’s good
Even after testing many ergonomic fashions, I often return to my ambidextrous Logitech G305 primary mouse. Roccat virtually transformed me earlier this yr once I checked out the wired variant in my Kone XP review, however the cable saved it from turning into my every day driver. I am too comfy with wi-fi mice, particularly since my desk is already a chaotic nightmare of wires.
The excellent news is that this wi-fi variant options the identical design and feels simply as dreamy in my hand. It is unimaginable to discover a completely sized mouse with my thumb comfortably seated down its aspect with out by accident hitting any of the numerous further buttons.
A simple-shift button returns alongside the underside aspect, however once more, it does nothing by itself except you modify the binding with its software program. It is just like a shift key in your keyboard, unlocking secondary instructions. There is a cluster of 4 programmable buttons above your thumb, which initially really feel a bit unusual, however they’re raised out to date which you can detect them individually.
Alongside the left-click button, you will discover one other pairing of additional buttons printed with plus and minus icons, and their usefulness depends in your creativeness. They will not get in the way in which throughout common use however may come in useful for zooming a rifle scope in FPS video games or switching between capability hotbars in MMO titles. As customary, they change between macro profiles, one thing I will get into later.
Whether or not or not you will want these two further buttons will range for the reason that 4D scroll wheel gives loads of performance on high. You will really feel each notch because it turns with none stiffness, and pushing it down would not require a lot effort.
It’s also possible to knock the wheel left and proper for much more inputs in the event you can contort your finger nicely sufficient to set off them.
Ending off the armory of buttons is a comparatively customary DPI switcher on high, however you may re-assign it to any operate you want or disable it altogether. Spending time in numerous recreation sorts, I discovered loads of makes use of for the thumb-sided buttons, leaving the easy-shift instructions for Home windows-centric features like skipping music tracks and muting my microphone.
Sticking to their Swarm software program for the Kone XP Air means customization is as simple as ever, and retaining the firmware up to date is a breeze. Right here, you may choose from a listing of premade macros for loads of fashionable titles, like triggering your skills in Apex Legends or controlling your pet in World of Warcraft.
A mouse with this many further buttons is of course higher suited to MMO titles, and you’ll create customized macros or import units from different customers to save lots of time. Every part of the Swarm app has sliders and menus for particular changes, together with themes for the attractive RGB lighting contained in the mouse and docking station.
Sticking to a 1000Hz polling charge and 1200 DPI sensitivity, this mouse shortly grew to become my new favourite. The adjustable lift-off distance mixed with PTFE glides beneath by no means confirmed any indicators of erratic mouse motion, although it is a bit lighter than the wi-fi mice I often use.
Battery life is one thing I will get into quickly, however the charging dock connects with the included Roccat PhantomFlex USB-C cable and seats the USB-A receiver.
The dock makes for straightforward charging when watching movies or while you’re in any other case preoccupied, with barely 10 minutes of cost time offering loads of energy. In fact, not everybody may give up utilizing their mouse every time it wants charging. Fortuitously, the USB-C cable can detach from the rear of the charging dock and join straight into the entrance of the Kone XP Air, virtually remodeling it into its wired sibling.
With each strategies out there, it is uncertain you would be left within the lurch with a useless mouse in any crucial situation. Not less than, nothing that may’t be remedied inside a number of seconds. You might additionally take away the USB-A dongle from the dock and join it straight to a different gadget, like a laptop computer, so long as the mouse has sufficient cost.
Additional enhancements to the optical switches are additionally a step above the unique Kone XP. The precise-click not feels weak, and there is balanced tactile suggestions from each button. General, I am unable to see myself returning to a primary mouse after this, contemplating the variety of enhancements Roccat has made, and I’ve had nothing main to gripe about throughout every day use.
Roccat Kone XP Air: What’s not so good
It is virtually unattainable to please everybody when designing a gaming mouse with so many further buttons, and there will likely be some unlucky misclicks. I switched out the DPI switcher on the button task tab for a Discord microphone mute shortcut as a result of I would by accident nudge it too typically, and my purpose would all of the sudden change whereas taking part in.
The straightforward-shift button below your thumb can also be simply pushed by chance. Fortuitously, true to its identify, it’s higher designed as a modifier than a operate of its personal. Persist with utilizing it with secondary features, and you will be superb, nevertheless it’s arduous to disregard how simple it’s to press when shortly shifting the mouse round.
I discussed earlier how the 4D scroll wheel could possibly be pushed left and proper, albeit requiring some uncommon finger contortions. Attempting to hit these instructions shortly in-game would not really feel pure, nevertheless it’s first rate sufficient throughout internet shopping.
It is the one half that feels significantly extreme and one thing to push up the variety of programmable buttons. Moreover, you may at all times go away the features clean or hold them on a separate profile for extra relaxed environments.
Roccat advertises the battery as having as much as 100 hours of life, which may be doable in the event you disabled all of the RGB lighting, sticking with the bottom response occasions and sensitivity. Realistically, I needed to cost the mouse no less than as soon as a day, however I do spend a great chunk of the day at my pc.
Once more, the comfort that the charging dock brings does offset this considerably, however please keep in mind that it is solely as much as a possible 100 hours. It is no slouch by any means, however do not count on to hit that quantity when having fun with each function of the Kone XP Air.
Lastly, the value is difficult to disregard. When displaying associates and colleagues this mouse and professing my admiration for it, their response to the value is fairly telling. I can confidently say that that is virtually actually turning into my new every day driver, impressing me at each step. Nonetheless, at $170, it is steep, and convincing consumers to match it to the competitors could possibly be troublesome.
Roccat Kone XP Air: The competitors
Contemplating my most important gripes of the wired Kone XP had been primarily associated to its necessary PhantomFlex connection, there have been solely enhancements to the development. The Kone XP Air is at present $80 dearer than its wired companion, which could seem to be lots, however together with the charging dock is a part of that improve.
Different comparisons in the identical vary embrace the implausible Roccat Burst Pro Air, a wi-fi gaming mouse with an ambidextrous design nonetheless flaunting shiny and exquisite RGB. It is out there for $100, saving you $70 in comparison with the Kone XP Air, however you lose out on the additional buttons and charging dock. It turns into clear how Roccat got here to worth its newest mouse while you examine it in opposition to its siblings.
For rival manufacturers, the Razer Basilisk Ultimate comes with a well-recognized charging dock however fewer buttons on the similar $170 worth level. The sensor is a contact higher than the Kone XP Air, however you lose out in different areas with this ergonomic competitor. Evaluating the 2 appears to indicate that this Razer mouse could have been the direct inspiration for Roccat’s providing, and you may must weigh the professionals and cons to your personal wants.
Roccat Kone XP Air: Must you purchase?
You should purchase this if …
- You need an simply rechargeable wi-fi gaming mouse
- You like light-weight, ergonomic mice
- You are an RGB-loving MMO gamer
You should not purchase this if …
- You are not a fan of colourful peripherals
- You do not have area for the charging dock
- You like left-handed or ambidextrous mice
Roccat has improved the wired Kone XP in each division, leaving me little room to complain. Some players may take situation with the overload of buttons surrounding this wi-fi mouse, however the design lends itself to stopping most unintended clicks.
The excessive worth will likely be a tough promote for some, however the comfort offered by the charging dock helps argue its case. There are cheaper alternate options in the event you’re prepared to move up a few of the greatest options of the Kone XP Air, however you will miss out on one of many best gaming mice round right this moment.
Enhancing on the already-fantastic Kone XP, Roccat features a handy charging dock with this wi-fi variant loaded with much more dazzling RGB lighting.