Roccat has been ramping up its equipment vary lately, with mechanical keyboards, headsets, and much more gaming mice, all loaded with RGB. Nonetheless pushing the aggressive esports theme, every peripheral guarantees the most effective 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 overview.
Roccat Kone XP Air: Value, availability, and specs
Roccat sells the Kone XP Air by way of its official retailer and third-party retailers, together with Amazon and Greatest Purchase, for a $170 MSRP. Out there in two colours, each black and white variations embody the identical RGB lighting, packaged with the charging dock and USB-C cable.
| Class | Specification |
|---|---|
| Sensor | Owl-Eye 19K optical |
| Switches | Titan Swap optical |
| Lifespan | As much as 100 million clicks |
| Sensitivity | As much as 19,000 DPI |
| Polling price | 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 fundamental mouse. Roccat virtually transformed me earlier this 12 months after I checked out the wired variant in my Kone XP overview, however the cable stored it from turning into my each day driver. I am too snug 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 chance hitting any of the various additional buttons.
A simple-shift button returns alongside the underside aspect, however once more, it does nothing by itself until you alter 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 this point you could 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 might come in useful for zooming a rifle scope in FPS video games or switching between means hotbars in MMO titles. As normal, they swap between macro profiles, one thing I am going to get into later.
I discovered loads of makes use of for the thumb-sided buttons, leaving the easy-shift instructions for Home windows-centric capabilities like skipping music tracks and muting my microphone.
Whether or not or not you will want these two additional buttons will fluctuate because the 4D scroll wheel presents loads of performance on prime. You will really feel each notch because it turns with none stiffness, and pushing it down would not require a lot effort.
You may also knock the wheel left and proper for much more inputs in case you can contort your finger nicely sufficient to set off them.
Ending off the armory of buttons is a comparatively normal DPI switcher on prime, however you may re-assign it to any perform you want or disable it altogether. Spending time in numerous recreation varieties, I discovered loads of makes use of for the thumb-sided buttons, leaving the easy-shift instructions for Home windows-centric capabilities like skipping music tracks and muting my microphone.
Sticking to their Swarm software program for the Kone XP Air means customization is as straightforward as ever, and preserving the firmware up to date is a breeze. Right here, you may choose from a listing of premade macros for loads of standard titles, like triggering your skills in Apex Legends or controlling your pet in World of Warcraft.
A mouse with this many additional buttons is of course higher suited to MMO titles, and you may 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 beautiful RGB lighting contained in the mouse and docking station.
Sticking to a 1000Hz polling price and 1200 DPI sensitivity, this mouse rapidly 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 am going to 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 simple 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 each time it wants charging. Luckily, the USB-C cable can detach from the rear of the charging dock and join immediately into the entrance of the Kone XP Air, virtually remodeling it into its wired sibling.
Enhancements to the optical switches are additionally a step above the unique Kone XP, and there is balanced tactile suggestions from each button.
With each strategies obtainable, it is uncertain you would be left within the lurch with a useless mouse in any vital situation. At the very least, nothing that may’t be remedied inside a couple of seconds. You could possibly additionally take away the USB-A dongle from the dock and join it immediately 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 now not feels weak, and there is balanced tactile suggestions from each button. General, I am unable to see myself returning to a fundamental mouse after this, contemplating the variety of enhancements Roccat has made, and I’ve had nothing main to gripe about throughout each day use.
Roccat Kone XP Air: What’s not so good
It is virtually inconceivable to please everybody when designing a gaming mouse with so many additional buttons, and there might be some unlucky misclicks. I switched out the DPI switcher on the button project tab for a Discord microphone mute shortcut as a result of I might by chance nudge it too usually, and my goal would instantly change whereas enjoying.
The straightforward-shift button below your thumb can be simply pushed by chance. Luckily, true to its identify, it’s higher designed as a modifier than a perform of its personal. Stick with utilizing it with secondary capabilities, and you will be superb, nevertheless it’s laborious to disregard how straightforward it’s to press when rapidly shifting the mouse round.
I discussed earlier how the 4D scroll wheel may very well be pushed left and proper, albeit requiring some uncommon finger contortions. Attempting to hit these instructions rapidly in-game would not really feel pure, nevertheless it’s first rate sufficient throughout net shopping.
It is the one half that feels notably extreme and one thing to push up the variety of programmable buttons. Apart from, you may at all times depart the capabilities clean or preserve them on a separate profile for extra relaxed environments.
Roccat advertises the battery as having as much as 100 hours of life, which is likely to be doable in case you disabled all of the RGB lighting, sticking with the bottom response occasions and sensitivity. Realistically, I needed to cost the mouse a minimum of as soon as a day, however I do spend a very good 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 each day driver, impressing me at each step. Nonetheless, at $170, it is steep, and convincing patrons to check it to the competitors may very well be troublesome.
Roccat Kone XP Air: The competitors
Contemplating my major gripes of the wired Kone XP have been primarily associated to its obligatory 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 appear to be lots, however together with the charging dock is a part of that improve.
Different comparisons in the identical vary embody the unbelievable Roccat Burst Professional Air, a wi-fi gaming mouse with an ambidextrous design nonetheless flaunting shiny and delightful RGB. It is obtainable 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 evaluate it towards its siblings.
For rival manufacturers, the Razer Basilisk Final comes with a well-known charging dock however fewer buttons on the identical $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 might have been the direct inspiration for Roccat’s providing, and you may have to weigh the professionals and cons in your personal wants.
Roccat Kone XP Air: Do you have to purchase?
You can 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 house 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 avid gamers may take challenge with the overload of buttons surrounding this wi-fi mouse, however the design lends itself to stopping most unintentional clicks.
The excessive worth might be a tough promote for some, however the comfort supplied by the charging dock helps argue its case. There are cheaper options in case you’re keen to cross up a number of the finest options of the Kone XP Air, however you will miss out on one of many finest gaming mice round in the present day.
Bettering on the already-fantastic Kone XP, Roccat features a handy charging dock with this wi-fi variant loaded with much more dazzling RGB lighting.
