| Roccat KONE[+] Gaming Mouse |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Input Devices | ||||||||
| Written by Steve Hearst | ||||||||
| Monday, 24 October 2011 | ||||||||
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Testing & ResultsTesting MethodologyTesting an input device is simple, all one needs to do is use it, unfortunately there are no quantative benchmarks to run, no numbers to compare, and no software used that can test the quality of the hardware. Testing an input device like the Roccat KONE[+] Gaming Mouse is going to be based around personal opinion and preference. In this section I will present my unbiased opinion with regards to the use and operation of the Roccat KONE[+] and report back any improvement benefiting directly by its use in various games and programs listed below. Your mileage may vary slightly and as such this should be taken as a guide only. Test System
Test Software
ResultsThe Roccat KONE[+] is not my first gaming mouse. Prior to this I have been using a Razer Lachesis 5600dpi for the past year now, so my adjustment period didn't take too long. I can say with all honesty that the KONE[+] was way too light for my liking before adding the weights, which added a lot to my perception of its sensitivity. Even after adding the weights I started out using it on 5000dpi, stepping it up now and then to 6000dpi until I became used to it. I noticed as I was looking through the button configurations that there was a function called EasyAim, what this does is allows you to assign a different DPI setting to a mouse button that is only active while you hold the selected button down. In my case I used my lowest setting of 900dpi assigned to the EasyAim button, this is really effective for sniping and also really useful for precise movements during image editing in Photoshop. When set to 6000dpi the added sensitivity proves beneficial for controlling recoil and tracking fast moving targets.
As games these days get more complex and require more keys assigned to important tasks, along with having external programs such as teamspeak etc. running, it is essential to have many commands at your finger tips. It is hard to give a mouse more buttons while at the same time keeping it easy to use but I think Roccat may have cracked it with their EasyShift[+] feature. What EasyShift[+] does is it allows you to assign two commands to a single key, with the EasyShift[+] key acting as the modifier. This feature is expanded further with Roccat Talk, a communication protocol between compatible Roccat devices. Using Roccat Talk allows you to assign the EasyShift[+] and EasyAim keys to either device, the benefit inherent here is that you will have more control of the mouse and/or keyboard in many different situations. The limit is your imagination, pressing the side buttons of a mouse in the heat of action to modify a function isn't the easiest thing to do but controlling two peripherals has become second nature to us now. The benefit also works the other way round. While holding the EasyShift[+] button of the mouse you can change certain keys on your compatible keyboard to perform another task without contorting your fingers. The 4D mouse wheel is another great feature and uses no extra room whatsoever. Because it is such a new innovation I keep forgetting about its presence, maybe if I assigned some important features to it I will have to use it more. As it is I have enough keys at my fingertips to deal with all the commands I need, but it's great to know the expansion possibilities are right there in waiting.
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Comments
That was before I had heard rumors of breaking mouse wheel constructions.
After a year the mousewheel indeed broke.
I loved that mouse. It handled superbly and the customization options with LEDS were unique. The software was very good too. Never saw anything like it.
Because of the weak mousewheel construction of the first Roccat Kone I will not take the risk to buy this one. It is too expensive to have give up on me after a year.
Now I own a Logitech G700 gaming mouse. Less fancy, customization wise, but very sturdy because of the superior build quality. Gaming mice need to be strong and to be able to take punishment. Logitech never has disappointed me. I have never had to throw away a logitech (or a microsoft mouse) because it fell apart.
But I would buy this mouse if it had a more reliable construction than the first Kone.
A lot of these laser sensors are still worse than the optical ones found in mice like the deathadder. doesn't make as much sense to buy a complicated mouse if it's fundamentally worse.