A gaming mouse that has it all and
carries a price to match
Roccat's Kone series of mice has always
targeted gamers who need the utmost customization and features from their
mouse. Though the Kone Pure is cheaper and simpler than the new Kone XTD it has
recently launched alongside, it's still a very feature rich mouse, and comes
with a hefty $109 price, which is always going to place it at the niche end of
the market.
Roccat
Kone Pure
It comes kitted out with an 8200dpi laser
sensor, as well as a 72MHz Turbo Core V2 32-bit ARM processor alongside 576KB
of on-board memory. The result of all this gadgetry is a mouse that is very
accurate at tracking. Whether in Photoshop, games or general desktop usage, the
precision of the mouse is always an asset.
The form of the mouse is also pleasing for
the most part, but users with larger hands might find it to be a bit small. It
weighs in at 90g, meaning it's sturdy but still light and nimble, and there's
no option to change its weight. The Kone Pure has a lovely smooth matte black
surface, which makes it a pleasure to hold. Its ergonomically sensible design
means it fits your hand well, although the main downside to its shape is that
it lacks support for your ring and little fingers, which consequently can end
up dragging across the mouse pad.
Each of the seven buttons on the Kone Pure
are well placed and easy to reach. Not only this, but they are balanced nicely
so as to require just the right amount of pressure to click and provide
satisfying feedback when they're pushed. The two dpi sensitivity buttons below
the scroll wheel require slightly more force, which prevents them from being
accidentally pressed. The wheel itself is coated in a high grip rubber material
and is sturdy with a pleasant resistance to it.
Roccat's software for customizing the Kone
Pure is intuitive and has oodles of options for sensitivity and usability,
alongside a powerful macro editor and profile management tools that let you
create game specific profiles that activate as soon as you launch the
appropriate game. You can also set the LED lighting of the logo to any one of
16.8 million colours according to Roccat. Essentially, the Kone Pure reinforces
itself as a niche product by offering more options than the majority of people
will ever care to use.
A particularly handy feature is the
Easyshift key, which can be set to either thumb button (or disabled), which
when pressed alters the function of the rest of the buttons on the mouse. The
specific function of each button and its Easyshift equivalent can be set in the
software.
The Kone Pure is an excellent mouse. It's
accurate, comfortable (except for the missing support for your ring finger and
pinkie), and customizable to a nearly overwhelming degree. However, at $109,
it's also really expensive. If you can afford it and genuinely need the
features it offers, go for it. However, for everyone else, significantly
cheaper mice that are still comfortable and high performing, like Epic Gear's
Meduza, are not too hard to come by.
|
Details
·
Price: $109
·
Manufacturer: Roccat
·
Website: www.roccat.org
·
Required spec: A free USB 2 port
Verdict
·
Quality: 9
·
Value: 6
·
Overall: 7
|
