The design of the eSPORTS Black reminds us of mice we've seen in the past from Roccat. It incorporates a number of design cues that we would expect to see on a gaming mouse such as LED lighting effects and glossy plastic but does so in a subtle and inoffensive way. We think this is a great approach and are consequently quite fond of Thermaltake's aesthetic design.
As we have come to expect, the majority of the mouse's surface is finished in a rubberised paint. This might not look quite as snazzy as an expanse of black gloss but brings significant practical advantages. Aside from the extra grip we can expect when gaming, the surface remains free of scratches over time and free of fingerprints, even after a few hours use. Thermaltake has chosen to use a thin strip of gloss-black plastic to house the mouse-wheel to add a little flare but thankfully this is small enough for any marks to avoid attention.
On the back of the mouse there is a ‘Tt' logo which is back-lit with a red breathing effect, not dissimilar to that we have seen on Razer's mice in blue in the past. The edges of the mouse-wheel are also illuminated red, as are the DPI indicators on the left edge of the mouse.
For improved grip when gaming, Thermaltake have added some small notches into the thumb alcove on the left-hand side of the mouse. Above these we find the browser forward and back buttons which are amalgamated into a single plastic strip. While this is visually effective, we would have preferred separate buttons as it isn't abundantly clear where the forward button stops and the back button starts. But the action of the buttons is perfect; they require a reasonable amount of pressure to activate, meaning they're unlikely to be depressed accidentally.
The left and right mouse buttons are slightly curved with a lip at the edge to prevent your fingers from encroaching on to the edge of the mouse. They both have a comfortable and responsive action but do make a rather loud clicking noise when activated. The shape of the mouse is sculpted ergonomically and makes it comfortable to use for all three gripping styles.
The illuminated mouse-wheel has a notched rubber section around the middle which lets us grip it effectively and move it precisely. The action feels very refined and, in contrast to the left and right mouse buttons, the clicking noise emitted sounds much more muted. Behind the wheel there are two buttons which switch the sensitivity of the mouse between the four predefined DPI levels.
The plastics used in construction are high-quality and Thermaltake have obviously designed this mouse with quality in mind as they have braided the cable and gold-plated the USB connector. Like many gaming mice, the eSPORTS Black features a weight-tuning system, consisting of five 4.5g weights which can be added or removed through a door in the base of the mouse. I personally prefer the lightest possible mouse so removed all five weights when testing.
If its around £30 as you say Henry then thats going to be a good solid deal.
Really good to see all the thermaltake reviews here, they are always so competivtely priced. frio, contact29, armor cases etc. Apart from the LEvel 10 of course :p
This seems a good purchase, like the design too
The design is great and if the price is half that of a steelseries it will sell well, even if its not quite as good.
I like the looks of this. nice product again.
Great design and shape. impressed you managed to get a camera to take a picture through your hand too :p
I really like this product, the shape is very appealing to me. Is it well made though? I bought a cheaper mouse last year and the cord all frayed 🙁
Thermaltake are really improving their reputation and I think some of it is due to KitGuru helping to do really good reviews of their products. The photos are always so good here too so you can tell the chassis materials and quality. This looks like a hell of a deal if they get it sold for 30-35 quid.
Any solid release date yet and this new range from them looks really impressive.
great review – styling looks awesome
I am buying this when it is released. A full weight system for this price is incredible. it looks REALLY GOOD
I bought a frio, and an armorcase going on reviews on this site and you didnt let me down. for this price I am in the list for one of this on preorder.
normally I would say ‘thermaltake take over kitguru’ but the products reviewed this weekend are brilliant. Now I need to make a forum account to win that Level 10 case !
im only just after buying a new logitech mouse, but id buy this if I hadnt just spent money already. Looks like a quality piece of kit.
Nice review and very tempting product. I am tempted but need to work out if the build is up to stratch.
I want to say a BIG thanks to Kitguru for all the focus on thermaltake lately. they get overlooked and their products are SO WELL PRICED (no, i dont mean Level 10). They offer a great alternative to logitech and steelseries and razer. I am buying this for myself when its available.
£32 would be amazing, if they manage it, but I think UK will get it for £40. its never a straight price conversion here 🙁
I dont know, sometimes the pricing can be good here and sometimes its not (apple are known to rip off UKers for instance). I would say £35 would be a good price point to ensure high sales like the contact 29 and frio have received.
The materials look very high quality. is the cord tough Henry? Those are the first things to fail for me if I dont spend a lot of money getting one with braided line.
Well worth the price if they can get them sold for 30-40 quid. most high end gaming mice are 70-80 quid now.
The pad has really caught my eye, more than the mouse. Shall invest when available.
This is a great value product, lets hope its not 60 when it hits UK like some companies do. 40 would mean a must buy imo.