Roccat Kone Pure Gaming Mouse Review (w/ Hiro Gaming Surface)

1. Introduction2. Packaging & Bundle3. Design and Ergonomics4. Roccat Hiro Gaming Surface5. Software and Operation6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Roccat Kone Pure Gaming Mouse

Roccat has added yet another excellent gaming mouse to its highly-respected Kone series. The Roccat Kone Pure gaming mouse features a comfortable design, precise tracking and good general usage options.

When equipped with Roccat's Kone Pure, competing in games is an enjoyable experience made more so by the mouse's ability to offer excellent precision and a wide range of quickly-adjustable settings. FPS-lovers will be licking their lips over the mouse's highly-customisable DPI, sensitivity and polling rate settings, while fans of RPGs will be pleased to see a macro manager, 15 adjustable button functions and 5 settings profiles.

15 user-definable button inputs make the Roccat Kone Pure a mouse that is able to enhance general usage experiences and increase productivity. We liked the Easy-Shift[+] function due to the extra 8 customisable inputs it offers.

Comfortable operation is a strength for the Kone Pure gaming mouse. The user-friendly style that features finger-directing channels and a palm-resting ‘humpback' shape allows the mouse to stay comfortable even when using it for extended periods of time.

For general usage, the soft-touch coating does a good job at enhancing the comfort for palm-grip users. During intense gaming sessions, the level of friction and hence grip offered by the surface material did become unacceptable at times. While the soft-touch surface is undeniably comfortable, we would prefer a material that offers that extra level of grip required in those frantic battle situations.

The software provided with Roccat's Kone Pure mouse offers a well-designed, sleek user interface with plenty of options. Roccat's Achievement Display (R.A.D.) is a likeable feature, irrelevant of its questionable use. Unfortunately, as outlined earlier in the review, the software requires the same work-around as the Kone XTD's to prevent slow operation.

Available for £63.81 from Amazon, the Kone Pure is priced too closely to the Kone XTD to make it a truly competitive option. While both mice have their strengths and weaknesses, we feel that the Kone XTD is well-worth the extra spend of around £10. A price drop that puts the Kone Pure away from the Kone XTD's price range would make it a far more worthy option.

Pros:

• Comfortable mouse.
• Good button positioning.
• Plenty of input functions via Easy-Shift[+].
• 16.8 million colour lighting system.
• Capable of up to 8200 DPI.
• Omron switches.

Cons:

• Priced too closely to the superior Kone XTD.
• Grip surface could be better.
• Limited potential for left hand users.
• Software requires a work-around to operate at full speed (as shown on the Software and Operation page).

KitGuru says: A comfortable mouse that offers great gaming and general usage performance. Unfortunately its price tag forces it to compete against the superior Kone XTD, amongst others.

Roccat Hiro Gaming Surface

Roccat‘s Hiro gaming surface is an excellent mouse mat that allows gamers to rapidly move their mouse from point-to-point without resistance.

With its friction-reducing surface, non-slip and shock-absorbing rubber grip and easy-to-clean properties, the Roccat Hiro has the ability to collaborate with even the greatest gaming mice available.

A retail price of around £40 makes the Hiro a difficult recommendation. While its performance, design and features are very good, the Hiro's biggest problem is the fact that the majority of people won't be able to afford or justify a £40 mouse mat. Spending £40 on a mouse mat opens up the ‘diminishing returns' can of worms. We think that it would a better idea to opt for a cheaper model and put the remaining money towards a different component or peripheral.

Pros:

• Easy-to-clean and water-resistant surface.
• Allows rapid mouse movements due to low friction.
• Good build quality.

Cons:

• Very expensive and unaffordable for most gamers.

KitGuru Says: A good mouse surface that offers some worthwhile features, but packs a very high price tag that is unwarrantable to most consumers.

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