Product: Roccat Kone XP
Type: Gaming Mouse (Wireless)
Price: $149.95 AUD
Availability: Out Now
Link: roccat.com/products/kone-xp

A couple of years ago we reviewed the Roccat Kone AIMO, an ergonomically designed performer that featured a number of programmable buttons in a design that had the look of something released a decade or so prior. The shift to minimal and sleek mouse designs in recent years hasn’t been lost on Roccat, but in a very cool move it’s opted to double down on the button-filled design of the Kone and simply bring it into the present with an all-RPG all-the-time design.

It’s the first thing you notice as soon as you open the packaging, or look at the image on the packaging for that matter. Like one of those yo-yos you remember seeing as a kind, one that used to light up, the focus here - at least visually - is on illumination. With 22 lights arranged in a 3D configuration the end result is pretty spectacular. The Roccat Kone XP looks like something from the future, or at least a vision of it as depicted in any number of cyberpunk-inspired cityscapes. With blades you can see and an internal glow that’s customisable, the Roccat Kone XP certainly stands out from the pack. And that’s long before you get to the impressive stuff happening under the hood. And under the lights.

Grip It

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The ergonomics of the Roccat Kone XP fits into the right-hand palm-grip that has found its way into a number of designs over the years, and the feel here is comfortable. Although the inclusion of textured grips instead of rubberised is something of a letdown (the over-the-top lighting and 15-buttons make it a mouse where you kind of expect ‘the works’) there’s a lot to like about the Roccat Kone design in general. Namely, the abundance of buttons and profiles you can set up.

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With 22 lights arranged in a 3D configuration the end result is pretty spectacular. The Roccat Kone XP looks like something from the future...

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Having a paddle for your thumb is great, and four side-buttons make this a consideration for MOBA and MMO players. The two additional buttons next to the left-click feel like overkill but it all paves the way for some serious customisation. And there are a few nice little flourishes, profiles are colour coded, which when coupled with the insane RGB action means you’ll definitely know when you’re in Red or Yellow mode. Although the 104-gram weight puts it in a class above ultralights, the Roccat Kone XP is definitely lighter than previous models - even with all of the lighting. In use you’ll barely notice the weight as the three sizable heat-treated PTFE feet result in smooth movement. Which also comes thanks to the flexible cable.

Point-and-Click

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Underneath the lights you’ll find Roccat’s improved Owl-Eye sensor based on PixArt tech, which now offers up-to 19K of optical sensor action. It’s certainly more than enough when paired with the 1,000Hz polling rate and 50g acceleration. The mix of switches for the buttons are all impressive too, and with so many available for configuration there’s even an Easy Shift function to potentially double the amount of commands you can easily call on.

Specs

• Sensor: ROCCAT Owl-Eye 19K optical sensor (Based on PAW3370)
  
• Sensitivity: 50–19,000 DPI
  
• Switches: ROCCAT Titan Switch Optical
  
• Buttons: 15 (29 programmable)
  
• Weight: 104g

Testing with a variety of different titles, from first-person shooters like Halo Infinite and more indie fare like Forgive Me Father through to strategy titles like StarCraft II (because hey, it was due for a replay), the sensor and Roccat Kone XP for that matter - performed great.

Not all of the buttons are as easy to get to though, and the Roccat Swarm software is starting to show its age a bit (the UI feels dated and it’s not optimised for 4K displays), plus the lighting options feel a tad limited preset-wise. You can program all 22 light zones manually but when you factor in just how much it factors into the look and feel, a suite of presets would have been nice. In the end though this is another solid mouse from Roccat, a visually over-the-top bit slice of RGB action paired with some impressive tech. Throw in an ergonomic design and a lot of customisation options and this will no doubt please fans of all things RGB.