The mouse, probably the most important peripheral for a serious PC gamer and probably the least understood peripheral by non-PC gamers. If someone just uses their computer for web-browsing and puzzle games or simply to write and conduct social media, no doubt they are fine with a generic, no frills and wallet friendly mouse. I know people who spend $15 on a mouse and $5,000 on a purse… they have their priorities. You dangle that same $5,000 in front of a PC gamer and they start envisioning the grand systems they can build with it, and maybe get a console if there is enough money left over. One of the things that will have a high priority in this new dream system will be the mouse, one with a high quality sensor, multiple button functionality, adjustable lift control and a clean, sexy design. ROCCAT has understood this need for a long time and it is always a pleasure to test their products. Products such as the ROCCAT Kone Pure Military Edition, complete with military-inspired camouflage. Hoorah!
Kone Pure Military Edition Official Features:
- 5000DPI PRO-OPTIC (R4) SENSOR for precision gaming at its best
- ROCCAT CLICK MASTER switch tech powered by Omron
- ROCCAT™ EASY-SHIFT[+] button duplicator technology
- 32-BIT TURBO CORE V2 PROCESSOR for lightning-fast computing speed
- ADJUSTABLE DCU lift-off distance control
- 576KB ON-BOARD MEMORY stores a wealth of macros and settings
- 16.8 MILLION-COLOR LIGHTING with game profile illuminations
- 7 MOUSE BUTTONS programmable + solid 2D Titan Wheel
- HIGHEST-QUALITY BUILD for the longest gaming life
Hands On:
The ROCCAT Kone Pure Military Edition has the same ergonomic shape as the Kone Pure, but has been scaled down by about 9% for gamers who desired a sleeker design with the same functionality. The slightly smaller profile allows for hitting different button combinations much faster because they are slightly closer together. Thankfully, this does not take anything away from the mouse when it comes to comfort and form. I would imagine the new size would also help gamers with smaller hands. However, for those of you with large hands, take heart as I have huge hands with big fingers and it is still very comfortable to use and doesn’t feel like the reduced size has hurt anything. The smooth feel of the side rubber contrasting with the top plastic also aids in moving your fingers around to the different buttons without looking. Add to this the camo green, 16.8 million color lighting options on the logo and the braided cord and you have a mouse that looks and feels like it belongs to a serious gamer.
That being said, a mouse can look amazing and feel great but if it doesn’t do what the gamer needs it to do, it might as well be just another social media mouse. Thankfully, the ROCCAT Kone Pure Military Edition does everything it claims to. I could throw a bunch of tech terms at you, like 50-5000 DPI, 1000HZ polling rate, and up to 30G’s of acceleration – but, in case you aren’t into the science behind it all, just know that this gaming mouse reads movements and responds quickly and precisely.
Another cool feature of the mouse is that all seven of its buttons can be given a secondary program through a shift function as well as the Titan Wheel. So, if you have a standard battle rotation in your favorite MMORPG you can program it all to your mouse buttons then hit the shift button on the mouse and do even more. This is absolutely great for a rotation that is different between single and multiple enemies. From a shooter point of view you can program grenades and different weapons to the buttons so you don’t have to reach over on the keyboard to use them. Also, if you like to make adjustments to your load outs or HUD, you can build macros using the included software then assign them to the mouse. The software is really handy and user friendly, making for quick programming of buttons, mouse logo color, and the Distance Control Unit so you can decide how far off the mousepad it will detect movement. This lift-off distance can give you a real edge when it comes to quickly moving the mouse across its surface. There is even an achievement system built into the software that keeps track of how many times you click and scroll, how fast you do it and gives you trophies for major milestones while gaming.
The Sense Mousepad
I really debated giving the mousepad a separate review but the Sense mousepad they sent is a total match for the mouse they sent, both are “Camo Charge” green and really work together to enhance the mouse’s performance. Tested with multiple ROCCAT, Razer, Steelseries, Logitech and Microsoft mice, the Sense has a rubberized backing, a very large surface, and most importantly a micro-crystal surface for stellar sensor reading precision.
I’ve used mostly “gimme” mousepads over the years in every form from fabric to plastic to rubber, even a paper one. I’ve always felt the mouse surface mattered a lot less than the quality of the mouse. I had a brand name one which I received as a promotional item for a video game not for review purposes which was good for them because it frayed on the edges and its fabric image wore down fast. This made me think that perhaps professional mouspads were a bad investment.
The ROCCAT Sense has changed my mind on the subject because they have come up with a different surface which actually reads better. Optical mice detect the movement of the surface below them and then relates that movement to the system and the screen. If the surface below doesn’t have much to detect movement on it, can cause the mouse to “lose traction” or the cursor not cross the screen. So as long as the surface had texture (such a fabric weave or bumps) or contrast (such as a detailed picture) then the mouse pretty much would read the same. When they made the ROCCAT Sense, they took this into account and realized the way to make the movement reading more accurate was to give it a more accurate surface, in this case micro-crystals. So instead of reading a stitch of fabric or different parts of an image it is reading something smaller, microcrystalline coating which also is friction resistant. The result especially when teamed with the Kone Pure is precision which gives you a competitive edge. The mousepad was even designed with a low profile to help avoid the fraying concern which drove me so nuts with the other professional pad.
Last Call:
The ROCCAT Kone Pure Military Edition and the ROCCAT Sense Camo Charge Gaming Mousepad are not only sexy additions to your equipment arsenal, but they are game changers in the best way. Whether you are a MMORPG junkie or a FPS fanatic, this set of peripherals will make you look good resting on your desk and even better playing in your game.
[easyreview title=”ROCCAT Kone Pure Military Edition And Sense Mousepad Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]
