If two new mechanical keyboards weren’t sufficient for you, esports giants Fnatic have additionally launched a brand new pair of mice to go along with them, the primary of which I’ve received right here: the Flick 2. As its identify implies, that is the second era of Fnatic’s Flick mouse, now with a more recent, grippier grip, a extra refined symmetrical form and a greater, extra correct sensor.
It’s much more costly than the unique Flick, costing $60 (UK pricing to be confirmed) versus £35 / $35, however on the entire I’d say it’s a a lot classier trying little bit of equipment. Weighing a cushty 97g, the graceful plastic chassis sits very snugly beneath my palm, and its rubbery, perforated aspect grips deliver a welcome sense of texture to its largely plain black design.
The three skinny strips of white LEDs above the 2 aspect buttons are additionally fairly a classy and chic manner of indicating which of the Flick 2’s three profiles you presently have lively, and I additionally just like the cheeky flash of Fnatic’s trademark shade of orange that circles around the mouse’s underside and decrease edge.
Admittedly, I may in all probability do with out the RGB-ified scroll wheel and Fnatic emblem on the internal left aspect, however you’ll be able to all the time flip them off utilizing Fnatic’s OP software program when you want. Out of the field, these RGB lights are set-up to flash all colors of the rainbow, however you can even select from any variety of static color choices colors or get them to fade or pulse with as many various shades as you want.
Now, Fnatic describe the Flick 2 as a mouse ‘for everyone’. By comparability, the opposite mouse Fnatic are launching alongside it, the Clutch 2 (which I’ll be reviewing very shortly), could be very clearly outlined as being right-handed. Sadly, it might seem ‘everyone’ nonetheless largely means ‘not lefties’, because the format of the Flick 2’s further pair of aspect buttons remains to be very a lot biased towards right-handed gamers, showing on the internal left-hand aspect of the mouse and nowhere else. This will little question come as a disappointment for any lefties interested by shopping for this mouse, as making an attempt to faucet the aspect buttons together with your little finger doesn’t really feel practically as pure or straightforward as merely lifting up your thumb.
Still, the excellent news is which you can additionally use OP to reassign the features of all six buttons, together with the precise and left click on when you really feel so inclined. By default, the 2 aspect buttons are set to go Forwards and Backwards when browsing the online, whereas the small one beneath the scroll wheel is your DPI profile button. However, potential various features embody activating keyboard macros (albeit solely ones you’ve recorded utilizing Fnatic’s personal Streak keyboards), launching particular functions and opening recordsdata or hyperlinks, and you’ll even switch any of your present button features to a different one by deciding on the remapping device.
You’ll nearly actually need to change the Flick 2’s DPI presets as properly once you get it out of the field, as you solely get somewhat gradual choices of 400 DPI, 800 DPI or 1000 DPI to begin off with. Personally, I want a DPI setting of round 1600 for every day mouse work and shopping the web, however you’ll be able to flip it up all the best way to 12000 DPI if you want (or have bionic eyes that may truly preserve monitor of such a bonkers quick cursor).
You can do that on the mouse itself when you’re feeling significantly masochistic (holding down the aspect and DPI buttons for 5 seconds after which utilizing the mouse wheel to scroll up and down in 100 DPI increments with no manner of telling what you’ve truly chosen after which having all that immediately overwritten at any time when I take advantage of OP to change profiles isn’t precisely my thought of a enjoyable use of my time), however you’ll save your self loads of grief by doing it by means of OP. Sort of.
Sort of, as a result of OP’s UI doesn’t precisely do an important job at explaining what you’ll be able to truly do with it. For along with altering the final DPI setting for every profile, you can even have separate DPI settings for horizontal and vertical mouse actions. All it’s essential to do is simply click on the unlock button between the X CPI and Y CPI packing containers – not that it truly tells you that, or provides you any indication that that’s what it means.
I wouldn’t suggest this type of setup for normal desktop work, in fact, however in need of having one thing just like the Asus ROG Gladius II‘s little on-the-fly DPI thumb button, this is by far one of the most intricate bits of speed customisation I’ve seen in fairly a while, so it’s a disgrace Fnatic doesn’t make this a bit clearer. It would take some getting used to, in fact, however I can see it being helpful when you’re taking part in video games and nonetheless need to have the ability to go searching left to proper tremendous quick, however have immediately extra exact management when inching your mouse up and right down to line up that excellent headshot, or have to zip backwards and forwards over a MOBA map however take a gentler method scanning its varied lanes.
Thankfully, the Flick 2’s polling fee choices (ranging between 125Hz and 1000Hz) and lift-off distance changes are way more apparent, with the previous being how usually your mouse communicates together with your PC and the latter being the variety of millimetres the Flick 2’s Pixart 3360 sensor can nonetheless detect your mouse mat once you transfer it off the bottom, which on this case is as much as 3mm.
Some, in fact, will little question be upset that the Flick 2’s 1.8m USB cable is built-in somewhat than removable, however a minimum of you get a two-year guarantee as a substitute of 1 right here so that you’ve received just a little bit of additional leeway if one thing occurs to go mistaken or your cats suppose its rubbery floor would make a tasty snack.
All in all, the Fnatic Flick 2 could not truly be for ‘every gamer’ on the market, however there’s actually loads to suggest. Its OP software program may in all probability do with a bit of labor, however its DPI settings provide much more flexibility and customisation than different equally priced mice on the market, and its low-key design is loads much less embarrassing than a lot of its esports/gamer-orientated rivals. Personally, I’d somewhat pay a bit additional (£70 in the UK and $95 in the US) for the Asus Gladius II’s little thumb button if I used to be going all out on DPI controls, however for these whose budgets don’t fairly stretch that far, the Flick 2 is a sound selection.
