Roccat Kone Aimo gaming mouse assessment

When I began my first tech job, the mouse ready for me on my desk was completely monumental. Left there by its earlier proprietor, it was the Steelseries World of Warcraft Cataclysm Gaming Mouse – a completely beastly little bit of plastic that appeared prefer it had simply come out of a sizzling oven. It was wholly unsuited to common workplace work and made my hand really feel completely tiny. As with most issues, although, I ultimately acquired used to it.

Since then, I’ve moved on to smaller mice extra befitting of my spindly fingers, however once I began utilizing Roccat’s new Kone Aimo mouse, these early work recollections got here flooding again. Like the Cataclysm, that is one other large wired mouse, filling the entire of my palm and increasing far past the ideas of my fingers – though at the very least this time the Aimo’s easy, curved design seems to be and feels extra harking back to some sort of futuristic tremendous automotive than a chargrilled armour plate. Is it any higher to make use of?

It’s a little bit of a shock to the system, however it’s not wholly disagreeable. Designed for right-handed customers, your thumb sits snugly in a small, inside groove on high of one among its twelve buttons, and in contrast to Alec’s recent spate of mice reviews, no sharp edges to talk of. There’s no such nook to your little finger, sadly, however resting it on the facet towards my mouse mat was nonetheless completely snug.

Of course, a button proper by your thumb could set off alarm bells for a few of you, however that is really one of many Kone Aimo’s important options. Its title sounds just like the punctuation equal of go-faster gaming stripes, however Roccat’s so-called ‘Easy-Shift[+]’ button (pictured beneath) basically acts just like the Fn key in your keyboard, giving every mouse button a second, properly, operate.

By default, the scroll wheel doubles up as multimedia controls, letting you play/pause media by pushing it in, regulate the amount by scrolling and alter tracks by tilting it left and proper, however you possibly can assign all types of issues to them utilizing Roccat’s Swarm software program. This consists of internet browser controls, timers, hotkeys, the power to open sure apps, folders or paperwork, in addition to on-the-fly DPI changes to vary the mouse’s general sensitivity. Or – when you’re feeling significantly daring – system features like shutting down, restarting or placing your PC into sleep mode. Personally, I’d be too afraid of triggering an unintended shut all the way down to even consider enabling such a characteristic, however hey, when you like taking part in quick and free along with your save recordsdata, then the Kone Aimo could be very a lot at your service.

The Easy-Shift[+] characteristic additionally allows you to assign macros for a variety of video games and purposes, both by one among its 43 preset profiles for issues like Plunkbat, Battlefield 1, Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch, GTA V, Destiny 2, League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, CS:GO and Starcraft 2 to call only a few, or one you file your self. Hit the small + and – buttons just under the scroll wheel with Easy-Shift[+] enabled and you’ll change between 5 totally different profiles, too, providing you with most flexibility in your numerous button assignments.

The drawback is available in determining which profile you’ve really acquired enabled. There are basically three choices. You both have Swarm open the entire time, customise every one with some kind of apparent RGB lighting scheme, or you allow Roccat’s faintly ridiculous audio suggestions choice the place an over-enthusiastic man says “PROfile One” and so on each time you make the change. He’ll additionally learn aloud any DPI modifications you may make or inform you that the “volume[mah]’s UP” and so on (sure, actually) – no matter whether or not you’re in-game or simply in your desktop. But it simply sounded so ridiculous I needed to flip it off.

Instead, you’re most likely higher off going with an RGB choice – supplied you may as well bear in mind which one’s which. There are six lighting choices obtainable, together with your common heartbeat patterns and a mild approximation of respiration amongst others, however arguably probably the most fascinating one is Roccat’s personal Aimo Intelligent Lighting system.

It’s exhausting to explain the precise inside workings of Roccat’s Aimo tech when that is the primary peripheral to help it (extra, together with an Aimo-branded keyboard and headset, are on the way in which subsequent yr), however it’s meant to react to how you employ it, subtly altering color once you transfer it, click on the mouse buttons, regulate the amount and kind.

Roccat described it to me because the kind of peripheral equal of Philips’ Ambilight tech, the place LEDs are put in on the again of a show to assist mission the dominant colors onscreen past the body of your TV or monitor onto the wall behind it. The advertising line says it’s meant to make issues extra immersive, however I’ve all the time discovered it extremely distracting. I’m hoping, although, that Aimo will show to be simpler on the eyes within the long-run, as each color change it did make whereas I used to be utilizing it was pretty delicate and innocuous, slowly fading from one shade to the subsequent with out drawing consideration to itself. It was definitely much more nice than the opposite choices obtainable, such because the intermittent snake sample or barely garish colourwave, and I’ll have an interest to see what its learnings flip into as I proceed utilizing it.

Elsewhere, you’ve acquired loads of velocity choices and DPI changes, starting from a dead-slow 100 DPI – helpful for lining up sniping photographs in an FPS, for instance – all the way in which as much as a frankly ridiculous 12000 DPI. Personally, my eyes don’t appear able to preserving monitor of something past 1200 DPI, however it’s helpful to have the power to change this on the fly utilizing any button you please – with or with out comedy audio man.

There are additionally settings to regulate the polling price (how usually the mouse tells the PC what it’s doing), however I couldn’t see or really feel any discernible distinction between the default (and highest) 1000Hz choice and 500Hz (the subsequent rung down), so I left it on the latter.

All in all, the Roccat Kone Aimo might be a bit too large for me to hold on utilizing long-term – we’ll see the way it fares over Christmas – however there’s no denying the flexibleness it gives. Its Aimo lighting tech can also be fairly inoffensive so far as RGB mice go, and Roccat’s Swarm software program doesn’t make me need to strangle myself with its braided cable wire. At simply under £60 or a full $80 when you’re within the US, it’s moderately costly as gaming mice go, however when you worth this type of adaptability and don’t have tiny arms like I do, then the Kone Aimo is properly price a punt.