ROCCAT KONE[+] Max Customization Mouse

This mouse has met or exceeded my expectations in every way. I will be more detailed below, but for anyone just looking for a quick assessment, the Kone[+] is an incredible gaming mouse. The Easy-Shift feature is both unique and undeniably useful. I have a natural palm grip, and I am very happy with the size of the mouse. Fingertip players will probably agree; claw grip players will likely find this mouse too big. A friend who does professional photo editing and graphic design mentioned this would be a great mouse for him as well. The driver has six preset DPI settings up to 6000 DPI and supports macros. Compare Kone[+] Max to Kone XTD: Some of you may read this review to compare the Kone[+] Max to the Kone XTD. At the time of writing this review, I am in Kuwait on a military deployment. So I was unable to see either product in person before purchase. I read/watched several reviews of both the Kone[+] and the Kone XTD while researching my purchase. The most obvious difference I found is the size of the two mouses. The Kone XTD is a bit smaller, and probably a better choice for claw style gamers. Other than that, the mouses are physically the same. However, the Kone XTD has a more robust driver/software suite; mostly additional macro support. Unless you plan to use your mouse for MMO gaming or photo/graphics editing the additional features will likely go unused. Mouse size/weight and cable length: I have fairly large hands and use a palm/fingertip style grip. I prefer a large mouse. I have previously owned a Logitech MX1000 and a Razor DeathAdder. The Kone[+] is about the same size as the DeathAdder; though slightly taller. I would prefer the thumb buttons to be forward slightly, but that is a minor complaint. I doubt many users have fingers (or a thumb in this case) long enough to share in my opinion. Many gaming mouses now feature a weighting system. The Kone[+] allows for four 5g weights to be placed directly under your palm. I find the multiple weight variations to be somewhat of a gimmick. However, there is a noticeable difference when using all the weights versus none of them. I prefer using the weights and having a heavier mouse. The USB cable is very long. I game on a laptop rig, so most of my cable is wrapped and bound in a velcro strip. But gamers with a desktop rig should have more than enough length to reach their system and still have room to move comfortably. Button feedback and overall feel: Every button on the Kone[+] has a very crisp feel when I click them. I found the buttons on my DeathAdder to be sort of squishy; particularly the scroll wheel. The DeathAdder wheel feels soft when I move it. The Kone[+] has a more definitive feel. Not overly "clicky" or difficult to move, but definitive. The best description I can think of is to say it feels like moving over rounded notches. There is enough resistance on the wheel I can push down on the wheel to use it as a button without accidentally scrolling up or down. This has never been true of any other mouse I have used. So I have always avoided using the scroll button. The wheel tilt left and right has a crisp "click" feel like the other primary buttons. Some users may have trouble reaching the application button located in front of the scroll wheel, but it has not been an issue for me. The soft plastic finish is comfortable even in long gaming sessions. Also, I did not cover this under the size review because it has more to do with using the mouse; which is more related to button placement in my opinion. There is a slight ledge under the thumb buttons. My MX1000 had this feature and I missed is tremendously with the DeathAdder. This ledge keeps me from dragging my thumb across my mouse pad, and the tall profile keeps my ring and pinky fingers off the mouse pad as well. This is certainly a minor observation, but worth noting. Easy-Shift and driver features: As I said at the beginning of my review, the Easy-Shift feature is amazing. It is one of those things you see after the fact and think, "I can't believe no one thought of this before." Either thumb button can be assigned as the "+" button. Pressing + and another button allows you to use the same button for two actions (once you have configured the additional button in the driver software). It is incredibly intuitive and far more useful than having 12 thumb buttons. It is much faster to press +Left Click than to search my 12 thumb buttons for the specific one I need. There is a lot of customization available in the driver software. Setting multiple button configurations for multiple games is brilliant. There are too many options to list them all, but one example is that the X and Y movement sensitivity can be set individually. Plus, you can have up to six custom DPI presets; though you can choose to have fewer by simply unchecking a box in the unused DPI options. The ability to create macros will be useful for MMO gamers. NOTE: You will need to download the driver. No software is included in the package. Oooh pretty....: This is a high end mouse, so you get some extras. As I said in the driver review there are quite a lot of customization options. The most obvious “pretty” feature is the LED lights. They serve little functional purpose. They do look cool and you can customize each light's color individually, as well as set different patterns. The other notable “oooh pretty” is the voice feedback. Mostly a gimmick to be sure. I really don't need a raspy voice to tell me I have increased the volume. But it does have one important use; DPI information. When you scroll through your DPI presets the voice feedback doesn't just tell you if your DPI has increased or decreased. You are actually informed what you have changed your DPI to. I don't have to worry about losing track of what DPI I am at, or have changed to. This is nice when have settled into a sniper perch and can't remember if I changed DPI after that last Run'n'Gun map. Applications outside of gaming: Lets be honest, 6000 DPI is basically useless for gaming. But it would be very useful for detailed photo editing. The ability to assign macros is also useful with applications such as Photoshop. Gaming aside, this is an excellent professional grade mouse. Anyone who works with software such as Photoshop, GIMP, or Fireworks may want to take a good look at this mouse. Particularly if you happen to be a gamer too. Summary: Great design. Awesome features. No major flaws. Unless you are determined to get a wireless mouse, I doubt you will find a better option. Certainly not for the price.