Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse
Average, not Elite
After years of being known for high-end gaming PCs and laptops, Alienware has now broken into the peripherals market with two mice and two keyboards (both of which are reviewed this issue). The Elite gaming mouse, as the name suggests, is a premium gaming mouse designed and priced to compete with the big boys already in the market, and from our extensive testing we can safely say that it’s… okay?
As far as features go, the Elite mouse ticks all the requisite boxes with an up to 12,000 DPI optical sensor, 1000Hz polling rate, on-the-fly DPI switching, programmable buttons, interchangeable side modules, an adjustable palm rest and weights, on board memory and the like, but despite all these features it’s just not a very good mouse. The reason for this may be hinted at in the official features list on the product page. The number one feature listed is not the sensor or the Omron switches, or polling rate, it’s “Iconic Alienware design with AlienFX 16.8M RGB Lighting”.
What may be a subconscious indicator that style took precedence over substance could explain why the mouse, no matter how configurable, never feels particularly comfortable. Both swappable left sides are the same size with the only difference being the number of thumb buttons – two or a rather cramped six. The swappable right sides are either smooth or feature a wide finger rest but neither feel particularly good. The mouse wheel feels loose, and the left and right buttons feel like they have quite a bit of give. The Elite performs like you would expect from something with the internal specs, so it’s fast and accurate, but the lack of comfort and high price tag make it hard to recommend. DANIEL WILKS