I work in marketing 20 years now , I don’t remember not even 1 campaign that is 100% legit research that any product marketed. From my experience when the data is not shown it’s kinda fake, or incomplete .If they had made some research they would put it on .
Most companies don't show research for that exact reason which is why I thought it was so odd ZOWIE decided to do so. Hopefully we'll see the data (if it's real) one day!
everyone would have been happy if they had simply released the ''Zowie-S2'' in a wireless version. I think the aggressive hollow on the side of the mouse is a deal breaker for many
I have tried disassembling the U2, seems like there are a lot of unnecessary (warranty) clips into the shell. With the tensioning, I entirely agree with you that it is hard to get a 1:1 copy of how the clicks are tensioned initially, but you could get close to it. Aside from it, there are multiple areas of potential QC within the mouse such as PCB Warping around the switch w/c ruins the overall click experience and the LMB/RMB Top Shell screw has its own tensioning which is supported by two screws from its endoskeleton. Overall, overtightening the screws inside may significantly its overall click feeling.
@@mel0nFPS I hope they improve the future batches or iterations of this mouse, tons of potential w/c is somewhat comparable to the original GPW IMHO. For now, GPX 1 and 2 blows them out of the water with repairability. I mean, you could just get a hot swappable daughter PCB and slot in new switches quickly.
@markbangug469 also the GPX specs are better, has 4k polling & had a better shape imo. There’s definitely potential here with the U2 but it needs a lot more time in R&D, hopefully we’ll see some improvements soon.
you said thet the shape is the u2 biggest disadvantage but for me this is the best thing, it is very comfortable and i love this shape (i have small hands)
@@mel0nFPS I respectfully disagree. While I understand that opinions on mice can vary greatly, the way you express yourself suggests that the mouse doesn't work for larger hands. Personally, I have large hands (22x10 cm) find this mouse to be fantastic in hand (I use a clawgrip). I'm a huge huge fan of its shape and believe that Zowie did a wonderful job with it, as much as I loved the shape of the FK2 and liked the S2, they managed to make something that works even better for me! That being said, I like the way you conduct your reviews, as they are very detailed, keep going!
again, talking about how subjective shape is, to me this U2 is absolutely unique (I own more than 60 mice, you could name almost any recent model/brands and I most-likely used those) and this mouse is literally the best shape I ever got. As overall the product is flawless, this is my main and will be for a very long time!
It'll work for some people but I feel like people are better off just going with other options that have a better shape/specs. U2 feels kinda like an R&D mouse which is a shame.
First of all, thank you very much for the detailed video. I noticed the same problems. I am using DAV3 Pro and it was too big for my hand so I tried U2. The coating is very good, apart from keeping sweat and dust, and the thumb placement is wonderfully comfortable, and the palm literally locks, maybe I even felt a little pressure, but the placement of my ring and pinkie fingers was uncomfortable. I wonder what you can recommend instead, which is suitable for hand measurement? Hand size 18.5x10.5cm. I'm holding Claw.
Hey sorry for the late response! You have a pretty similar hand size to me so this will be pretty easy haha. Personally speaking I've been using a lot of larger mice, the WAIZOWL Cloud (ua-cam.com/video/tbZqShKYUEU/v-deo.html) is one I've been using as lot as it's essentially a 1:1 clone of the Steelseries Sensei Ten. Other notable mice I've enjoyed using would be the OP1 8K (ua-cam.com/video/_1hLqMEYwFI/v-deo.html) and the X2H (ua-cam.com/video/WA8ZSjK1ObQ/v-deo.html) but the X2H has the sticky click issue you'd need to patch yourself. Another idea would be to try out the SoSpacer ShapeShift grips (ua-cam.com/video/TfSgPfP3A04/v-deo.html). I covered them a few weeks ago and they're amazing for "fixing" shapes that aren't compatible with your hands. As part of my testing for that video I actually used them on the ZOWIE U2 for a while and it completely negated the strain issues I had on my ring/pinky finger! Hope that helps! If you have any other questions let me know!
@@mel0nFPS First of all, I would like to thank you for your detailed explanation and providing a lot of data to evaluate. I can say that I am now sick of watching videos and reading reddit to find the right mouse. Unfortunately, the first mouse and shape shifter you suggested are not available in my country. I live in Turkey. I keep a Pincer claw, so I heard of 2 mice that I can evaluate accordingly. One is Vaxee Outset AX 4K wireless and the other is Lamzu Thorn Fnatic 4K. I'll try it this Sunday and let you know my review. On the other hand, I will also try Egg shape. I will also try Vaxee NP-01 and NP-01S if I find them. What do you think about these?
@@yasinarslan208 Oh man I totally forgot about the AX! I used to main the old wired one for a while! Great mouse! The NP-01s is an odd one, I tried the wireless one but I just didn't like the shape for claw grip personally. With your slightly smaller hands you may be able to use it but the Outset AX shape is significantly better.
@@mel0nFPS your hand size I believe over 19cm longer than my 18.5cm long and wider than my 10.5cm hand size. Yes, AX wireless could ve my end game but 73 gr weight and no software just force me think little negative. But the Thorn lightweight so one of them could be good. Any symmetrical (ambi) mouse recommendation other than egg and pulsar?
I genuinely couldn't grip this mouse because i don't like the side buttons touching my thumb and there is no fomfortable way to hold this w/ 18x10.5 hands without touching them or hurting your thumb
Any product launch ever will have a bunch of marketing mumbo jumbo to establish an USP. Marketing departments gonna market that’s just how it is, even at Zowie. I would really like to try it out though as a long time zowie user.
Avoid it if all possible, if you change the tensioning from the factory there's no way to revert it to stock. Higher chance you'll make your main clicks feel worse.
Hey! Sadly ZOWIE wouldn't disclose what the encoder was and I wasn't able to identify the encoder. I've never seen an encoder like it before so I'm assuming it's a proprietary encoder made by ZOWIE but I have no way to confirm that.
Since your hands are slightly smaller than mine you will probably have a more comfortable claw-grip. That said though keep in mind the inward-tilt on the mouse causing strain issues with your pinky and ring fingers, you'll likely have the same issues since we have similar sizes.
@@zero-lv4rdI did just this, it was finally in stock on Amazon so ordered and it's due here in a few days. Always love trying stuff thru Amazon so can easily return if not a fit
My problem with this mouse, are the skates. So I purchased their speed skates, still don’t like them. I use a Hein, this mouse feels sooooo slow on it. I contacted Pulsar about making glass skates for it, they said there are currently no plans for them. So bye-bye mouse, such a shame because it feels so nice.
Yeah the skates are a big issue here on the U2. Have you tried using donut skates? I found the U2 felt pretty good with 9 obsidian donuts on it and it felt MUCH better. Maybe look into trying those?
i dont get this U2 design. it's a brick with old tech and it doesn't have a split shell design for the main buttons. i thought we already established that's the way to go... then you have this obelisk like monstrosity on your desk just for 1k hz polling. it's like they are solving problems that don't exist. sports scientific part also seems more like some mumbo jumbo. it's like they figured out something basic like agressive claw bent index clicks faster and thus they made an aggressive claw shaped mouse. what innovation?😂 the specked down sensor kinda falls in line with the obelisk and the clicks and the weight. it's mediocre at best. scroll wheel just the same. they could have added corepads in the box. that would have been a nice touch and statement. nah, put this black briquettes in there, we are zowie! they'll look long and hard and will find a reason to like it. (btw, i find big skates nice for soft pads, especially on the front) who is getting paid to test these mice? certainly not an aim trainer main. and the last question i have is who is still buying this zowie stuff. compared to an op1 8k, sora v2, pulsar x2, r1 pro, etc. pp, what does this thing actually offer that is beneficial to a gamer? zowie as a brand really feels like this slow and heavy dinosaur that is too big for its own good to turn around and do something meaningful.
You make a lot of good points! To be honest I'm kinda shocked the mouse released in this state, too many shortfalls that needed to be addressed. They're very obviously trying to make a GPX competitor but they inherited too many of the GPX's flaws and over-engineered the mouse to a fault. I like the idea of ZOWIE going for more dynamic focused mice, the U2 is a step in the right direction but the mouse needed WAY more R&D to make the mouse usable for more than one hand-size and grip style.
@@mel0nFPSI take it the mouse released with worse specs and or quality than the test versions they sent out? It seemed like everyone that got a test version of the mouse loved it
Units would be the same I believe there’s nothing that would have majorly changed from pre-release units that came out three months ago and the units now. I feel like the U2 and the GPX fall into the same box for me because I hate the GPX but everyone loves it, similar situation here too I guess.
@@mel0nFPS they could have just molded all the good parts of the existing shapes into a "new" shape, then roll that one out and wait for feedback. that would have been way safer than hiring some sports scientist which most likely never seen and/or felt the current shapes people like. i think it's way easier to design something like the u2 with all it's flaws, when you completely ignore what's out there and develop it in a vacuum. what was also quite obvious in their design language is that they don't want this mouse to be modded in any way. you mentioned the shit ton of screws and the "special" tightening methods needed. when you compare this to what endgame gear is doing with the op1 8k, even that type of mindset is just outdated and very undesirable for an enthusiast. i for one just wait until they do the hot swap thing to the op1we and then it's time for a new mouse. it feels like some of the big companies are quite out of touch with their customers. the viper v3 with a battery comes to mind. that was(at least for me) a significant improvement in shape, but not at the cost of the battery. at this point i am wondering who is still buying zowie and who zowie is getting their feedback from. i think the average CS2 pro is not the guy they want to listen to as they seem stuck in their ways, maybe also due to contracts and simply have no time to adjust to a new shape. i think this becomes kind of an unhealthy circle jerk when it comes to innovation. it's like saying you can't main glas for tac FPS, but then also fail to recognize that most of what you actually do is quick micro adjustments to your crosshair placement and that at least in theory would make glas quite viable. or stuff like "you can't hold an angle on glas". i think this indoctrination is not only false but also quite persistent, now you combine that with some pro that hardly has time to test a product and you get these half hearted results in development. as soon as you showed parts of the inside of the mouse(and i applaud you for potentially ruining your copy by doing this), i went from mildly interesting mouse to hell nah.
I agree completely! ZOWIE has been making tac/static optimized mice for so long a lot of those habits are still here on the U2. And it’s obvious that the R&D & testers for this mouse were likely the same ones who’ve tested their previous mice and as such the U2’s design suffered. I still think ZOWIE could make a good dynamic aim focused mouse but they need to rework how they develop and test their mice for that to happen.
I work in marketing 20 years now , I don’t remember not even 1 campaign that is 100% legit research that any product marketed. From my experience when the data is not shown it’s kinda fake, or incomplete .If they had made some research they would put it on .
Most companies don't show research for that exact reason which is why I thought it was so odd ZOWIE decided to do so. Hopefully we'll see the data (if it's real) one day!
Very thorough review, thanks
You're the only reviewer who brought up the cables on this mouse and the Sora v2 lol
All I have to say is the see through side buttons on the new vaxee mice I just love!!
Lets go mel0n! U2 gang assemble!!!!!
ZA13 gang
everyone would have been happy if they had simply released the ''Zowie-S2'' in a wireless version. I think the aggressive hollow on the side of the mouse is a deal breaker for many
i used my lamzu cable for the enhanced receiver worked fine
I have tried disassembling the U2, seems like there are a lot of unnecessary (warranty) clips into the shell. With the tensioning, I entirely agree with you that it is hard to get a 1:1 copy of how the clicks are tensioned initially, but you could get close to it.
Aside from it, there are multiple areas of potential QC within the mouse such as PCB Warping around the switch w/c ruins the overall click experience and the LMB/RMB Top Shell screw has its own tensioning which is supported by two screws from its endoskeleton. Overall, overtightening the screws inside may significantly its overall click feeling.
Very complex unit, shame too a lot of their warranty clips/screws are so unnecessary, especially on this unit.
@@mel0nFPS I hope they improve the future batches or iterations of this mouse, tons of potential w/c is somewhat comparable to the original GPW IMHO.
For now, GPX 1 and 2 blows them out of the water with repairability. I mean, you could just get a hot swappable daughter PCB and slot in new switches quickly.
@markbangug469 also the GPX specs are better, has 4k polling & had a better shape imo.
There’s definitely potential here with the U2 but it needs a lot more time in R&D, hopefully we’ll see some improvements soon.
you said thet the shape is the u2 biggest disadvantage but for me this is the best thing, it is very comfortable and i love this shape (i have small hands)
For small to small-med hands the U2 is good but got med to med-large the U2 falls short. I'm hoping Zowie makes a larger one in the future
@@mel0nFPS the probably will but for now L for ppl with bigger hands 😂
@@mel0nFPS I respectfully disagree. While I understand that opinions on mice can vary greatly, the way you express yourself suggests that the mouse doesn't work for larger hands. Personally, I have large hands (22x10 cm) find this mouse to be fantastic in hand (I use a clawgrip). I'm a huge huge fan of its shape and believe that Zowie did a wonderful job with it, as much as I loved the shape of the FK2 and liked the S2, they managed to make something that works even better for me!
That being said, I like the way you conduct your reviews, as they are very detailed, keep going!
again, talking about how subjective shape is, to me this U2 is absolutely unique (I own more than 60 mice, you could name almost any recent model/brands and I most-likely used those) and this mouse is literally the best shape I ever got. As overall the product is flawless, this is my main and will be for a very long time!
The shape is compare with which mouse please?
My best shape for me is mz1 xrtfy and i want zowie wireless mouse what i should choose
🙏 thanks
you have pretty good mechanics!
From what I seen this mouse hit hard in a good way
It'll work for some people but I feel like people are better off just going with other options that have a better shape/specs. U2 feels kinda like an R&D mouse which is a shame.
First of all, thank you very much for the detailed video. I noticed the same problems. I am using DAV3 Pro and it was too big for my hand so I tried U2. The coating is very good, apart from keeping sweat and dust, and the thumb placement is wonderfully comfortable, and the palm literally locks, maybe I even felt a little pressure, but the placement of my ring and pinkie fingers was uncomfortable. I wonder what you can recommend instead, which is suitable for hand measurement? Hand size 18.5x10.5cm. I'm holding Claw.
Hey sorry for the late response!
You have a pretty similar hand size to me so this will be pretty easy haha. Personally speaking I've been using a lot of larger mice, the WAIZOWL Cloud (ua-cam.com/video/tbZqShKYUEU/v-deo.html) is one I've been using as lot as it's essentially a 1:1 clone of the Steelseries Sensei Ten. Other notable mice I've enjoyed using would be the OP1 8K (ua-cam.com/video/_1hLqMEYwFI/v-deo.html) and the X2H (ua-cam.com/video/WA8ZSjK1ObQ/v-deo.html) but the X2H has the sticky click issue you'd need to patch yourself.
Another idea would be to try out the SoSpacer ShapeShift grips (ua-cam.com/video/TfSgPfP3A04/v-deo.html). I covered them a few weeks ago and they're amazing for "fixing" shapes that aren't compatible with your hands. As part of my testing for that video I actually used them on the ZOWIE U2 for a while and it completely negated the strain issues I had on my ring/pinky finger!
Hope that helps! If you have any other questions let me know!
@@mel0nFPS First of all, I would like to thank you for your detailed explanation and providing a lot of data to evaluate. I can say that I am now sick of watching videos and reading reddit to find the right mouse. Unfortunately, the first mouse and shape shifter you suggested are not available in my country. I live in Turkey. I keep a Pincer claw, so I heard of 2 mice that I can evaluate accordingly. One is Vaxee Outset AX 4K wireless and the other is Lamzu Thorn Fnatic 4K. I'll try it this Sunday and let you know my review. On the other hand, I will also try Egg shape. I will also try Vaxee NP-01 and NP-01S if I find them. What do you think about these?
@@yasinarslan208 Oh man I totally forgot about the AX! I used to main the old wired one for a while! Great mouse!
The NP-01s is an odd one, I tried the wireless one but I just didn't like the shape for claw grip personally. With your slightly smaller hands you may be able to use it but the Outset AX shape is significantly better.
@@mel0nFPS your hand size I believe over 19cm longer than my 18.5cm long and wider than my 10.5cm hand size. Yes, AX wireless could ve my end game but 73 gr weight and no software just force me think little negative. But the Thorn lightweight so one of them could be good. Any symmetrical (ambi) mouse recommendation other than egg and pulsar?
@@yasinarslan208 Nothing else comes to mind off the top of my head, thorn would be worth looking into tho!
I genuinely couldn't grip this mouse because i don't like the side buttons touching my thumb and there is no fomfortable way to hold this w/ 18x10.5 hands without touching them or hurting your thumb
Any product launch ever will have a bunch of marketing mumbo jumbo to establish an USP. Marketing departments gonna market that’s just how it is, even at Zowie.
I would really like to try it out though as a long time zowie user.
i find the U2's clicks too stiff for me, and you're saying NOT to loosen them? :(
Avoid it if all possible, if you change the tensioning from the factory there's no way to revert it to stock. Higher chance you'll make your main clicks feel worse.
@@mel0nFPS ok, thank you! awesome video by the way!
The end game gear mice also allow tensioning via screws
optical encoder on wheel or not?
Hey! Sadly ZOWIE wouldn't disclose what the encoder was and I wasn't able to identify the encoder. I've never seen an encoder like it before so I'm assuming it's a proprietary encoder made by ZOWIE but I have no way to confirm that.
@@mel0nFPSokay, thanks for answer
Is this mouse good for fingertip, cuz i use zowie s1 and i really like it and was thinking to try u2
You can use fingertip but the asymm shape does make it a little odd, plus the weight isn't great for fingertip grip.
@@mel0nFPS for fingertip mouse should have more weight ? cuz mine S1 is like 90g i think and its abit heavy
hii Bro , plz Give us the HyperX pulsefire haste 2 wired teardown vid PLZ we have to see what switches and sensor hyperx coocked in there lol
Will be recording that later this week!
@@mel0nFPS thx bruhh 🙏
you think i could get away with claw or relaxed claw with 17.8x8cm hands?
Since your hands are slightly smaller than mine you will probably have a more comfortable claw-grip. That said though keep in mind the inward-tilt on the mouse causing strain issues with your pinky and ring fingers, you'll likely have the same issues since we have similar sizes.
@@mel0nFPS think I’ll wait till it’s more available through Amazon to just try the shape out and deal with an easy return, thank you for the input!
@@zero-lv4rd No problem at all!
@@zero-lv4rdI did just this, it was finally in stock on Amazon so ordered and it's due here in a few days. Always love trying stuff thru Amazon so can easily return if not a fit
My problem with this mouse, are the skates. So I purchased their speed skates, still don’t like them. I use a Hein, this mouse feels sooooo slow on it. I contacted Pulsar about making glass skates for it, they said there are currently no plans for them. So bye-bye mouse, such a shame because it feels so nice.
Yeah the skates are a big issue here on the U2. Have you tried using donut skates? I found the U2 felt pretty good with 9 obsidian donuts on it and it felt MUCH better. Maybe look into trying those?
i just wanna say that ur mic is a bit too quiet dude
cat owner hands..
3 of em' 😭
@@mel0nFPSdamn, three hands is weird but kinda useful.
Did you say 68 grams?
If I did by accident I meant 58 grams!
hey harry
Lol is there any question they're willing to be fully transparent on? Always with this weirdo secrecy..
i dont get this U2 design. it's a brick with old tech and it doesn't have a split shell design for the main buttons. i thought we already established that's the way to go...
then you have this obelisk like monstrosity on your desk just for 1k hz polling. it's like they are solving problems that don't exist.
sports scientific part also seems more like some mumbo jumbo. it's like they figured out something basic like agressive claw bent index clicks faster and thus they made an aggressive claw shaped mouse. what innovation?😂
the specked down sensor kinda falls in line with the obelisk and the clicks and the weight. it's mediocre at best. scroll wheel just the same. they could have added corepads in the box. that would have been a nice touch and statement. nah, put this black briquettes in there, we are zowie! they'll look long and hard and will find a reason to like it. (btw, i find big skates nice for soft pads, especially on the front)
who is getting paid to test these mice? certainly not an aim trainer main.
and the last question i have is who is still buying this zowie stuff. compared to an op1 8k, sora v2, pulsar x2, r1 pro, etc. pp, what does this thing actually offer that is beneficial to a gamer?
zowie as a brand really feels like this slow and heavy dinosaur that is too big for its own good to turn around and do something meaningful.
You make a lot of good points! To be honest I'm kinda shocked the mouse released in this state, too many shortfalls that needed to be addressed. They're very obviously trying to make a GPX competitor but they inherited too many of the GPX's flaws and over-engineered the mouse to a fault.
I like the idea of ZOWIE going for more dynamic focused mice, the U2 is a step in the right direction but the mouse needed WAY more R&D to make the mouse usable for more than one hand-size and grip style.
@@mel0nFPSI take it the mouse released with worse specs and or quality than the test versions they sent out? It seemed like everyone that got a test version of the mouse loved it
Units would be the same I believe there’s nothing that would have majorly changed from pre-release units that came out three months ago and the units now.
I feel like the U2 and the GPX fall into the same box for me because I hate the GPX but everyone loves it, similar situation here too I guess.
@@mel0nFPS they could have just molded all the good parts of the existing shapes into a "new" shape, then roll that one out and wait for feedback. that would have been way safer than hiring some sports scientist which most likely never seen and/or felt the current shapes people like. i think it's way easier to design something like the u2 with all it's flaws, when you completely ignore what's out there and develop it in a vacuum.
what was also quite obvious in their design language is that they don't want this mouse to be modded in any way. you mentioned the shit ton of screws and the "special" tightening methods needed. when you compare this to what endgame gear is doing with the op1 8k, even that type of mindset is just outdated and very undesirable for an enthusiast. i for one just wait until they do the hot swap thing to the op1we and then it's time for a new mouse.
it feels like some of the big companies are quite out of touch with their customers. the viper v3 with a battery comes to mind. that was(at least for me) a significant improvement in shape, but not at the cost of the battery.
at this point i am wondering who is still buying zowie and who zowie is getting their feedback from. i think the average CS2 pro is not the guy they want to listen to as they seem stuck in their ways, maybe also due to contracts and simply have no time to adjust to a new shape. i think this becomes kind of an unhealthy circle jerk when it comes to innovation. it's like saying you can't main glas for tac FPS, but then also fail to recognize that most of what you actually do is quick micro adjustments to your crosshair placement and that at least in theory would make glas quite viable. or stuff like "you can't hold an angle on glas". i think this indoctrination is not only false but also quite persistent, now you combine that with some pro that hardly has time to test a product and you get these half hearted results in development.
as soon as you showed parts of the inside of the mouse(and i applaud you for potentially ruining your copy by doing this), i went from mildly interesting mouse to hell nah.
I agree completely! ZOWIE has been making tac/static optimized mice for so long a lot of those habits are still here on the U2. And it’s obvious that the R&D & testers for this mouse were likely the same ones who’ve tested their previous mice and as such the U2’s design suffered.
I still think ZOWIE could make a good dynamic aim focused mouse but they need to rework how they develop and test their mice for that to happen.
I just need a wireless s2, zowie please
Agreed! If they refreshed their older shapes with their new wireless tech that'd be amazing!