"We got so obsessed with light mice" Yeah after watching many gaming mice reviews on UA-cam you'd think competitive FPS is the only game genre in the world
Yeah, I still fall for the video titles as well. "Best Gaming Mouse EVAR11!!!! - This changes everything!" - and turns out to be yet another five button mouse that has shaved 2g off its competitors. Yeah, nah. I don't care for that at all.
Imo superlight mouse benefits only the veterans of fps games. People who play fps to a high level usually have such fine control of their hand muscles that they actually benefit a lot from super light mice out there. I dont believe the same applies to everyone. If any of you guys play badminton, you will know that choosing the right racquet suitable for your own skills is very important. The stiff racquets you see the pros use usually have a bad effect on your game and increase risks of injuries if your body and your own skills cannot handle it. I think the same kinda applies to gaming mice.
@@HardwareCanucks Thank you for covering the Gameball, by the way. I am super interested in getting it. You briefly touched on the capacitive scrolling portions - Is there any sort of 'palm rejection' built in to them? When I use my trackball mouse, the side of my finger is often times resting in the area where the scroll portion is, so I am worried about it randomly deciding to switch my weapons or something like that.
The MX Ergo is definitely for ppl with carpal tunnel Dimitry. The thumb effort is non-related, with time you'll get use to using your thumb, the main idea is to prevent the compression of your nerves due to the unnatural position of regular mice, the MX Ergo does that wonderfully.
Also for space efficiency. I use it when im on a laptop with a couch on an armrest or on an airplane/train or something. The hand angle isnt perfect and the mouse just saves me
And it's also for people who feel problems coming... when you start feeling your wrist, switch to the trackball for the remainder of the time. If you are a heavy use at work, switch every two hours, or 1.5 on one and 2.5 on the other.
This. The carpal tunnel is in the wrist, nothing to do with the thumb. Thumb fatigue is something else, and while it’s possible to get RSI issues due to thumb movement (as with any joint) it’s not carpal tunnel. I’ve been gaming with a thumb trackball for a couple of years now and can’t say it’s any more fatiguing than using a regular gaming controller, which is obviously hugely thumb oriented.
Yup, I do a lot of repetitive arm and wrist movement at work and the MX ergo is my go-to mouse because it is a completely different motion than my work tasks
if you don’t have carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or RSI, you have NO idea what you’re talking about. are use the MX ergo plus the angled stand, so my hand is almost vertical. The minute I try to lay it flat or God forbid use a mouse, the pain is unbearable. Especially radial motion when using a standard mouse on a flat desk. so, ya, Trackballs ARE for gaming
I love the Logitech Ergo lineup. I wish that would give those a little more love in the way of a features update. Would love to see a USB-C port on the MX Ergo, or the ability to connect to 3 devices (currently, only two) like the MX Master.
I'm curious as to why the Swiftpoint Z wasn't included, since I think it's "lift and physically rotate/roll/pitch" feature is quite crazy, and it's pressure-sensitive buttons, as well as button placement, are still unlike any other mouse that I know of. It's been my daily driver since the Kickstarter that launched it as a product and I absolutely love it's features and use them wherever possible in games and software in general.
I remember a very long time ago I saw a forum post that detailed how to use shattered marbles as mouse feet. Tempered glass doesn't seem that far off from that.
@@HardwareCanucks I've also done some raids in wow with it. It is less accurate, but not terribly so. My main gripe is that as you say, it has high lift off sensor. So I tried to keep it close, but my pinky then drags across the mat.
For anyone considering trackballs: Do not pay attention to videos of people who are not trackball users when they say it is not precise or whatever. Trackballing takes time to learn, not a few hours, maybe a month to be comfortable and then take it from there. It is the same as mice, except you already know mice for years, which creates an expectation. So yeah, give them a go. You can be as precise or more with them. It is normal to fail at first and misclick or mistrack without wanting to at first. Same happens to some people with vertical mice btw. It is all about practice and then you can decide.
when i was a sweaty kid playing d2 12 hours a day during summer, i had a nyko airflo mouse and i always thought that should be brought back...it would almost make your hand too cool after a while
Spatha user here. I picked mine up in February and I have been enjoying it. I really appreciate the wider body and grip it allows as any claw grips tend to tire out my hand fairly quickly.
Actually there are already some, if you like thumb trackballs. On the finger trackball side there are only one or to alternatives, that feature a up to date button count. I anticipated the release of the Gaming Trackball for over a year and I'm so happy I now got one.
I also purchased the Gameball Trackball Mouse. 'And encountered the same problems, using the awkward side mouse buttons and in the end. 'I used it as a thumb trackball instead by placing a standard optical mouse slightly, raised on the right side of the Gameball and, it performed Perfectly in CSGO or any other FPS Shooter. I even completed a run-through of the Danger Scavenger without missing a shot. 'Also found if you set it to its highest CPI and switch on fine Tracking, with lower mouse sensitivity on Windows, it is more manageable for aiming while still being fast.
Lol, that fan mouse seems like it would come in handy for those extended summer gaming sessions. Although I have a feeling that the tiny fan will fail well before the mouse does.
The Microsoft Arc Mouse is actually quite usefull if you are a road warrior and don't have a whole lot of space to store your mouse. The function is more than enough for normal office use and still responsive enough compared with other normal bluetooth devices. I wasn't a fan of it at first since it came in a bundle with my Surface Pen, but I came to appreciate it as a proper mouse once I got use to it. It's one of those "you'll hate it at first sight but will love it later" kind of mouse, and it's overall design makes a lot more sense if you have to rely on a 13"~14" laptop or tablet as a mobile office and really don't want a mouse shape bulge sticking out of your storage bag.
So, giving this video a thumbs-down mainly for the misinformation on your coverage of the GameBall. A) CPI and DPI are very different on a trackball than a mouse. If you use 800 DPI on a mouse, an equivalent control sensitivity for a trackball would be around 1000 DPI. B) Mouse Acceleration exists because of trackballs, and should absolutely be used with one. This allows far more accurate control at small movements, while maintaining the reactive speed of flicks for FPS titles. Lastly, the middle button on the opposite side of the trackball is a precision button if tapped, and cycles through your DPI modes if held (indicated by the number of flashes on the logo. Check your manual for the DPI modes). I don't believe that you explored all the features, like adjusting the DPI of the GameBall, as it supports up to 3000 DPI. This, tied with good proper usage of mouse acceleration is going to be as accurate, or more, than a regular mouse (our fingers are more accurate for small movements than our wrist/elbow muscles). I highly recommend at giving both RawAccel and CustomCurve a look, as these are mouse acceleration programs that allow you to fine tune your own acceleration amount at specific stages to really dial in your personalized precision. Though, even something simple as enabling the "Enhanced pointer precision" in Windows is going to give you a better experience on a trackball (and why it needs to be disabled when using a regular mouse). The GameBall is my current daily driver, and I've been gaming on fingertip trackballs since the late 90's. If you're interested, I would be more than happy to help you set up a proper profile on the GameBall, and maybe change your perspective on the usage of traditional fingertip trackball mice. Give the Election Deft Pro a good look too.
He should have been a bit more careful with prematurely judging this mouse, since the first people using it now already love it so much and the love is only more deep because of anticipating the release for over a year (and if it wouldn't have met the high expectations of this tiny community the disappointment would have been immeasurable). 😁 I got comfortable with this mouse immediately, although being my first fingertip trackball ( I chose it, because my thumb can't handle a trackball).
What I'd really like to see is a Joystick/Flight stick type vertical mouse where moving the stick moves the pointer and two triggers act as the left and right clicks. I know there are "vertical" mice already out there, but I'm talking about something attached to a base. The entire movement of the stick would be equivalent to the position of the pointer on the screen (as you normally would with a mouse on a flat surface + sensitivity settings) but unlike flight sticks, the end of the stick you hold stays in place like a normal mouse would and not return to a neutral standing position when released. Imagine holding a car's gear clutch. Inside the bulb you hold in your hand is an optical sensor that runs a tracking beam across the stick down to the base. When you move the bulb, the end of the beam will also be pointing towards a different position on the surface of the base. If you mirror this "movement" it would be equivalent to the actual position you moved the bulb to/moved the mouse cursor to. This device would be ideal for ergonomics and actually promoting arm movement rather than just your wrist like a mouse would. It would also simulate the feeling of actually pointing at something (like with FPS games). As for things like the wheel and extra mouse buttons, like most flight sticks nowadays, it could probably incorporate a lot of buttons on the surface and sides of the bulb, and would be great imo as a Razer Naga Pro user myself.
Those types of controllers exist, but they're limited to industrial settings. if you don't mind spring-return (or just remove the centering spring) you can use TARGET to tell a Thrustmaster stick to do this. It's something a handful of people have done.
It was really nice to see someone trying out a vertical mouse for once! I use a vertical gaming mouse in my setup and I haven't gone back :) It's the Zelotes C-18 (but has other brandings) and I've been using it now for almost 2 years now continuously. I was looking for a solution to some right hand wrist discomfort while using my computer especially when gaming and I have not been disappointed. Although mine is wired, there are wireless versions of it available which I have yet to try. I've gotten really good at using it for pretty much any application and cannot see myself going back to the traditional "palm down" mice. Thank you for that!!
seen a video of someone trying to make a hybrid controller / trackball it has one problem the controller part is obviously seen as controller inputs and the track ball is seen as mouse input and some games don't like dual inputs its either controller or M&K.
I've been sampling a ton of vertical mice for both gaming and work applications. I find that if you don't have a smooth mouse surface, you get a ton of pinky and palm drag. I'd be interested to see things like the Zelotes C-18, C10, F-35, and the Delux M618 (I've tried all of these and still have them). They also all have different applications like the C18 and C10 are gaming mice, and the others are more productivity.
Kensington Expert Mouse all the way. You can line up a shot and not have it wiggle while you press the button. Turning as much as you want without having ro pick up your mouse, the list goes on and on.
I loved playing games on the Expert when I had one. Flicking the big ball was so precise. I could whip the camera around on a dime, in ways totally impossible on a mouse. I just didn't like the arrangement of the 4 buttons for my work software. I wish they'd divide the bottom-left button into 2 buttons. That way I could hit 2 buttons with my thumb without having to reposition my hand. I ultimately switched to the Elecom Huge, which works like a dream. ;)
I have a Logitech trackball which is about 14 years old but still going strong. ( now if I only still had a laptop to connect it to lol) trackballs are great as I was stuck for space but it wasn’t that great for gaming
@@四as they're amazing for me for carpal. Great for working. Way less stress. Rocking an MX ergo atm. I use it with my thumb and index finger on the ball, middle finger on left click and wheel, ring finger on the right click. But as usual with ergonomics, your mileage might vary.
I wish there were more vertical mouse products out there. It's a super comfortable design. There's just not many good options out there for them. Make me a GOOD gaming vertical mouse someone, and then take my money! :)
I remember getting the vertical mouse back in college and man was it super comfortable. I actually used to for CSGO when I started PC gaming and it actually wasn't too bad.
I’ve used quite a few trackball throughout my life. I still prefer trackball over mouse. That said, I use both Kensington and Elecom products and find them very good for FPS games
I've been using a cheap vertical mouse for the tomb raider reboots and some mobas and it isn't rly that bad once you get used to it. Plus, it feels much comfier too.
Love my Logitech Ergo Mouse. The precision button and ability to bounce between two computers is super handy for me. I too, get thumb fatigue on this thing. The Kensington Expert Mouse is pretty fantastic as well... Just imagine a Golden Tee arcade game... but on your computer! You can whip the pointer across the screen or over to your second monitor. Super handy.
Tempered glass feet is a bit interesting. I've had mice with ceramic feet and those had very low friction, almost no stickiness when doing minimal movements and showed absolutely no sign of wear after years of use. I have never understood why not more mice used those.
Would love to see an MMO mouse showdown, especially the 12 button grid mice as I can never go back to one without it There aren't many options around but Razer, Corsair, Logitech, and even some lesser known competitors like Redragon, Havit and Utechsmart are getting in on it too, plus those with non-standard grid arrangements like the ROG you showed, Rosewill's 9 button grid and the Mad Catz MMO Te I've personally tried several Razer Naga's ranging back to the very first model, the Corsair Scimitar and now Utechsmart's Venus Pro wireless which has become my favourite.. as the shape and weight just happen to match my hand quite well and the software is refreshingly simple and effective - along with imperceptible wireless latency and incredibly long battery life (I charge maybe once a fortnight and even then it's still far from dead) The perfect option for me is not far off from the Venus Pro, I love the software and the chonk factor, but would prefer better build quality and more tactile side buttons as the stock ones are rather mushy against the more costly competition..
Unfortunately, the Mad Catz MMO TE didn't survive the crisis the company went through. And the new owners have shown zero interest in reviving it. Roccat still have their Tyon, which when you count the inputs is quite high and has them nice spread out rather than in a grid. Unfortunately, Roccat have also shown little love to it.
I have the last mouse at work (under a different brand), bought it because I expend all my shift at a computer. Mine is under a different brand and uses built-in batteries that recharge. I have used it for about 2 years now & 0 issues. It has three Bluetooth profiles (including the USB connector) and it has made a difference. You don't get tired as you do with a normal mouse and, while it takes some days getting used to you'll be OK. 100% recommend for office work
Glass mouse mats have the same effect as the mouse with tempered glass feet btw, with less of the sliding going on. Plus both the feet and a mat should last forever compared to regular deskmats or PTFE feet.
Good to see that they present a mouse that is not for FPS I am tired of all the ultra light mini mice for FPS, there are strategy / rpg / adventure games too
using the MX 575 with a corsair k63 Lapboard. Main reason is the fact a normal mouse will slide off if you sit in a comfortable position, but with a trackball that's not the case. Now i can finally play ark/RTS games from the comfort of my couch
Every trackball design fails because they put the buttons to push sideways. Which moves the entire mouse. It's not heavy enough to remain still. So you have to grab it with you pinky. Just make a tabletop game pad and install the trackball. The other problem I have with mice is they make them for child hands so my hands cramp in a short amount of time. I do have abnormally huge muscular hands. I can't be the only one. Even the biggest mice are too small.
The MX Ergo is heaven sent for the exact reasons that you stated! Having a right arm filled with steel plates and screws from wrist to elbow results in agony when I use a standard mouse either from strain on the bolted wrist or tennis elbow from transferring the movement to that joint. The minimal real estate required in the absence of device movement also makes it handy for use on my Kickr desk whist riding on Zwift, or rested on my chest while lounging in my chair 😁
All of the Gameball buttons are completely remappable, not sure why Demetri hung his hat on that. This device is a passion-project and a home-brewed gem.
The thumb thing is totally a valid comment on the Ergo, but not because of carpel tunnel. I have used the logitech marble trackballs for years now, and ya, at the beginning I felt it. It is because you are using muscles in new and novel ways. After a while, it passes and you no longer have that problem. You are just training muscles you have never used like that or in that amount before. After many years, I have never regretted my choice and I upgrade with each new model.
I have the Ergo for years and years... bought another for my mother due to complaints about shoulder and arm, but she did not get used to it. So now I have two (in here, post covid, it became REALLY expensive). One for work and one for home; curiously, both desktops have the same G502 (one Proteus and one Hero) and as secundary nonetheless...
5:56 Potentially cooling your wrist too sounds like a bad idea to me. 2:43 Since you can change the button-layout in the OS this isn't a real problem. Personally the Gameball trackball mouse felt comfortable to me from the first minute on, and I think some gamers using finger trackballs similar to this one might want to argue, that one can get more precise flicking action with this than moving a mouse over half the table. But in the end it's all personal preference: For me the thumb-trackball mice are a horror. Because of limited desk space I had to use one from time to time in a lab where I worked and I never got comfortable because my thumb felt too stiff and low on dexterity. (So happy the Gameball Trackball got finally into production! 😍Somewhat disappointed with your lousy review of this particular mouse though)
The Air Mouse missed an opportunity to add a gyro into it! I’m a sucker for controllers with gyro and the trigger style of the device seems like such a great opp for that type of experience.
Still waiting for someone to make a larger symmetrical mouse with a tilt wheel and 3 thumb buttons under 80g. Think light weight g502 in a zowie s2 shell. I have to think they'd sell boat loads of them.
The Surface Arc Mouse isn't "fashion tech" at all. It's just an insanely portable mouse for being on-the-go. I can slide it into a neoprene cover for my tablet/laptop and not have a large bulge on it. I was kinda surprised to see the mouse here at all, tbh.
I absolutely love the Gameball! The tracking on the Gameball is excellent. If your not use to trackballs I wouldn't recommend it unless you need it for carpal tunnel. It took me awhile to get hang of it. I was used to using a Logitech Egro (thumb ball).
A wise man waits his time and doesn't jump the gun on a Cooler Master mouse that hasn't been released yet... I'll be looking forward for the greatest review made by the greatest CM fan 💜
I prefer the elecom Huge for trackball gaming. However, I modded a right hand azeron adding a kensington expert and a logitech g600 keypad as my main pointing device.
I love my MX Ergo! Been using thumb trackball mice for over 20 years now. "Normal" mice feel weird to me not to mention the workout they give you. You fps peeps look silly when your moving your arm furiously. LOL
It's nice to see a mice review that isn't all about the lightweight mice. I guess we are in the minority, but I like my mice to be loaded with buttons and other input devices. My current one even has an analogue controller.
I use the Logitech m570 wireless trackball mouse. These things are the most comfortable mice you will ever use. I just wish the build quality on the left and right click buttons were up to snuff. they wear out in a year or two.
Upping the manufacturability of the tempered glass mouse wouldn't be all that difficult. I know yields are low, but the thickness variation is a non-issue. The solution? Purposely design the molding that holds the glass to be extra shallow, then fix the height with shims under the glass, this would take away literally all of the thickness variation issues, which would boost manufacturability. It doesn't make the manufacturing process any faster, and you'd need to stock a variety of shim thicknesses, but the inventory boost and being able to use more of the glass that would otherwise not work in the old design should significantly offset these newer manufacturing hurdles. For finger-based trackballs, I'd be curious to see how a smaller ball works. Minimize it to where only one finger uses it, which would also minimize the footprint of the mouse itself, making buttons easier to manage and reach. I've also been curious about replacing the trackball with a track pad, possibly even using the hardware and software that Valve used in the Steam Controller pads; same with the thumb-based designs, I want to see if these pads with the proper software improves them at all.
I never understood why modern gaming mice boast about light weight. A mouse that isn't heavy enough just doesn't feel good, especially for gaming, to me. Heck, when optical mice were starting to be introduced, some of them came with a set of weights so you could get the right feel. Best feeling mouse I've ever used is and has remained the Logitech Mouseman +, a large, heavy, corded, righthanded, ball mouse with a bit janky scrollwheel (which scrolled in the wrong direction if you tried to scroll too fast. But not too many programs or games supported scroll wheel support at the time, heck, most didn't even support middle click!).
I use my Logi Ergo M575 for everything and have had it and their earlier models for, oh... 20 years now? I used to get about 3 or 4 years without any clicking issues but now that I'm gaming with it I think it's going to be more like 2 years (the right button is starting to double click). Course, I am very used to the trackball so that helps with use (no thumb weirdness if you keep using it). Might "upgrade" to the MX Ergo when I finally cave and get a new one.
I have the GameBall. I hate mice - having to constantly pick them up and move them to keep them centered. The GameBall is the only trackball I could find that has a high polling rate and more than three buttons. With the latest firmware, you can swap those two buttons. You can also swap the two on the opposite side.
Im guessing teflon feet on tempered glass is not the best while smoothed tempered glass on fabric problably feels like silk. Now we just need a mouse with tempered glass feet, ultralight magnesium or carbon bodywork, replaceable switches, built in cooling fan and optional trackball addon. The bad thing is that it would problably cost 300-500 for all that tech.
I gotta find one of those tempered glass mice. I hate playing with a mouse, no matter which one Ive tried, it always makes the screen twitch around making 200fps look like 50. I just use controllers, which i got so used to from years of Xbox and just getting back into PC gaming after 15 years. RDR2 is a pain trying to remember and reach around to all the keys on a keyboard.
if you liked the cheap vertical mouse then you need to check out the logitech mx vertical, it's basically the same idea but better done and higher quality
I used to use those ergonomic track ball mice by Logitech for Gaming back in the day. Also High DPI is a must for me Now. And a Light mouse on an ultra slick mouse pad ain't fun. So I installed weights in many of my Mice
Large trackballs are King. I used to Dominate top players in Quake/FPS games back when Microsoft had the good trackballs. The accuracy is second to none. Your fingers are far more accurate than your hand sliding across a table.
For ergonomics, you should be moving your whole arm and not just your wrist like you were with the Anker. Low sense gaming is typically much more ergonomic.
"We got so obsessed with light mice"
Yeah after watching many gaming mice reviews on UA-cam you'd think competitive FPS is the only game genre in the world
So true, I always find myself clicking too hard that the light mice moves down just enough to ruin my work. Hefty boys wins
I'm an OG gamer. I mostly play RPGs.
Yeah, I still fall for the video titles as well.
"Best Gaming Mouse EVAR11!!!! - This changes everything!" - and turns out to be yet another five button mouse that has shaved 2g off its competitors. Yeah, nah. I don't care for that at all.
Imo superlight mouse benefits only the veterans of fps games. People who play fps to a high level usually have such fine control of their hand muscles that they actually benefit a lot from super light mice out there. I dont believe the same applies to everyone.
If any of you guys play badminton, you will know that choosing the right racquet suitable for your own skills is very important. The stiff racquets you see the pros use usually have a bad effect on your game and increase risks of injuries if your body and your own skills cannot handle it. I think the same kinda applies to gaming mice.
So true! I have a super light mouse and a Logitech MX 3 beefy boy, and honestly both have their uses. It’s never one mouse to rule them all
his "worse" gameplay using the trackball is still better than my best at using a mouse lol
lol -- really? gotta practice a bit more :p
-D.
That’s depressing
@@HardwareCanucks Thank you for covering the Gameball, by the way. I am super interested in getting it.
You briefly touched on the capacitive scrolling portions - Is there any sort of 'palm rejection' built in to them? When I use my trackball mouse, the side of my finger is often times resting in the area where the scroll portion is, so I am worried about it randomly deciding to switch my weapons or something like that.
Maybe stick to moba games then hahaha
The MX Ergo is definitely for ppl with carpal tunnel Dimitry. The thumb effort is non-related, with time you'll get use to using your thumb, the main idea is to prevent the compression of your nerves due to the unnatural position of regular mice, the MX Ergo does that wonderfully.
Also for space efficiency. I use it when im on a laptop with a couch on an armrest or on an airplane/train or something. The hand angle isnt perfect and the mouse just saves me
And it's also for people who feel problems coming... when you start feeling your wrist, switch to the trackball for the remainder of the time. If you are a heavy use at work, switch every two hours, or 1.5 on one and 2.5 on the other.
This. The carpal tunnel is in the wrist, nothing to do with the thumb. Thumb fatigue is something else, and while it’s possible to get RSI issues due to thumb movement (as with any joint) it’s not carpal tunnel.
I’ve been gaming with a thumb trackball for a couple of years now and can’t say it’s any more fatiguing than using a regular gaming controller, which is obviously hugely thumb oriented.
Yup, I do a lot of repetitive arm and wrist movement at work and the MX ergo is my go-to mouse because it is a completely different motion than my work tasks
if you don’t have carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or RSI, you have NO idea what you’re talking about. are use the MX ergo plus the angled stand, so my hand is almost vertical. The minute I try to lay it flat or God forbid use a mouse, the pain is unbearable. Especially radial motion when using a standard mouse on a flat desk. so, ya, Trackballs ARE for gaming
I love the Logitech Ergo lineup. I wish that would give those a little more love in the way of a features update. Would love to see a USB-C port on the MX Ergo, or the ability to connect to 3 devices (currently, only two) like the MX Master.
Totally agree!
*Thank* *you* for covering the trackballs, not many people do. I love the MX Ergo+ but took me over 30 days to "get good" using it in games.
I'm curious as to why the Swiftpoint Z wasn't included, since I think it's "lift and physically rotate/roll/pitch" feature is quite crazy, and it's pressure-sensitive buttons, as well as button placement, are still unlike any other mouse that I know of. It's been my daily driver since the Kickstarter that launched it as a product and I absolutely love it's features and use them wherever possible in games and software in general.
Same. I think the grips were too slippy, but some gritty grip tape worked perfectly.
I remember a very long time ago I saw a forum post that detailed how to use shattered marbles as mouse feet. Tempered glass doesn't seem that far off from that.
Rotating between mouse styles can extend you wrist/finger life and prevent Carole tunnel syndrome if cycled frequently enough.
14:16 "you're not gonna be gaming with this thing" I literally did my first ace in R6 with that vertical mouse hahahaha
Ha well - you're good!
-D.
@@HardwareCanucks I've also done some raids in wow with it. It is less accurate, but not terribly so. My main gripe is that as you say, it has high lift off sensor. So I tried to keep it close, but my pinky then drags across the mat.
so much Warthunder with it on my end (the wired one, though)
For anyone considering trackballs: Do not pay attention to videos of people who are not trackball users when they say it is not precise or whatever. Trackballing takes time to learn, not a few hours, maybe a month to be comfortable and then take it from there. It is the same as mice, except you already know mice for years, which creates an expectation.
So yeah, give them a go. You can be as precise or more with them. It is normal to fail at first and misclick or mistrack without wanting to at first. Same happens to some people with vertical mice btw. It is all about practice and then you can decide.
when i was a sweaty kid playing d2 12 hours a day during summer, i had a nyko airflo mouse and i always thought that should be brought back...it would almost make your hand too cool after a while
Spatha user here. I picked mine up in February and I have been enjoying it. I really appreciate the wider body and grip it allows as any claw grips tend to tire out my hand fairly quickly.
"The Gaming Trackball"
FINALLY a company that has created a high end trackball!
Not only that, but you can middle-click+drag! (Looking at you, CST)
Actually there are already some, if you like thumb trackballs. On the finger trackball side there are only one or to alternatives, that feature a up to date button count. I anticipated the release of the Gaming Trackball for over a year and I'm so happy I now got one.
Vertical mouse feeling is like holding coffee mug and moving it around on table, child inside me ....SOLD!! 😊👍
I still keep using GX Gaming Gila with full additional weight. I'm not fan on those lightweight as they feel "cheep and fragile" :)
Yess the Superglide! Also, nice Aimlab skills!
Thanks! 😁
I also purchased the Gameball Trackball Mouse. 'And encountered the same problems, using the awkward side mouse buttons and in the end. 'I used it as a thumb trackball instead by placing a standard optical mouse slightly, raised on the right side of the Gameball and, it performed Perfectly in CSGO or any other FPS Shooter. I even completed a run-through of the Danger Scavenger without missing a shot.
'Also found if you set it to its highest CPI and switch on fine Tracking, with lower mouse sensitivity on Windows, it is more manageable for aiming while still being fast.
The handheld mouse is a cool concept. Might grab one when I chill in bed and don’t wanna use my wireless mouse to browse.
Lol, that fan mouse seems like it would come in handy for those extended summer gaming sessions. Although I have a feeling that the tiny fan will fail well before the mouse does.
That mouse with the fan is an interesting concept
The Microsoft Arc Mouse is actually quite usefull if you are a road warrior and don't have a whole lot of space to store your mouse. The function is more than enough for normal office use and still responsive enough compared with other normal bluetooth devices.
I wasn't a fan of it at first since it came in a bundle with my Surface Pen, but I came to appreciate it as a proper mouse once I got use to it.
It's one of those "you'll hate it at first sight but will love it later" kind of mouse, and it's overall design makes a lot more sense if you have to rely on a 13"~14" laptop or tablet as a mobile office and really don't want a mouse shape bulge sticking out of your storage bag.
even at 720p this video is crisps
Honorable mention, Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball...Used by mixing and recording engineers for many many years.
So, giving this video a thumbs-down mainly for the misinformation on your coverage of the GameBall. A) CPI and DPI are very different on a trackball than a mouse. If you use 800 DPI on a mouse, an equivalent control sensitivity for a trackball would be around 1000 DPI. B) Mouse Acceleration exists because of trackballs, and should absolutely be used with one. This allows far more accurate control at small movements, while maintaining the reactive speed of flicks for FPS titles. Lastly, the middle button on the opposite side of the trackball is a precision button if tapped, and cycles through your DPI modes if held (indicated by the number of flashes on the logo. Check your manual for the DPI modes).
I don't believe that you explored all the features, like adjusting the DPI of the GameBall, as it supports up to 3000 DPI. This, tied with good proper usage of mouse acceleration is going to be as accurate, or more, than a regular mouse (our fingers are more accurate for small movements than our wrist/elbow muscles). I highly recommend at giving both RawAccel and CustomCurve a look, as these are mouse acceleration programs that allow you to fine tune your own acceleration amount at specific stages to really dial in your personalized precision. Though, even something simple as enabling the "Enhanced pointer precision" in Windows is going to give you a better experience on a trackball (and why it needs to be disabled when using a regular mouse).
The GameBall is my current daily driver, and I've been gaming on fingertip trackballs since the late 90's. If you're interested, I would be more than happy to help you set up a proper profile on the GameBall, and maybe change your perspective on the usage of traditional fingertip trackball mice. Give the Election Deft Pro a good look too.
I currently use the Elecom dpt1. If you game on it as much as I do, you really have to replace the bearings on it with metal ones
@@anthonyp7873 metal, or ceramic zirconium oxide, definitely. The default synthetic rubies are horrendous.
He should have been a bit more careful with prematurely judging this mouse, since the first people using it now already love it so much and the love is only more deep because of anticipating the release for over a year (and if it wouldn't have met the high expectations of this tiny community the disappointment would have been immeasurable). 😁
I got comfortable with this mouse immediately, although being my first fingertip trackball ( I chose it, because my thumb can't handle a trackball).
What I'd really like to see is a Joystick/Flight stick type vertical mouse where moving the stick moves the pointer and two triggers act as the left and right clicks. I know there are "vertical" mice already out there, but I'm talking about something attached to a base. The entire movement of the stick would be equivalent to the position of the pointer on the screen (as you normally would with a mouse on a flat surface + sensitivity settings) but unlike flight sticks, the end of the stick you hold stays in place like a normal mouse would and not return to a neutral standing position when released.
Imagine holding a car's gear clutch. Inside the bulb you hold in your hand is an optical sensor that runs a tracking beam across the stick down to the base. When you move the bulb, the end of the beam will also be pointing towards a different position on the surface of the base. If you mirror this "movement" it would be equivalent to the actual position you moved the bulb to/moved the mouse cursor to. This device would be ideal for ergonomics and actually promoting arm movement rather than just your wrist like a mouse would. It would also simulate the feeling of actually pointing at something (like with FPS games). As for things like the wheel and extra mouse buttons, like most flight sticks nowadays, it could probably incorporate a lot of buttons on the surface and sides of the bulb, and would be great imo as a Razer Naga Pro user myself.
Those types of controllers exist, but they're limited to industrial settings. if you don't mind spring-return (or just remove the centering spring) you can use TARGET to tell a Thrustmaster stick to do this. It's something a handful of people have done.
I love random reviews like this keeps the channel fresh and fun. More please!!!!!!
Sure thing :) Glad you enjoyed it!
-D.
the arc is kinda uncomfy but the problem is most mice are a lot larger so they don't fit in bag easy
Great vid/overview.... As usual.
It was really nice to see someone trying out a vertical mouse for once! I use a vertical gaming mouse in my setup and I haven't gone back :) It's the Zelotes C-18 (but has other brandings) and I've been using it now for almost 2 years now continuously. I was looking for a solution to some right hand wrist discomfort while using my computer especially when gaming and I have not been disappointed. Although mine is wired, there are wireless versions of it available which I have yet to try. I've gotten really good at using it for pretty much any application and cannot see myself going back to the traditional "palm down" mice. Thank you for that!!
Nice - that's good to hear. We're exploring all the vertical options now... seems there are plenty of good ones.
-D.
This video was something new. For the 1st time 1 have watched your entire video. 🌟 Nice video 👍
that trackball can be implemented in controllers though. just a thought
Sounds great
Been wanting this for years.
seen a video of someone trying to make a hybrid controller / trackball it has one problem the controller part is obviously seen as controller inputs and the track ball is seen as mouse input and some games don't like dual inputs its either controller or M&K.
I've been sampling a ton of vertical mice for both gaming and work applications. I find that if you don't have a smooth mouse surface, you get a ton of pinky and palm drag. I'd be interested to see things like the Zelotes C-18, C10, F-35, and the Delux M618 (I've tried all of these and still have them). They also all have different applications like the C18 and C10 are gaming mice, and the others are more productivity.
Kensington Expert Mouse all the way. You can line up a shot and not have it wiggle while you press the button. Turning as much as you want without having ro pick up your mouse, the list goes on and on.
I loved playing games on the Expert when I had one. Flicking the big ball was so precise. I could whip the camera around on a dime, in ways totally impossible on a mouse. I just didn't like the arrangement of the 4 buttons for my work software. I wish they'd divide the bottom-left button into 2 buttons. That way I could hit 2 buttons with my thumb without having to reposition my hand. I ultimately switched to the Elecom Huge, which works like a dream. ;)
I have a Logitech trackball which is about 14 years old but still going strong. ( now if I only still had a laptop to connect it to lol) trackballs are great as I was stuck for space but it wasn’t that great for gaming
Any good for carpal?
@@四as they're amazing for me for carpal. Great for working. Way less stress. Rocking an MX ergo atm. I use it with my thumb and index finger on the ball, middle finger on left click and wheel, ring finger on the right click. But as usual with ergonomics, your mileage might vary.
@@四as they can give you a cramp at the base of the thumb joint after a few hours or so. (At least it did to me)
The Contour Unimouse is my favorite because you can adjust the mouse to your desired angle and thumb position!
I wish there were more vertical mouse products out there. It's a super comfortable design. There's just not many good options out there for them. Make me a GOOD gaming vertical mouse someone, and then take my money! :)
I remember getting the vertical mouse back in college and man was it super comfortable. I actually used to for CSGO when I started PC gaming and it actually wasn't too bad.
I’ve used quite a few trackball throughout my life. I still prefer trackball over mouse. That said, I use both Kensington and Elecom products and find them very good for FPS games
I've been using a cheap vertical mouse for the tomb raider reboots and some mobas and it isn't rly that bad once you get used to it. Plus, it feels much comfier too.
Love my Logitech Ergo Mouse. The precision button and ability to bounce between two computers is super handy for me. I too, get thumb fatigue on this thing. The Kensington Expert Mouse is pretty fantastic as well... Just imagine a Golden Tee arcade game... but on your computer! You can whip the pointer across the screen or over to your second monitor. Super handy.
Tempered glass feet is a bit interesting. I've had mice with ceramic feet and those had very low friction, almost no stickiness when doing minimal movements and showed absolutely no sign of wear after years of use. I have never understood why not more mice used those.
The MX Ergo is amazing for the office worker. Saved my wrist
Really glad more people are talking about trackballs
you should also look at CST L-trac tracball mouse. they are now solder under x-keys tracball mouse
Would love to see an MMO mouse showdown, especially the 12 button grid mice as I can never go back to one without it
There aren't many options around but Razer, Corsair, Logitech, and even some lesser known competitors like Redragon, Havit and Utechsmart are getting in on it too, plus those with non-standard grid arrangements like the ROG you showed, Rosewill's 9 button grid and the Mad Catz MMO Te
I've personally tried several Razer Naga's ranging back to the very first model, the Corsair Scimitar and now Utechsmart's Venus Pro wireless which has become my favourite.. as the shape and weight just happen to match my hand quite well and the software is refreshingly simple and effective - along with imperceptible wireless latency and incredibly long battery life (I charge maybe once a fortnight and even then it's still far from dead)
The perfect option for me is not far off from the Venus Pro, I love the software and the chonk factor, but would prefer better build quality and more tactile side buttons as the stock ones are rather mushy against the more costly competition..
Unfortunately, the Mad Catz MMO TE didn't survive the crisis the company went through. And the new owners have shown zero interest in reviving it.
Roccat still have their Tyon, which when you count the inputs is quite high and has them nice spread out rather than in a grid. Unfortunately, Roccat have also shown little love to it.
I appreciate you being straight to the point
I have the last mouse at work (under a different brand), bought it because I expend all my shift at a computer. Mine is under a different brand and uses built-in batteries that recharge.
I have used it for about 2 years now & 0 issues. It has three Bluetooth profiles (including the USB connector) and it has made a difference. You don't get tired as you do with a normal mouse and, while it takes some days getting used to you'll be OK.
100% recommend for office work
Glass mouse mats have the same effect as the mouse with tempered glass feet btw, with less of the sliding going on. Plus both the feet and a mat should last forever compared to regular deskmats or PTFE feet.
The MX Ergo without the trackball would be perfect for me.
Good to see that they present a mouse that is not for FPS I am tired of all the ultra light mini mice for FPS, there are strategy / rpg / adventure games too
using the MX 575 with a corsair k63 Lapboard.
Main reason is the fact a normal mouse will slide off if you sit in a comfortable position, but with a trackball that's not the case.
Now i can finally play ark/RTS games from the comfort of my couch
Every trackball design fails because they put the buttons to push sideways. Which moves the entire mouse. It's not heavy enough to remain still. So you have to grab it with you pinky. Just make a tabletop game pad and install the trackball. The other problem I have with mice is they make them for child hands so my hands cramp in a short amount of time. I do have abnormally huge muscular hands. I can't be the only one. Even the biggest mice are too small.
MX Ergo is pretty heavy with the metal base. Even when applying more force than a normal click, the mouse stays put.
-D.
The MX Ergo is my favorite pointing device ever
The MX Ergo is heaven sent for the exact reasons that you stated!
Having a right arm filled with steel plates and screws from wrist to elbow results in agony when I use a standard mouse either from strain on the bolted wrist or tennis elbow from transferring the movement to that joint. The minimal real estate required in the absence of device movement also makes it handy for use on my Kickr desk whist riding on Zwift, or rested on my chest while lounging in my chair 😁
I like your "open-mindedness" when you did this video. I tried many different mice and I mostly share the same experiences as you
All of the Gameball buttons are completely remappable, not sure why Demetri hung his hat on that. This device is a passion-project and a home-brewed gem.
Imagine modding the fan mouse and putting a Noctua fan into it. Lmao
Haha that would be ... interesting!
-D.
That was literally my first thought.... leave me alone
I actually liked the mouse with the built-in fan and RGB lighting. Pretty cute.
The thumb thing is totally a valid comment on the Ergo, but not because of carpel tunnel. I have used the logitech marble trackballs for years now, and ya, at the beginning I felt it. It is because you are using muscles in new and novel ways. After a while, it passes and you no longer have that problem. You are just training muscles you have never used like that or in that amount before. After many years, I have never regretted my choice and I upgrade with each new model.
That mousepad is so cool!
I have the Ergo for years and years... bought another for my mother due to complaints about shoulder and arm, but she did not get used to it. So now I have two (in here, post covid, it became REALLY expensive). One for work and one for home; curiously, both desktops have the same G502 (one Proteus and one Hero) and as secundary nonetheless...
5:56 Potentially cooling your wrist too sounds like a bad idea to me.
2:43 Since you can change the button-layout in the OS this isn't a real problem. Personally the Gameball trackball mouse felt comfortable to me from the first minute on, and I think some gamers using finger trackballs similar to this one might want to argue, that one can get more precise flicking action with this than moving a mouse over half the table. But in the end it's all personal preference: For me the thumb-trackball mice are a horror. Because of limited desk space I had to use one from time to time in a lab where I worked and I never got comfortable because my thumb felt too stiff and low on dexterity. (So happy the Gameball Trackball got finally into production! 😍Somewhat disappointed with your lousy review of this particular mouse though)
The Air Mouse missed an opportunity to add a gyro into it! I’m a sucker for controllers with gyro and the trigger style of the device seems like such a great opp for that type of experience.
Trackballs or so underrated.
Pretty cool to see the different designs possible. Thumbs up!
Useless fun fact: The mouse ball was invented by a Canadian (from Newfoundland).
Go for hyperx pulserfire raid instead of Spatha, it has better less-obstructing thumbrest and is also waaay lighter and cheaper.
As a trackball gamer (me) I wish you would've compared it to the Logitech trackman instead. 😩
Love my asus spatha. Little heavy, but the amount of buttons and options for wired or wireless is a big plus for me.
Have you had any latency/input lag issues with yours (when using wireless)? I stopped using mine because of those.
Your reviews are so good to watch. Waiting for Acer SWIFT X review. I hope you will make that review soon.
Wow trackballs getting a lot of attention recently, I love to see it
Still waiting for someone to make a larger symmetrical mouse with a tilt wheel and 3 thumb buttons under 80g. Think light weight g502 in a zowie s2 shell. I have to think they'd sell boat loads of them.
Pretty much every teacher at my college has the Logitech Trackball mouse. I guess it's pretty decent but just not if you're gaming.
Damn.. the vertical mouse was really good. I always face pain with regular mice because of the lowest part of the palm takes all the weight
The Surface Arc Mouse isn't "fashion tech" at all.
It's just an insanely portable mouse for being on-the-go. I can slide it into a neoprene cover for my tablet/laptop and not have a large bulge on it.
I was kinda surprised to see the mouse here at all, tbh.
I absolutely love the Gameball! The tracking on the Gameball is excellent. If your not use to trackballs I wouldn't recommend it unless you need it for carpal tunnel. It took me awhile to get hang of it. I was used to using a Logitech Egro (thumb ball).
A wise man waits his time and doesn't jump the gun on a Cooler Master mouse that hasn't been released yet...
I'll be looking forward for the greatest review made by the greatest CM fan 💜
I prefer the elecom Huge for trackball gaming. However, I modded a right hand azeron adding a kensington expert and a logitech g600 keypad as my main pointing device.
Wow, do you have any pics of that setup? The Azeron is great (if cheap feeling).
Elecom has some of the most unique trackball designs.
Think Ill just stick to my trusty logitech m500. 8 years old and still going strong
I love my MX Ergo! Been using thumb trackball mice for over 20 years now. "Normal" mice feel weird to me not to mention the workout they give you. You fps peeps look silly when your moving your arm furiously. LOL
It's nice to see a mice review that isn't all about the lightweight mice.
I guess we are in the minority, but I like my mice to be loaded with buttons and other input devices. My current one even has an analogue controller.
analogue controller? now you've got me kind of curious. what's the make and model, pray tell?
I use the Logitech m570 wireless trackball mouse. These things are the most comfortable mice you will ever use. I just wish the build quality on the left and right click buttons were up to snuff. they wear out in a year or two.
Upping the manufacturability of the tempered glass mouse wouldn't be all that difficult. I know yields are low, but the thickness variation is a non-issue. The solution? Purposely design the molding that holds the glass to be extra shallow, then fix the height with shims under the glass, this would take away literally all of the thickness variation issues, which would boost manufacturability. It doesn't make the manufacturing process any faster, and you'd need to stock a variety of shim thicknesses, but the inventory boost and being able to use more of the glass that would otherwise not work in the old design should significantly offset these newer manufacturing hurdles.
For finger-based trackballs, I'd be curious to see how a smaller ball works. Minimize it to where only one finger uses it, which would also minimize the footprint of the mouse itself, making buttons easier to manage and reach. I've also been curious about replacing the trackball with a track pad, possibly even using the hardware and software that Valve used in the Steam Controller pads; same with the thumb-based designs, I want to see if these pads with the proper software improves them at all.
WHENS THE CORE P6 REVIEW???? Also, I saw a mouse that was like a pen, which sounds like it would allow more precision... might be worth a try!
could have been a drawing tablet like an Wacom Intuos. They're drawing pens first, but also act as mice.
I never understood why modern gaming mice boast about light weight. A mouse that isn't heavy enough just doesn't feel good, especially for gaming, to me. Heck, when optical mice were starting to be introduced, some of them came with a set of weights so you could get the right feel. Best feeling mouse I've ever used is and has remained the Logitech Mouseman +, a large, heavy, corded, righthanded, ball mouse with a bit janky scrollwheel (which scrolled in the wrong direction if you tried to scroll too fast. But not too many programs or games supported scroll wheel support at the time, heck, most didn't even support middle click!).
Very interesting overview thanks.
i'm still waiting for models to mod mouse with (resin)3d printed shells. i think that have much potential.
I use my Logi Ergo M575 for everything and have had it and their earlier models for, oh... 20 years now? I used to get about 3 or 4 years without any clicking issues but now that I'm gaming with it I think it's going to be more like 2 years (the right button is starting to double click). Course, I am very used to the trackball so that helps with use (no thumb weirdness if you keep using it). Might "upgrade" to the MX Ergo when I finally cave and get a new one.
I have the GameBall. I hate mice - having to constantly pick them up and move them to keep them centered. The GameBall is the only trackball I could find that has a high polling rate and more than three buttons. With the latest firmware, you can swap those two buttons. You can also swap the two on the opposite side.
For the tempered mouse feet thing, why not just use a plank of tempered glass for pad instead lol
Im guessing teflon feet on tempered glass is not the best while smoothed tempered glass on fabric problably feels like silk.
Now we just need a mouse with tempered glass feet, ultralight magnesium or carbon bodywork, replaceable switches, built in cooling fan and optional trackball addon. The bad thing is that it would problably cost 300-500 for all that tech.
That kinda exists in a coating, the Artisan Shidenkai pad out of Japan is great for that speed!
I gotta find one of those tempered glass mice. I hate playing with a mouse, no matter which one Ive tried, it always makes the screen twitch around making 200fps look like 50. I just use controllers, which i got so used to from years of Xbox and just getting back into PC gaming after 15 years. RDR2 is a pain trying to remember and reach around to all the keys on a keyboard.
Alright this is probably the best tech video review I've seen in a whole month. Good job man I might buy one of those productivity mouses.
if you liked the cheap vertical mouse then you need to check out the logitech mx vertical, it's basically the same idea but better done and higher quality
I used to use those ergonomic track ball mice by Logitech for Gaming back in the day.
Also High DPI is a must for me Now. And a Light mouse on an ultra slick mouse pad ain't fun. So I installed weights in many of my Mice
Large trackballs are King. I used to Dominate top players in Quake/FPS games back when Microsoft had the good trackballs. The accuracy is second to none. Your fingers are far more accurate than your hand sliding across a table.
Had to order the Xlite mouse because of you :D
For ergonomics, you should be moving your whole arm and not just your wrist like you were with the Anker. Low sense gaming is typically much more ergonomic.
I use a logi Mx vertical and keys. Love them beyond anything else.
Just ordered a Vertical Mouse based on this.
Would be nice to know of better built alternatives.
Been tempted for a logi roller but think I'll stick with my g900 for now. What game was being played at 10.20?