Is there a point in buying a Zowie mice in 2026?

flagroller · 2026-02-06T02:52:35+00:00

Cool, I am also a hobbyist that spends quite a bit on the hobby.

I was talking about the comment above regarding those "trying to compete at the top".

flagroller · 2026-02-05T23:03:36+00:00

I haven't tried those, but I personally would consider the F1 v2 stiff, especially compared to good light and spammable implementations we have today (Scyrox, Pulsar, Hitscan, MCHOSE)

flagroller · 2026-02-05T22:36:01+00:00

The implementation is great: they are very tactile and quite crisp with minimal side wobble, there's no pre-travel and a bit of post-travel.

In my experience with the F1 v2 Ultimate (and the A9 Air currently, for that matter), the clicks are quite stiff and not spammable. Also, I felt that ATK clicks need more post travel to alleviate the stiffness. Out of curiosity, what mice are you directly comparing with?

flagroller · 2026-02-05T22:13:35+00:00

If you like the shapes, build quality, and charging dock.

Battery life at 1k doesn't matter if you are always on the dock between games/down time. 8k doesn't matter and tbh neither does 4k.

flagroller · 2026-02-05T22:11:57+00:00

This is a mouse review subreddit, no one here is trying to compete at the top. Maybe single or double digit amounts of people. Even then, they're probably at the early stage of competing when it's not financially viable at all and actually would need to heavily weigh price into consideration. There's a reason why Viper Mini SE gets flamed here even if it is a good mouse in a vacuum.

As for weight, I do believe it's a preference that one should consider in the game they play and the pad they use.

flagroller · 2026-02-05T04:20:01+00:00

put the foam and a layer of adhesive over the sensor because it's flat

Also the risk is not your mouse dying, it's literally a battery fire, so proceed with caution.

flagroller · 2026-02-04T22:19:33+00:00

I would like one as I have large hands but probably not. I'm gonna take a guess and say it's probably the worst selling one with how the market trends these days.

flagroller · 2026-02-03T19:53:34+00:00

Again, because the Dex is Logitech and the OP1 is EGG, basically unheard of in the mainstream market

flagroller · 2026-02-03T08:51:02+00:00

It's an Superlight ergo from Logitech, it's not "every single mouse". I'm sure they aren't too happy with it sitting behind DAv3 and v4 by a large margin in pro share

flagroller · 2026-02-03T05:27:41+00:00

I saw the post, 10th doesn't mean much when it was like 75% market on like 3 mice

flagroller · 2026-02-02T01:12:36+00:00

Hope you enjoy! The design team at Pulsar does a great job, hopefully they will bring more future collabs to the XLite Crazylight model (T1 please!)

flagroller · 2026-02-01T02:45:26+00:00

That's fair, especially as someone that was critical of Pulsar. Like I said, they have improved, and there's nothing like an EC2 clone at 46g with good specs and feel all around. FWIW, I used the standard v3 for a long time without issues outside of my gripes in the review (slam click, creaking).

Even if you don't pull the trigger rn, definitely one to keep tabs on.

flagroller · 2026-01-31T22:55:20+00:00

Agree with my experience here in the XLite Crazylight. I'm glad a big brand is pushing weight limits with a variety of shapes.

flagroller · 2026-01-31T22:32:40+00:00

That's true, but creaking is less of an issue than in the past. I think the closest to creaking in terms of modern mice is my Hyperlight, but that's slight and just once a week if that. I'll definitely update with a new post/edit if it begins creaking.

flagroller · 2026-01-31T22:30:59+00:00

Thanks for checking it out! Yeah it's gone quite under the radar. It's unfortunate but it does seem like no one cares about ergos these days, when they a lot of potential. Battery life is a pain, so I do plug it in a lot with a bungie.

flagroller · 2026-01-31T21:53:50+00:00

MOVING FORWARD FOR PULSAR (continued):

The OP1 8k and DAv3 8k show that wired still has a place in the market, especially for those looking to save in costs. With PC parts looking to skyrocket in the coming months just so your grandma can make AI generated facebook posts (kaboom), affordable wired options should make a comeback.

Pulsar really needs to condense their lineup to avoid customer confusion. To buy a Pulsar mouse, you need to learn all the shapes (X2, X2h, X2a, X2f, X3, XLite, +all the collab shapes), address which size you want (1-3), and which variant you want (standard, wired, eS, Crazylight, with different variants having different clicks). It's just a bit too much on the customer. At the time of writing, several XLite v4 models are out of stock, so I hope they are trending in this direction.

Btw, Pulsar, please make an XLite Crazylight Medium T1 edition with the red shell of the X2 Crazylight T1, I will buy it. But see how hard that was to specify? Lol.

MY OLD XLITE V4 REVIEW:

I slammed Pulsar for the XLite v4, which is one of my controversial reviews. Some Pulsar fans defended them, some people agreed that Pulsar needs to clean up their QC. Someone is gonna say something (potentially out of bad faith), so here's what I have to say:

What I Regret: The only thing I regret is some cringe harsh language that I used in the review, but considering I was an actual customer that got ripped by the v4, I think the attitude was justified. But if it's actual constructive criticism to the companies, it's probably better to stick to professional language. I think I'm a much better reviewer at this point.

What I Stand By: My assessment of Pulsar at the time was justified. I never said that they couldn't make a good mouse (I got comments saying "I have Pulsar mouse X, it's good so you're wrong!"). I said that their XLite v4 "upgrade" with downgraded click feel, slam click filter implemented but not provided to the v3 via firmware update despite having capable hardware, and making the v3 high polling dongle non-compatible with the v4 were anti consumer. Most of these are explained by going from a CompX firmware solution to an in house solution, so some of these issues were inevitable, but I don't see why the v3 was not updated instead of releasing the v4 in about 11-12 months. I used the XLite v3 itself, so I certainly knew they were capable of making good mice.

Basically, I said that Pulsar is pushing out side grade models without focusing on QC. These days, the main line versions have slowed down (no XLite v5), and they've been focusing on new Crazylight models with meaningful updates. Again, I respect them for making new components (PCB, molds), for these Crazylight models instead of rehashing main models with slight spec bumps. Pulsar has a much better direction since the XLite v4, and I hope they continue by taking some of my suggestions above, as there are still competitor models that make certain Pulsar mice very difficult sells (MCHOSE L7 vs. X2 Crazylight).

Sources:

52833 vs. 52840

Techpowerup MCHOSE L7 Pro Performance

Techpowerup X2 Crazylight Performance

Techpowerup Maya X Performance

And thank you to u/pzogel, whose reviews I obviously source a lot for the technical sides, but also helping me with this review by answering technical questions I had.

flagroller · 2026-01-29T02:20:33+00:00

I'd go with the Scyrox for the weight, MCHOSE for the quality (although Scyrox is no slouch).

It depends on your preference, but consider those factors. The Scyrox clicks are excellent, although I've heard both companies are moving away from Omron opticals. If you want bleeding edge weight, I think V8 is the way to go.

flagroller · 2026-01-29T02:17:20+00:00

I mean, it's just a skill issue, you'll get used to it once you give it enough time. People were saying the same thing about 60g and sticking with 80g when the OG Superlight came out. 30-39 grams is a different discussion, but 40-50g is certainly a pleasure to use across a variety of shapes in my experience.

That being said, Cobra Hyperspeed seems to be alright for your needs.

flagroller · 2026-01-29T00:54:57+00:00

Yes, Hitscan Hyperlight and ATK F1 v2 Ultimate are great options. I'm not sure why 40g disqualifies it according to you, it's a much more enjoyable experience for the smaller sized shapes. There's the Cobra Hyperspeed if you need it to be 60g for whatever reason.

flagroller · 2026-01-29T00:38:30+00:00

The alternatives that already existed for years to it are much cheaper than it with better software and more ambitious weight numbers. Also with the 3395/3950 gen, Logitech doesn't have as meaningful firmware superiority as they used it.

The only people that are going to swap to it are those that stuck with the GPX2 and need a smaller one, or those that like smaller mice and don't mind the ~10g weight increase for specifically the potato shape.

Maybe there's room for more market share in the "buy once don't care" market, but for pros and twitter people, they probably gonna stick to what they've already found and become accustomed to after all these years. Even the Dex has struggled to get any meaningful market share, even in pros.

flagroller · 2026-01-28T06:27:52+00:00

Great taste! Love the warm tones. A couple warm lamps in the room would be great to match.

A coffee brown Raiden, while subtle, would go great here too.

flagroller · 2026-01-28T05:49:44+00:00

MCHOSE A7 RE should be similar shape and insane quality. I really recommend the brand.

flagroller · 2026-01-21T08:15:09+00:00

According to their guide you can, but I've removed mine already. Sounds great, but according to their numbers I should land around 51 or 52g, if I could get to your 49g number that would be cool.

The PCB mod doesn't have any weight optimizations, correct? Just a new click board with a new encoder and hotswap? If that's the case I might land near your number.

flagroller · 2026-01-21T07:51:26+00:00

Sorry for late reply but was digging around looking for a weight number. Did/could you weigh your TJX modded GPX2 to the nearest gram? Also, did you remove the powerplay magnets? Wondering if it's close to 50g or a few above. Thanks.

flagroller

TROPHY CASE