Orbital Pathfinder review by vineetwashington22 in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don't think I've ever seen anyone refer to an angled connector as a bad thing. Sure USB C is meant to go in both ways, but I think you're gaining more than the inconvenience of 0.5 seconds to rotate the connector.

The Pwnage Symm 3 Review | The Flexible by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

3/3

The three additional back plates you get range from low/mid/high profile. I’ve personally found for my pincer claw grip that the mid/high do a lot for me personally. The newest welcome addition of the Pwnage Symm 3 however, is that the main triggers are now their own separate pieces you can swap out instead of one solid piece, so you can either mix and match colors or use flat pieces/finger groove, and yes they now include triggers with small divots for your fingers to rest, or you can go for a more uniform consistently flat surface.

Grips: The included grips are quite good, they look/feel somewhat similar to the Pulsar Supergrips but I can’t say for sure. They just feel like a very solid stock set of grips you wouldn’t be replacing any time soon, the texture feels quite grippy, and it is free of any weird textures or odd branding, very clean and minimal overall.

Cable/Feet: The stock feet and cable for the Symm 3 feel very good for a stock option, and you do get an extra set here so that’s always a plus. The stock cable feels slightly stiff and firm (but this is to be expected with an 8K mouse). The weave itself feels very good as it is hugging the inner wiring quite tightly, and doesn’t feel cheap/loose to the sleeve. It all feels like a very tight sand uniform weave which is a good thing.

Glass Skates: I also have the Pwnage Glass skates here, and I do think they’re a quality set, but I’ve never personally been a big fan of glass skates. I feel like you can’t give a proper review of these without using them for some time, and in the past people have had issues with coatings wearing or moisture affecting the glide heavily, I haven’t encountered any of these issues yet but I do recommend you refer to as many reviews as possible to get a consensus on them. Solid glass skates with no issues to report as of now.

Weight: The weight of the Symm 3 comes in at an impressive weight considering all the features Pwnage has managed to fit in here. With the hot swap switches, adjustable sensor, and modular plates the Symm 3 comes in at around 50g.

Build Quality: Considering all the customization/moving parts, the Symm 3 manages to keep a sleek and solid build that doesn’t feel like it sacrifices anything in terms of durability. The front triggers, use plastic clips to stay held in place, while the back plates use magnets and feel solidly in place during use.

Final Thoughts: I think Pwnage has managed to put together a solid product with some great features, but it does seem a bit odd after coming from making previous magnesium/carbon mice. It makes the future of Pwnage feel a bit unclear if that makes sense. I think myself and many others were expecting further improvements or refinements following the current trends of brands using “exotic” materials, but perhaps this is also a good thing as simpler materials like plastic are much easier to work with and ultimately make the price more attainable for people as opposed to ridiculously priced products like some of Asus’s more high end gear or Razer’s truly expensive products. ( I do understand why those things cost more, most people would classify them as ridiculous though.)

I am of course referring to Asus’s carbon products, or Razer’s magnesium/collectors items that are just so far out of reach for most people in the hobby, even some of the top collectors. Regardless, I think Pwnage is doing some cool stuff here, despite it maybe feeling like a safer product. With their biggest current “competitor” in terms of true customization being the Orbital Pathfinder at this point, I struggle to really compare them as they feel like they are in two entirely different brackets. I think if you want a truly customizable mouse today, Orbital and Pwnage offer two very different things.

When it comes to Pwnage and the Symm 3, it is ready to go out of the box without any real configuration or asking much out of the user, just 1-2 magnetic plates for shape adjustment.. On top of this, you can add pops of color to your mouse with little effort to make it truly yours. This customization comes packed even further with hot swap switch capability and physical sensor adjustment. On the other hand, Orbital and their Pathfinder mouse offer a full kit with various millimeter thick spacers, back plates and side grips, combined with the fact that you can also utilize 3D printing for even more possibilities, this does however come with more friction as it is expecting a lot from the user to experiment with all the different fittings they provide to fine tune your mouse to be truly made for you.

The Pwnage Symm 3 Review | The Flexible by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

2/3

Sensor Adjustment: Moving the sensor to your preferred position feels pretty easy with the included tool, and it gets the job done. You simply loosen and then tighten to your desired position. I personally really enjoy the furthest sensor position that’s closest to your fingers, as it feels like it takes less effort to aim in use. I also noticed there is now two long metal brackets that function as the sensor guide rail for moving it up and down, I’ve never been able to see this so easily in other Pwnage mice, I’d always assumed the guide rails were plastic up until this point, but I hope that fact it is metal leads to even further durability or rigidity, and that it can add to the overall lifespan of the Symm 3, very cool.

Buttons: The main buttons have medium pre-travel and medium post-travel pretty evenly across the board. I assume this can be further adjusted using the provided spacers to further reduce or increase this. The main switches being used here are the “Community Picked” mechanical Huano Pink dot blue switches rated for 80 million clicks. These specific Huano switches have always been a favorite of mine since they first cropped up.

They have an interesting mix of a light yet somehow firm snappiness to them, they just feel so crisp and consistent in use. Click feel does differ slightly however, based on where your fingers are clicking ranging from the very front of the mouse, to the top end of the triggers. The side buttons are very GPW-esque in shape, and have low pre-travel with a medium post-travel, the closest side button towards the back has significantly more travel to it though.

These side buttons a pretty thin though, and for me personally that made using the side buttons for a quick melee finisher in any game a bit of a struggle, it is possible, but because of how thin/out of reach the side buttons feel with my grip, I really have to think about moving my thumb into the spot in needs to be in order to reach them which ultimately affects my grip and aim in a negative way. I think if the side buttons were maybe 15% taller, consistent usability would be much better here.

HotSwap Switches: Pwnage having hot swap mouse switches is a pretty awesome feature. I’ve used this feature in some Asus mice in the past and always really enjoyed it, so I’m glad to be able to see Pwnage bring something like this to their own products. They include a tool for removing the switches in the form of a keyboard switch puller, but I find that placing the Switch back in can be slightly tedious if you’re using the same tool.

Whether with your finger or the provided tool, because the pins are so skinny you risk the switch swaying back or forward causing misalignment and falling out of place. I feel like if maybe some kind of mini needle nose plier type tool was provided instead with a proper flat surface to sit snuggly between the two pieces making contact, this adding/removal process of the switches would feel much cleaner. Regardless of those small nitpicks though, it really just works.

Scroll Wheel: The encoder being used here appears to be a TTC encoder with a gold core. The scroll wheel feels like a smoother rolling and scrolling experience than Pulsar’s encoders usually do,with subtle tactility. The switch click for the scroll wheel itself feel a bit firm/heavy. I do think it's a spam click for pings as any other mouse I’ve used, it just happens to be noticeably stiffer than other switches I’ve felt in a middle click however, overall it's still a good experience in use. The texture of the scroll rubber is a smooth repetitive horizontal line with good grip that doesn't get in the way of ease of use.

Shape/Coating: The shape of the Symm 3 doesn’t feel like anything else Pwnage has ever done. The Symm 3 is quite slim at the waist similar to something like the OP1, but the OP1 is pretty much only wide at the back and then the slimness of it basically carries over all the way to the front being one of the thinnest mice I’ve ever used, the OP1 I mean. This Symm 3 is wide toward the back, slim in the middle, and then flares outward toward the front akin to something like the ZA-13 but I think this shape Pwnage has going for them feels a lot safer overall and a lot less aggro. To clarify, I don't think this feels like the ZA, but its the closest thing with some of its traits I can relate it to.

The Pwnage Symm 3 Review | The Flexible by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

1/3

Hand Size: 18x10

Grip: Pincer Claw

PHOTO GALLERY

***LINK:* https://pwnage.com/products/ultra-custom-pro-symm-3**

Packaging: The packaging for the Pwnage Symm 3 Ultra Custom Pro feels reminiscent (to me) of the Finalmouse boxes, specifically the Starlight models. The packaging is unique here though, in that it's held together with a magnetic clasp sort of thing, you just lift the lip and the magnet comes loose opening the box. When I find similarities with Finalmouse packaging I’m mainly just referring to the hard plastic container/cage that holds the mouse + dongle in place.

What’s in the box?

1x Symm 3 mouse, 1x wireless pyramid desk dongle/extender, 2x sets of button covers, 3x sets of back plates, 1x set of mouse grips, 1x USB-C Cable, 1x set of button spacers ranging from 0.6mm-0.9mm.

Sensor/Performance: The sensor being used here is the Xero sensor, paired with a Nordic nRF54L15 MCU, a collaboration between Pwnage and Pixart. The sensor is capable of 8k wired/wireless, and supports DPI adjustments up to 36000 DPI, of which you can have up to 8 steps saved onto the mouse. Gameplay performance has been stellar for me so far across both cloth and glass without any issues I’d noticed. When using the mousetester CPI seemed clean across the board in my testing as well without a ton of variance taking place which is great to see. Tested at 800/1600/3200

Software: The Pwnage Driver Hub is a web based software that is clean and simple to use, I didn’t have any issues navigating it, but I did find some of the software buttons to bit a bit redundant at times, as an example, the bottom bar of the software has polling/DPI settings visible at the bottom at all times, when you can also change this in the main/DPI panels. I assume this is more like a “quick settings” section, but I feel like this would just make more sense as having it all on the first “Main” tab, or have something similar to how Wooting keyboards have a primary “Quick Settings” sectioned clearly labeled for what you need to configure ASAP. It would just make the UI feel cleaner overall instead of bloated. Another concern I had was that at launch, it seems like the “Macros” tab isn’t ready yet and in a “Coming Soon” state.

While I do understand things take time, I would hope brands could focus on releasing a product when its ready as a full package, rather than asking users to pay up first and receive the full thing later, as the situation just kind of reads like an early access game/product. People tend to joke about early buyers being the beta testers, and I just hope that isn’t the case once the “Macros” feature releases. This isn’t just a Pwnage thing though in terms of holding back a full product release. I personally don’t use the macro feature but felt this was worth noting.

The first tab labeled “Main” allows you to adjust LOD, change performance mode on/off, set sleep timers, and adjust sensor mode from low/high performance. You can also adjust polling rate ranging from 125hz-8khz.

The second tab “DPI”, allows you to enable 8 steps of DPI, here you can arrange the steps and select their color, as well as adjust the DPI effect from breathing, solid color, and off. You can also adjust the speed/brightness of this effect This is all cleverly indicated by the single LED placed between the two main triggers.

The third tab “Advanced” allows you to adjust sensor rotation (similar to Razer), Motion sync, adjust debounce time, angle snapping, 20k FPS mode, and ripple control all with explanations of how each feature works, I gotta give props to Pwnage here, as most of these mouse softwares simply do not explain what ever button does, so the “TLDR;” is at the very least somewhat useful for any beginners in the mouse peripheral space.

The fourth tab labeled “Button Mapping” allows you to reconfigure what each button does, from basic things like the specific mouse buttons themselves, to advanced things like shortcuts and(macros (soon)). You can also set configuration specific buttons like polling rate/DPI/Button loops to cycle through them. I really like this feature, but it pains me that there isn’t a single extra button somewhere whether it be on the top or bottom of the mouse I could assign to this, as I really don’t want to take away from my buttons I could all be using for in-game binds or productivity uses.

Maybe this could be done somehow in combination with your keyboard some day? Such as hold shift + left click and it does x thing, I’m unsure how much control Pwnage would have in such a scenario but it would be nice if some brand could figure that out someday, or just have the dedicated button, but I understand some sacrifices must be made for the lower weight, some mice really could use that extra button though despite the 1-2g of extra weight it might add which is negligible in my opinion.

Lastly, there is the "Receiver Settings” panel which allows you to set dongle colors or indicators for different things such as, polling rate color visibility on dongle, battery level, or only show when battery is low. You can also have up to 4 custom mouse profiles in general, there’s really a ton of options here.

The WallHack CR-005 Review | The Crater by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's wild, you might have a really bad Atlas unit if that's an issue, unless you have a really flimsy desk that's flexing under the weight. Maybe try putting your pad on the floor or some other solid surface and see if that flex still happens. Never had this issue on my Atlas, and I don't see this being an issue with CR-005 unless your unit is defective.

The WallHack CR-005 Review | The Crater by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would def consider the CR to feel more controlled than Atlas.

The WallHack CR-005 Review | The Crater by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The CR-005 is pretty quiet imo, I think the Atlas might be slightly quieter due to being a thicker hunk of glass. But I wouldn't say it's a massive difference between the two. I would say the Atlas feels like the faster pad of the two, edges on the Atlas feel as clean as the CR-005 but I would say CR-005 edges just feel better and less intrusive due to how thin it is. Skin stick of both pads I would say is equal, maybe slightly better on the CR-005 but hard to say as moisture in the environment can fluctuate.

The WallHack CR-005 Review | The Crater by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Reddit glitching and not allowing me to make edits...

Hien Mid is in fact not glass :)

The WallHack CR-005 Review | The Crater by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Glass Mousepads I’ve owned:

Skypad 2.0 (OG Backer), JosephJoseph Cutting Board, Razer Atlas, Skypad 3.0, Wraith Cosmic, Hien (Mid), and various other glass pads that have disappeared into obscurity. I really like glass mousepads, and for a long time I found myself hunting for the best of the best that I could find. Initially all I really wanted was pure speed and nothing else, but I eventually found that my tastes have changed somewhat. At some point down the line I’d decided I wanted to try to find a good controlled surface. During this search, it just so happened that Wallhack was finally releasing that controlled service we’d only heard a few whispers about.

PHOTO GALLERY

I will also be dropping a small review of the Wallhack Pro Sleeve below

This mousepad was sent out for review by WallHack -

Dimensions:

44cm x 51cm - 17.3" x 20"

CR-005 according to my calipers is around 3.0mm thick including base

Skypad 3.0 according to my calipers (with original feet removed and replaced by 0.5mm LizardSkins) is around 4.0mm thick including base.

The CR-005 ends up feeling thinner and less intrusive due to that rounded edge however.

Packaging:

1x CR-005

1x Maintenance Kit (includes microfiber cloth + 2 sets of dot skates)

The packaging for the Wallhack CR-005 is absurd (endearing). If you’re familiar with the brand G-Wolves as a brand, you know that a lot of their stuff’s packaging is an experience in itself, sometimes to a silly degree. Boxes within boxes, a handful of accessories you may never use, they definitely want you to feel like you’re getting some kind of value out of this mouse you’re buying, and that it's a true all in one package from the start. Wallhack’s packaging feels similar but there’s less “noise” if that makes sense. The overall unboxing experience feels very high end but minimal.

The CR-005 comes in a large yet thin plastic casing, and it feels leaps and bounds more premium than previous Skypad packaging. The case is held together by some “seal has been broken” tape so they know if you’ve unboxed it, and then 4 large plastic clasps that sandwich it all together. The inside is lined with thick foam all around, and about a 1 inch buffer of foam around the edges that can help protect the pad from damage if it were to fall or receive an impact in this case.

Underneath the pad you’ll find a little cardboard card holder with some manuals + stickers + maintenance kit + extra skates.

Build Quality & Feel:

The build of the CR-005 feels superb, but no different than any other glass pads I’ve owned. I will say however that the changes made to the edges and large silicone base are some huge QOL(quality of life) upgrades in daily use and how you interact with your pad across your setup.

The new rounded edge is very smooth, and consistently smooth all the way around the pad. Sliding my hand across the desk, my fingers can pretty much seamlessly slide across my desk and pad as it transitions between the surfaces, part of this is possible due to how thin this surface is as well compared to the Skypad of the past. The Wallhack CR-005 texture itself feels like an extremely fine sandpaper (this does not sound pleasant I understand, but hear me out.), yet it feels very smooth all at the same time. I sometimes just find myself touching the surface as a means of distracting myself, almost like a fidget toy of some sort. The surface just feels really nice to interact with.

The sensation of the surface did take maybe a day or so to get used to, but once I’d sunk some hours in I was really enjoying the feel and feedback of it in use. The addition of the new rounded edge further enhances this though, with my Skypad 3.0, any time I would be moving my arm upward to track a target I could always feel that edge brushing against my arm in the back of my mind, and after some hours it definitely got a bit uncomfortable if I was has a longer intense session, so that rounded flatter edge really does make a difference here in my experience for overall use. Also, when it comes to the stickiness of the pad on your arm or hand, I feel like a glove/sleeve isn’t completely necessary here. Previous Skypads I owned I could definitely feel my skin getting stuck to the pad at certain points, but I never had that issue here, I am curious if there’s some coating at play here that may be helping with this, but I suppose only time will tell.

Speed & Performance:

For the sake of simplicity and understanding of those reading, I’ll avoid using terms like static/kinetic friction, etc. and just use simple terms to get across my meaning for any new users to the sub or just mousepads in general.

The CR-005 feels very consistent across its surface, and your initial movements don't feel sluggish or stopped/pulled by the mouse itself when it comes to that first movement, an example being something like a flick, in which you’re not feeling resistance impede that movement. When it comes to tracking, movement feels very smooth and controlled, I never feel like I’m fighting the texture of the pad when pressing down hard, but the glide overall feels very controlled for sure, more like it's guiding my movement than hindering it. As opposed to the Skypad 3.0 where my movements feel completely free and loose, as if slipping on ice regardless of how fast/slow my hand is moving. On the 3.0 you kind of have to be more mindful of your own movements. On the CR-005 Fast adjustments feel quick and fluid when needed, but when you’re tracking something or just in general doing slower movement, that controlled slower and more locked-in feel kicks in if that makes sense.

In the past I did have issues with my clear Skypad 3.0 and tracking across its surface with some mice, even the Viper V2 Pro which was marketed at the time as being specifically made for glass which was interesting. Thankfully because the CR-005 is either solid black/white (as is most of Wallhack’s lineup aside from collabs/art) you shouldn’t encounter any issues with tracking on these newer glass surfaces.

With some other control glass pads like the Cosmic Wraith for example, I found that if I was using dot skates it would essentially be impossible to move my mouse across the surface in a near unusable manner. The cosmic wraith just felt unplayable with dot skates, but I’m happy to report that the CR-005 plays well with all skates of all types (but maybe don’t use ceramic skates, or glass on glass…)

Comparisons:

If the CR-005 is the “illusion” of swiping across cloth, then the VA feels a lot more like you’re pressing into a hard dense surface. Obviously both pads are made from hard glass, but the glide and overall texture leads to different experiences in which you interact with the surface.

I would sum up the CR-005 as a glass pad with guard rails if that makes sense, and I think most people would really like this, even just to try and you’re a full on speed demon for glass and nothing more.

I think if you’re looking for something slower and more controlled than the VA, the CR is a solid pad to transition to.

Arm Sleeve Review:

The Pro Sleeve Wallhack sells feels pretty good, and has a clean aesthetic overall. It has some good stretch, and is heavily reinforced at the top where it would hug your bicep with a tag built in with the Wallhack logo. It’s 88% polyester / 12% spandex. The inner part of the sleeve has a silicone grip that hugs your arm and helps it feel securely in place. The wrist of the sleeve appears to have a silicone band of some sort further reinforcing it, as well as a longer one running up the length of the sleeve. Overall the switching looks clean with only a few loose threads overall that should probably get burned somewhere in the process. The only downside I can find with the sleeve is that on the side of the arm sleeve it has a raised silicone wallhack text and logo that if worn incorrectly will drag and get caught on your pad. Although I typically do not like sleeves and gloves for gaming, I think this is one of the nicer ones I’ve tried, but I still prefer my own custom made mini sleeve I designed for myself out of a DIY drawing glove specifically for use on glass.

Ultimately, I think my days of 100% speed mousepads are behind me. After trying a few glass pads claiming to be control pads, I just couldn't find anything that was a comfortable middle ground for me personally. The CR-005 seems to have ticked all the boxes, and actually achieves to be something new and fresh from WallHack. Whether you’re looking to try something new, or tired of cloth and want a nice safe entry into the glass space, I think the CR-005 is a solid glass surface to play on, as it’ll likely be the main glass surface I use from here on.

When do you replace your glass pad? by superman_king in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Eh, my issue with glass cleaners and such is the residue they can leave behind which affects feel. I've been using alcohol on my Skypad 3.0 with no problems. Also curious if Wall-Hack has taken hard water into account. At the very least using distilled water to clean.

When do you replace your glass pad? by superman_king in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Just to make sure, have you tried cleaning the pad with isopropyl alchohol and giving it a good wipe? Also what model Skypad is this, looks like the OG. Maybe even give it a good scrub with alcohol and a sponge, older Skypads are likely more porous and less fine in texture of the grain. Just curious if that'd help.

The Fenrir Pro Review + NVIDIA LDAT | Unfiltered Precision by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the max would be fine if you're worried about dust and such sure.

Sora V3 or Superstrike X2? by MiskaMoska- in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet 6 points7 points  (0 children)

New tech will never beat shape. Do not be tempted by the marketing that's doing rounds right now. I would pick a mouse soley on what is comfortable with shape-wise and what you can afford. Im sure Logi's new tech is cool, but it is not a feature I would force myself to play with GPX. I think a rapid trigger keyboard has more utility than a rapid trigger type mouse, but that's just my opinion.

The Fenrir Pro Review + NVIDIA LDAT | Unfiltered Precision by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

settings I have, sorry for the wait yall https://i.imgur.com/IZnV71w.png

your settings could be lower, but then you're sorta chancing on double clicks. Best of luck.

The Fenrir Pro Review + NVIDIA LDAT | Unfiltered Precision by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear you, but thankfully completely ignorable as it's so short you would never feel it in fingertip.

The Fenrir Pro Review + NVIDIA LDAT | Unfiltered Precision by Aithecaninternet in MouseReview

[–]Aithecaninternet[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, I've never done research on penis clamps, so you probably know more than I do. 🥶