With its matte black body, scroll wheel, five buttons, and not much else, the Endgame Gear XM1 Gaming Mouse is very understated. Compared to some of its rivals, you’d be forgiven for considering it plain. But looks can be deceiving because underneath its modest shell, the XM1 is a stunning example of a lightweight gaming mouse.
The Endgame Gear XM1 gaming Mouse is available for £51.95 at Overclockers UK
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Weighing in at just 70g, the XM1 is extremely light, moving under the hand with the utmost ease. The braided ‘Flex Cord’ cable is equally as light, providing a drag-free manipulation that could easily be mistaken for a wireless connection in a blindfold test. This is especially true when paired with the Endgame Gear XM1 Mouse Bungee, which helps keep excess cable up and out of our path. On the underside of the XM1, four glide plates make sure that the lightweight design suffers no interruption, allowing the mouse to silently skate across the desktop with minimal effort.
Back up top, the button layout simple but well executed. We were particularly impressed by the tension of the scroll wheel, which offers a controlled and firm notched roll – ideal for precise in-game inventory scrolling – and the position of the two thumb buttons, which are prominent without intrusion, preventing any accidental presses. The overall shape of the mouse plays into this second point too, as its gentle curving ergonomics work to suggest a natural hand position, rather than forcing a more ‘tactical’ positioning. This neutral design means that the XM1 will comfortably accommodate claw, fingertip or palm grip types.
"The Endgame Gear XM1 knows what you need, and what you don’t, better than you do."
Many will have noted that a CPI button, a commonplace feature of gaming mice, is missing. Well, that’s because Endgame Gear has hidden their CPI switch on the underside, with the selected sensitivity profile being indicated via a coloured LED. While we were initially suspicious of this design choice, the button’s position forced us to confront a very good question: how often do you change your CPI in-game? Our answer was, in truth, never. What the repositioning of the CPI button accomplishes is to streamline the mouse design and our gameplay – it’s one less button to be conscious of and avoid. Granted, it’s a small gain, but a welcome one. For some, the button's top-side absence will be impracticable, but for most, it’ll be an unforeseen relief.
Continuing in the spirit of minimalism, the configuration software is so sparse that it feels almost archaic, especially if you are coming in off the back ofLogitech’s G Hub or Corsair’s iCue suites. Yet, here again, Endgame Gear’s dedication to simplicity pays dividends. The user can customise four sensitivity presets and control lift-off distance, and the button configuration is limited to activating or deactivating a switch. The result of this barebones suite is that the interface is clean and clutter-free, and most importantly, there’s next to no impact on the PC’s resources.
Verdict: The PC gaming community is one that is continuously barraged with products claiming to be the next big thing, boasting increased complexity, resource-heavy features, and account-emptying price tags.
This gaming mouse is different. The Endgame Gear XM1 knows what you need, and what you don’t, better than you do.
Endgame Gear XM1 Esports Gaming Mouse
1 of 1Endgame Gear XM1 Esports Gaming Mouse
Available now from Overclockers UK for £51.95
Endgame Gear Stealth Black Gaming Surface
For anyone looking to get the most out of their XM1, we’d recommend the Endgame Gear Stealth Black Gaming Surface. We’re no strangers to the benefits of gaming desk mats and mouse pads, having relied for years on Tecknet and Pecham to take care of our needs. The Gaming Surface has changed this – the micro-woven fabric is exceptionally smooth and glossy, and proves a worthy companion to the XM1’s already lightweight movement.
View offers on the Endgame Gear Stealth Black Gaming Surface at Overclockers UK.
Features
16,000 CPI Pixart Sensor
The XM1 is loaded with a Pixart sensor, capable of tracking up to 16,000 CPI. With four customisable sensitivity settings, the versatility this high count affords means that the mouse feels just at home in any game, and with any loadout. Our twitchy-exploits in Doom Eternal were sharp, the ranged weapons in COD: Warzone were as precise as they’ve ever been. The mouse feels great in slower-paced titles, too, like survival city-builder Frostpunk.
CPI Profiles
Four custom CPI profiles can be controlled via the Endgame Gear software, allowing a user to take advantage of all the Pixart sensor has to offer. Profiles are customisable in increments of five.
USB Polling Rate Selection
Along with switchable CPI profiles, the XM1 allows the user to select their preferred polling rate, offering a choice of 250 Hz, 500 Hz, or 1000 Hz.
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