The Star Wars: The Old Republic Gaming Mouse from Razer has made me eat crow. I’ll admit it… game branded hardware seems like a money grab most of the time. I mean, why should anyone buy a controller branded with Halo 3 on it other than to say, “Gee, I sure to like me some Halo 3!”? There’s rarely ever a good reason to own a peripheral that’s smacked upside the whatever with a bunch of funky decals unless you’re really just that much of a fan. Still, I suppose these sorts of oddities must serve their purpose. They’re rarely more useful than your standard hardware, but they’re for the fans. So exist they shall. But this mouse? This mouse is actually making me very pleased with its ability to help me wield the Force. Its combination of spiffy design and functionality make it a worthy addition to any MMO gamer’s desktop.
Features
Razer’s SWTOR Gaming Mouse comes with a dual-wired and wireless technology. Want to run without tangle? Flip a switch and go at it. Run out of battery charge but want to keep gaming? Flip the switch and plug in the wire and keep going. It comes packed with a charging dock that functions as a wireless receiver, so you never really should run out of battery, but hey… options are always good right? Its tracking and response is absolutely nuts, with a 5600dpi laser sensor that notices every tiny movement. You’ll still want a nice flat, smooth surface, but come on – it’s not like you’re going to play SWTOR or any other MMO on the back of your cat (unless that’s what you’re into).
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The mouse itself has 17 buttons… yes 17. The most notable of which are the 12 buttons on the inner left of the mouse, which automatically correspond to the numbers 1-0 and plus and minus keys on your keyboard. Of all the little shiny details and fancy doodads the SWTOR Mouse offers, this was easily my favorite. It’s no secret that I play a lot of MMOs. Until I got my hands on this little gadget though I never realized how awkward to play the hotkey combat can be. I’m a WASD movement kind of guy, and the 12 buttons for the hotkeys have essentially made it so that I never have to break movement to fire a skill, and this comes in incredibly handy during PVP. The buttons do take some time to get used to, but packed in with the mouse are little gel-pads that act as training wheels to make the keys stand out more and then can be removed easily later once you’re used to the layout. It’s also Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled, allowing you to fully program every click and save different mappings, etc.
On top of the sheer usefulness of the thing, you get a key with the mouse that’ll add a unique color crystal to your characters in SWTOR… so you know, there’s that. You can have a pretty new color that no one else has on your saber! If I had any real complaints with the mouse’s functionality, it’s that sometimes it doesn’t seem to register my left clicks. I don’t know if any of our readers have tried this thing yet, if so have you experienced something similar? It’s really seldom, and it may be user error as the next click always triggers, but it can be annoying and may be a downside of the left and right mouse buttons being designed to be part of the body of the mouse itself (see pictures).
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Design
It’s a Star Wars mouse and it shows. The gray, black, and gold design reeks of Destroyer class ships and iconic SW logos. It comes with interchangeable gold and black logos that sit on the lower right corner of the mouse and allow you to declare which side of the war you’re on (Empire, duh). There are etched lines running in robot-like directions across the face of the mouse, giving it a “droid” look, and the sleek angles at which the left and right buttons jut out give the look of a ship in Lucas’ mythos. The mouse wheel itself glows with the light of up to 16 million customizable colors thanks to the LED technology.
The wired charging dock (and wireless receiver) carries the same black, gray and gold design, and holds the mouse in a sharp-looking display angle while charging. I’ve had folks over at the house who are by no means Star Wars fans or gamers ask me where they could get the cool looking mouse. When I tell them it’s a Star Wars-themed gaming mouse they chuckle but still ponder whether they should get one. That’s all testament to just how slick this thing looks. My only real complaint is that the left and right mouse buttons don’t always click as sensitively as I’d like (as mentioned above) and this may be caused by the way the buttons themselves are a part of the mouse body.
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Summary
In the end, the Star Wars: The Old Republic Gaming Mouse from Razer is a fine addition to my desk, and will likely be my mouse for years to come if it holds up to all the use I’m going to toss its way. The additional 12 side buttons are ideal for MMO gaming, and the responsiveness is insane. It’s really light and easy to use, even if the side buttons throw you for a loop at first. The dual functionality of the charging dock and ability to make the mouse wired if I want are just icing on the cake. Plus? The thing just looks really cool. Star Wars fan or not, it’s a great gaming device. The price-tag is a bit steep at $139.99 ($99.99 seems like a more fitting price) but the quality of the hardware and functionality make it worth every penny. I’m sure the IP alone costs the extra $40 (I’m kidding, George!). Seriously, it’s a great piece of equipment and if you’re playing SWTOR and in the market for a new mouse this one’s definitely worth checking out.
