The Roccat Savu mid-size hybrid gaming mouse is a good example of a high quality product that falls short in very important areas. I tested the mouse out on a quad-core Windows 7 (64 bit) and a Windows 7 (32 bit) system. Here’s how it breaks down, and why you might want to hold out for a redesign on this one.
The Good
The mouse has a nice refined finish, good quality buttons, nice scroll wheel, and a braided cable. Everything feels solid on this mouse, and I was quite pleased with the mouse when I first laid eyes on it. Other nice features include a customized lighting at the base of the mouse, which you can assign with the Roccat driver software, which adds a 'wow' factor to a mouse in this price point. The optic sensor has four DPI settings (400,800,1600,4000dpi) that can be easily switched with the Roccat software.
The Roccat driver+ macro manger allows you to customize you button layout for your MMO and first-person shooter games (built in macros included WOW, Command and Conquer, Age of Conan, Warhammer Online, Left for Dead, Counter Strike, etc). The built in macros are responsive, and there is no lag when I used them in my testing of the mouse. Assignment of the buttons was done with a pull down menu, and changing the assignments of the mouse could be done while you were playing the game.
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The Bad
The no-sweat side-grips didn't feel great after a few hours playing. The texture just felt 'wrong' and became more of a distraction than an actual benefit. Another odd thing was that the driver software is still in beta, and had a tendency to knock out my Gamecon 777 USB surround sound. Nothing like being in the middle of a vent conversation and then suddenly have no sound. Unplugging and re-plugging the Gamecon fixed this issue, but it was annoying.
The EASY-SHIFT[+]™ BUTTON, while nice in concept, doesn't deliver when you are in the middle of a pvp or fps situation. The idea of the EASY-SHIFT[+] is to allow you access to a second level of macro assigned buttons, and I think in most non-pvp (like calling a mount) or non-fps (opening a door or reloading ammo). It is more cumbersome than actually useful.
Also, the Roccat driver+ doesn't 'fit' with this type of mouse. For example, if this was a eight button mouse I would not get the impression that the software was underused if I decided not to use the EASY-SHIFT[+] option. If you don't use the Easy-SHIFT button then you're stuck with a glorified 4-button mouse with a very nice scroll wheel. I would compare it to having an eight cylinder engine in a Ford Aspire. It’s great to have, but once you realize the limitations of the Aspire, it becomes disappointing very quickly.
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The Ugly
Where the Roccat Savu fails completely is in ergonomics. The mouse didn't feel right in my hand when I was playing with it, and after using it for an hour I developed some hand pain. I tried adjusting the desk, and my chair to see if that made any difference (I thought maybe I had something to do with the strain), but none of these changes made any difference to mouse's flawed ergonomics. To be fair I did have a friend give the mouse a try with their system, and they had the same issue with it after an hour. I thought I would be the ideal person for this mouse, but I simply could not use it without any type of sharp hand pain in the middle of my palm.
In Conclusion
Good
- Nice Build
- Good quality workmanship
- Nice driver software
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Bad
- Non-Grip was awful
- Drivers occasionally knocked out my USB mic
- EASY-SHIFT[+] button was 'blah' overall on gameplay
- Driver while nice shows you the limitations of the Roccat Savu
UGLY
- Hand pain after an hour
Would I recommend the Savu? Nope. Skip this mouse. Too many compromises, underused driver software, and lousy ergonomics. Unless you can prop yourself up with it in a store and try it for a long time to see if you have the same woes with the physical design, avoid this one folks.
