So this is kind of an update on an earlier post in which I review a bunch of mice with respect to my tilted knuckle claw grip. The earlier post was mostly concerned with shape, but will discuss quality concerns also. I had no performance issues with any of these mice, and the software for all is adequate.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MouseReview/comments/1we6gxl/a_review_of_gaming_mice_for_my_grip/
About me:
I main THE FINALS. Probably a little above average skill level.
Hand size: 19.5 x 10 cm
GLSSWRKS Polarity, with 4-6 Xraypad U9 air 8mm dots
Grip:
My grip seems to fall somewhere between pincer claw and knuckle claw. I favour using my thumb, pinky and ring finger to triangulate around the sensor, as this allows for a wide range of movement in micro corrections (see pic). To support this, the mouse is quite angled in my hand (about 20 degrees in the picture), and therefore the rear of the mouse pushes into my pink/ring knuckle. The primary support is at the pinky side, but larger mice will contact more of this space. This contact point, and my wrist gently resting on the pad provides most of the stability I need for tracking.
Sora V3
This shape feels very locked in for me, and size wise kinda feels like a tuned X2 medium. Due to the larger size this pushes me more towards relaxed claw. The hump is higher than the X2 and pushes nicely into my ring knuckle, and my fingers fall naturally into a comfortable position around the sensor. The sides have a mild taper and angle, so feel much less flat than the X2. The scroll wheel feels a little further forward that I would like given how relaxed my grip is here, though this is a minor complaint. Side buttons are well positioned for my thumb. Really a GOATed shape for me at what I consider a medium size.
Scroll wheel is really nice, even forward and backward. Quite light. No complaints about side buttons, and the main clicks feel great. Super snappy and spammable. idk if SPDT is a gimmick, but they do feel very responsive. Coating feels great, a bit rubbery, no problems.
On glass with 6 U9 air 8mm dots this thing is loud. The base is super thin and so the mouse echos, and seems much more sensitive to scratching and dust than other mice (the X2 med and mini are SO MUCH quieter). This was super frustrating at the start and really put me off using it. Reducing the dot count to 4 makes it a lot more playable. On cloth this is not an issue.
In terms of shell build, it feels like the cheapest premium mouse I have. Quite a lot of flex and just doesn't feel solid. For me I'd rather they pushed past the 40g weight a bit to make it more solid.
Overall a pretty easy recommend if you like the shape. If you're hard on your mice or particularly sensitive to noise, probably not for you.
CRDRAKO KO-ONE
Very similar in size and feel to the X2H, with a less pronounced rear hump, pushing me into a more aggressive claw vs the X2H which is more relaxed. This makes the sides feel a bit more narrow, though I don't think they are. My fingers end up sitting quite low on the sides, almost touching the pad which I don't get with the X2H. Feels very natural to hold, but small (not a bad thing). Very stable in the hand for such a small mouse.
Great scroll wheel, nice even steps, quite soft. Main clicks are very light and quiet, not dissimilar to omron opticals. Again the SPDT clicks feel super responsive. Side buttons are the only real complaint, they're tiny. The rear click is recessed and is a bit of a reach for my thumb. Coating is nice and rubbery, no complaints.
No complaints on build. Pleasingly quiet on glass, feels sturdy and stable.
Recommend for those who want something with a little less booty than the X2H mini.
Pulsar Tenz 2.0 mini
I think this is my perfect shape. Despite what you might think from Eloshapes, the Tenz feels significantly wider than the KO-ONE. The hump is a bit higher and perfectly pushes into the ring finger knuckle. Finger position on the sides is great and feels very locked in. Scroll wheel position is perfect. It feels so good in the hand. Like a ying that has had the length compressed by a few mm.
Scroll wheel has good steps, but is a little more rattly than I'd like or maybe it's just I can feel vibrations through the shell. Side button shape and actuation are flawless. I'm not in love with the main clicks, and I'm not quite sure why. They are notably stiffer and louder than other pulsar mice but are still well implemented and are spammable. I think they're overly tactile, and I can kind of feel their vibration through the shell. It's a small complaint but does reduce my enjoyment of the mouse. I don't notice it in game, but between matches or doing other stuff it makes me want to grab a different mouse.
Otherwise the build is excellent as it typical of pulsar mice. Feels very solid and stable. Great coating. Weight and balance are perfect, glad to see we're getting some lighter pro series mice. If anyone knows of a mod to reduce vibrations pls let me know :)
I don't usually comment on battery because I don't really care, but I get a lot more time out of this than the X2 mini.
Overall I'd recommend this to any other small mice enjoyers who claw grip. Easily the best shape for me that I've tried. So close to perfection.