Price

It's $80, which is about par for the gaming mouse course.

Verdict

It uses the tracking engine that's standard on all of Razer's high-end mice now, a 5600dpi sensor, as mentioned above, with a 1000Hz polling rate for 1ms response time. And, like every other major Razer mouse, it's got onboard memory for storing profiles of macros and DPI settings. These things work well, as they have on previous Razer mice, though how much you need major gun specs is really up to you.

What's different about Imperator is that it's a totally new ergonomic direction for Razer, who's previously iterated the same form factor several times over for its right-handed mice (even Mamba, their wireless mouse, uses a tweaked Death Adder shape). It feels a lot like a Logitech mouse, actually, of the MX500 ilk, to be precise.

It's more compact than the expansive DeathAdder, which you basically sprawled your hand on top of, forcing a more aggressive, and more ergonomic, grip on the mouse. I feel like it's an improvement by taking a definitive ergonomic stand, but it loses that flexibility in how you hold it, which was the real genius of Razer's previous right-handed mice, so former Razer diehards might not be keen on it.

Also new are adjustable thumb buttons—that is, they slide further up or down the mouse, so you can place them where you want. The problem is that they're too thin now, and I'd prefer simply larger thumb buttons that are just easy to hit, wherever your thumb's at. The thick, braided cable is another upgrade, replacing the thin, fragile cable Razer's historically used, bringing them up to speed with gaming mice from Logitech and SteelSeries.

What makes this my favorite Razer mouse yet is the grip, combined with the solid sensor and tracking they've used for a few mice now. Is it worth $80? My answer's the same as it always for gaming mice: If you think so.

Best-feeling Razer mouse yet

It's $80

Thumb buttons are too thin
[Razer]

SteelSeries' Kinzu pulls off the bargain gaming mouse gambit way better, at $35. Or you can get more aggressively armed gaming mice at Amazon for about the same price, even from Razer.

RAZER ABYSSUS™ GIVES GAMERS THE COMPETITIVE EDGE BY FOCUSING ON THE FUNDAMENTALS

Carlsbad, Calif. – Nov. 10, 2009 - Razer™, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, today launched the Razer Abyssus™ gaming mouse. By combining simplicity with a state-of-the-art 3.5G 3500dpi infrared sensor, the Razer Abyssus stands ready to frag.

"Less is more," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer. "We've taken our ambidextrous three-button mouse design and loaded it with our industry-leading technology without the added cost of too many bells and whistles. Our goal with the Razer Abyssus is to give competitive gamers access to gaming grade hardware without breaking the bank."

About the Razer Abyssus
The Razer Abyssus mouse is designed for gamers that demand reliability and functionality under the fiercest gameplay conditions. The Razer Abyssus is armed with two large non-slip buttons tuned for maximum tactile feedback and features Razer's built-in Hyperesponse™ technology. Underneath, Razer has placed two easily accessible mechanical switches — one on-the-fly dpi switch giving the user their choice of 450, 1800, or 3500dpi; and one polling rate switch allowing instant adjustment from a standard 125hz to 1000hz Ultrapolling™.

Razer Abyssus
COST: US $49.99, Europe €39.99

AVAILABILITY:
Razerzone.com – Available Now
China – In Stores Now
Worldwide –Late December 2009

Product Features:
3500dpi Razer Precision™ 3.5G infrared sensor
1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response time
Mechanical dpi/polling rate switches
On-The-Fly Sensitivity™ adjustment
Always-On™ mode
Ultra-large non-slip buttons
16-bit ultra-wide data path
60-120 inches per second and 15g of acceleration
Three independently programmable Hyperesponse™ buttons
Ambidextrous design
Scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions
Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ Teflon feet
Seven-foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord
Approx. size in mm 115(L) x 63(W) x 40(H)

[Razer]

SteelSeries rails against the current gaming industry pseudo-standard of DPI (dots per inch) as a measurement of tracking speed, instead preferring to tout CPI, or counts per inch, so the money spec for the laser-powered Xai reads like this: It processes 12,000 frames/second at 5,001 CPI at movement speeds of 150 inches/second. Which makes it high definition. Okay!

Xai shares its ambidextrous grip—which supposedly took three years of research with pro gaming teams to deduce—with the slightly smaller, cheaper Kinzu that's essentially an optical variant. And both of them have seven programmable buttons, with driverless install.

And of course, there is a special mat just for high definition mice, the 9HD, though no word on how much it, or the mice, will cost. I would bet you the amount that they cost that they're not cheap, because then I would make a lot of money.

Update: Fairly standard for gaming gear, with Xai going for $80 and the 9HD pad at $35. Kinzu is a relative bargain for $35, competitive with Logitech's classic MX518 optical.

STEELSERIES INTRODUCES NEW HIGH DEFINITION GAMING MOUSE AND GAMING SURFACE

After extensive research with the world's top gaming teams, SteelSeries' innovative gaming mouse provides gamers with new levels of precision, accuracy and stability to enhance performance

CHICAGO – July 24, 2009 –SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, today introduced the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse, SteelSeries Kinzu Optical Mouse and the SteelSeries 9HD hard plastic surface. The technology, shape, size, weight and feel of the SteelSeries Xai was designed with one purpose: to create an immediate advantage for gamers by enhancing a user's performance during game play.

"We spent three years methodically perfecting the SteelSeries Xai by researching mouse grips used by professional gaming teams such as Fnatic, SK Gaming and Evil Geniuses in order to create a level of performance that gamers have never experienced before," said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. "The SteelSeries Xai's High Definition sensor offers a huge improvement over the current highest-end gaming mice and it is designed with technical specifications that increase the level of performance results, especially during the most frantic and fast-paced games."

Research and development of the mouse was done in close cooperation with full-time professional gamers from the U.S., Europe and Asia to ensure that the SteelSeries Xai is a tool with a purpose – not just a gadget. The 10.8 megapixels/second sensor offers a huge improvement over the current generation of gaming mice by processing 12,000 frames/second at 5,001 CPI at movement speeds of 150 inches/second providing the user with High Definition tracking for unparalleled precision. Furthermore, the SteelSeries Xai offers unprecedented levels of personalization for the user, with unique SteelSeries sensor innovations like SteelSeries ExactAim, SteelSeries ExactRate, SteelSeries ExactSens, SteelSeries FreeMove and automatic lift distance calibration. SteelSeries Xai can be fully configured via a LCD menu system on the back of the mouse, where settings will be stored on the mouse thus eliminating the need for drivers and providing configuration capabilities on-the-go.

Some of the features of the SteelSeries Xai include:
Ambidextrous shape
7 Programmable macro buttons, 200 strokes per button
Driverless plug-and-play, with 5 profiles
Fully configurable via LCD menu system
100-5,001 counts/inch

The SteelSeries 9HD surface was designed to fully support the enhanced tracking capabilities of next-generation High Definition gaming mice. The finely textured surface consists of tens-of-thousands of light reflecting microscopic points, enabling the user to perform exceptionally precise mouse operations, including minimal movements as well as high velocity "slingshots."

In addition to the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse, SteelSeries is also introducing the SteelSeries Kinzu Optical Mouse. Based on the same shape as the SteelSeries Xai, but 7% smaller in size, the SteelSeries Kinzu processes 9,375 frames/second at 3,200 CPI and is compact, lightweight, and is in a league of its own when it comes to reliability and stability.

SteelSeries Xai, SteelSeries Kinzu and SteelSeries 9HD will be available August 2009.

About SteelSeries
SteelSeries is a leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, including headsets, keyboards, mice, software and gaming surfaces, selling in more than 75 countries. SteelSeries has been on the forefront of professional gaming gear since its inception in 2001, thanks to continued innovation and product development in cooperation with leading professional gamers. All SteelSeries products are developed in co-operation with professional gamers to ensure optimum performance and durability. SteelSeries supports the growth of competitive gaming and electronic sports through professional team sponsorships and community support all over the world. For more information, please visit www.SteelSeries.com.

[SteelSeries]

If you still don't trust wireless or your batteries die, it has a breakaway USB cable—though Razer claims 1-3 months of juice under "normal usage." What exactly is normal usage, you ask? I don't know. [Razer]

Also, NZXT's Avatar pulled some similar side button trickery as the Silverstone, which resulted in you accidentally mashing the side button every time you picked up the mouse. The Raven's side buttons don't look quite as haphazardly placed, so it might not be the case. When we get one in our hands maybe our doubts will be blown by away by this 3200dpi monster, but hold on to that $85 in the meantime. [Silverstone via Crunchygear]

The Price: $70.

Verdict: I'm on record as being less than fond of ambidextrous mice since I don't use a "claw" grip for gaming. Avatar tries to let you have it both ways, with a deeply grooved thumb grip, and fails more spectacularly as a result.

Its most glaring problem, and what ultimately renders it less than usable, is that it has a thumb button placed on either side—part of the whole ambidextrous thing—so it's far too easy to hit the one opposite your thumb with your ring finger whenever you pick the mouse up (something you do a lot, actually). You can try tucking your finger underneath it, but that requires you to recess your grip, so that clicking the button your thumb actually uses requires more effort, and therefore more time. Not to mention it cramps your hand, thanks to its extremely thin profile. They could partially solve this by making the ass of the mouse a bit fatter, giving the back of your palm more surface to grip so you could actually use it in a claw style. Even then, that errant side button would still be in the way.

So, while the customization software and everything worked well enough, the ergonomics of the mouse really just make it less than usable. If you're looking for an ambidextrous gaming mouse, I'd recommend one of Razer's instead. [NZXT]

The Laser Gaming Mouse with Voodoo DNA is pictured above. Here's the more ho-hum Laser Mouse:

And here's the mysterious Vector Mouse:

Plug and Play Performance
• Customize your mouse for an effortless gaming experience personalized to the way you play

Features & Benefits:

• Keep up to 5 mouse setting profiles
• Five programmable buttons to store macros
• 8x faster than conventional mice. Delivers blazing speed and instant acceleration
• Polytetrafluoroethylene Gaming Feet. Large, frictionless feet for effortless smooth glide
• High resolution engine churns images at an astounding 6.4Mpixels/sec. Large sensor array and precision laser technology allow the HDX Laser Mouse to deliver best-in-class performance and tracking
• Gaming laser mouse with four on the fly selectable DPIs
• DPI=400/800/1600/2400 *
• 4 multi-color DPI settings
• Up to 35 inches/second **
• Up to 8G
• Up to 500 reports/second
• Full speed USB 2.0
• 5 programmable buttons
• 5 individual setting profiles
• 4 large Teflong feet, 3D racing rubber tire pattern scroll wheel

System Requirements:
• Genuine Windows Vista® or Genuine Windows® XP

Warranty and Support:
• One-year, worldwide parts-and-labor limited warranty
• 24x7 HP technical phone support during warranty period

What's in the Box:
• Laser mouse
• Documentation
• Software Driver
• 1 year limited warranty

Additional Information:
Questions about the HP HDX Laser Mouse?
Look us up online at www.hp.com

The Price: $59.99

The Verdict: You'll remember in my gaming gear Battlemodo that I slighted Razer's Lachesis mouse for its ergonomics and build quality. Thinking I might get along with a right-handed mouse better, Razer sent me the DeathAdder, which just dropped for Macs ('cause Mac gaming is so robust.)

And I did, greatly preferring it to the ambi Lachesis. It's comfortable, and if you like the ergonomics of Microsoft mice, you'll probably dig DeathAdder, which has a similar form factor. The most clever thing about the design is that the two buttons are clickable deep into the mouse's body, so you can grip it shallow or really palm it—also useful if you have tiny hands. Tracking's accurate enough, though I'd have liked more than three settings for DPI.

I would've also liked a thicker, braided cord, like on Logitech's G5 or SteelSeries' Ikari, but overall the build quality seems good enough. Is it worth $60? As much as any other gaming mouse is worth the extra bones. [Razer]

If you're on a considerably smaller screen, you'd probably find yourself in the case of the missing cursor. Fortunately, you can adjust the resolution on the fly, and profiles are stored in the mouse's 32KB of onboard memory. The major drawback's actually the scroll wheel, which he wishes was more like the one on Logitech's G9. That aside, it pulls a pretty solid 9.0 rating.

Since it's an ambidextrous mouse, I'm also guessing dedicated-hand diehards (like myself) or un-fans of Razer ergonomics might not be entirely comfortable with it either. At $80 MSRP, I'd grope one in-store somewhere before dropping coin. [I4U, Razer]]

Those seven buttons are far from conventional, too. There are those four immediately-obvious blinking buttons, and then there are three pressure-sensitive zones in the grip section of the mouse. Even the bottom of this device has been reengineered, substituting ball bearings for the usual slippery skid pads.

Check out this video tutorial for the R2 Mouse, plus more pics and a link to a review:

The guys at Hardware Review liked it, however with a few reservations. At $59.99, you might want to wait until the Mark III is released if you're looking for perfection. – Charlie White

Product Page [via Think Geek]