Think Digit - your technology navigator

Steal-series It’s Not!

Steelseries, like Razer, are known as dedicated professional gaming hardware manufacturers. One of their latest contributions is the Ikari Optical Mouse and the 5L mousepad.

The mouse uses an optical sensor that has a resolution of 400 to 1600dpi. The mouse tracks well, and is a little better than the Logitech MX518. It has four huge feet that allow it to slide around easily on any surface.

The wide shape of the mouse suites those of you with larger hands, and you’ll be able to rest your entire palm on the mouse. The finish of the mouse is similar to the MX518—a glossy plastic centre and an anti-bacterial matte finish on either side. It’s lighter than the MX518, but more reactive in-game.

Other than the 3 standard buttons, there is a button on top that switches the dpi. We did have some problems with the buttons—the left click kept getting stuck. The dpi toggles between two settings that need to be set using the drivers. There’s not much of a choice though—400/800, 400/1600 and 800/1600 dpi are the only profiles you can choose from. Switching between DPIs takes a second or two, so it’s not something you can do during a game.

We used the Steelseries 5L along with the Akari Optical and it performed very well. The surface is very smooth and it works well with any mouse. The only issues with it are that it does get dirty pretty fast, and the edges around it are a little sharp. It’s also a hard pad so it’s not something you can roll up and carry with you. At Rs 2,849, only those who consider themselves professional gamers, or those with money to blow will buy it. For plain performance, we give it a rating of 4/5.

The Steelseries Akari Optical is an expensive mouse as well—Rs 4,249. The tracking is excellent, but the benefits of using such a mouse might not justify the price you pay for it.

Specifications
Sensor resolution: 1600dpi, Polling rate: 1000Hz, 5 buttons, 2m braided cord

Contact : SteelSeries ApS / Vstreet Netserve Pvt. Ltd.    
Phone : +91-79-40020127
E-mail : sales@v-street.net
Web site: www.v-street.net
Price: Rs 4,249