First Impression Matters Most

If you’re a left-handed gamer, you came to the right place, buddy.

Yes, this review is about a primo competitive gaming mouse which I bet you’d wish to have one and establish it into one of your so called “My glorious lovely peripherals 2016”. Yes and yes, I’m talking to you PC Gamers. Let me give you a fine picture about our first impression (Not all of us. Really.) toward the ROCCAT® KIRO. It wasn’t me (this sexy guy) who gets to bang the raw exquisiteness of the mouse (Although I was the one that carried the box all the way back) ,

I decided to let one of my roommate (which obviously plays games) to be as a proud testimony (he thought I was pranking him) being the first one in the room to unwrap the box and actually use it. Guess what? After a long 7 hours straight (no joke this guy takes his game very seriously) banging his favorite game (Shadow Of Mordor) which he just bought from the Steam Lunar New Year Sale recently (did you guys miss the sale? It was 2 days ago!), the first sentence that came out from his mouth (he finally spoke) was, “Woah, where am i?”.

As an avid PC gamer, I know for a fact that, a gaming mouse that keeps a gamer away from the reality (7 hours to be exact), is a mouse you’ll never want to disown. His palm was sweatless and no total cramps at all after hours of wielding it like a weapon (which is quite imposing). The words he said that catches my attention was, “This is comparable to Razer’s mouse” (He owns one and uses it often) We can tell that ROCCAT® KIRO has proven its worthiness in our field! Rejoice!

Get your ROCCAT® KIRO gaming mice here.

Overview By ROCCAT

Meet the Kiro, the bigger brother of the Lua. With its highly modular, superdextrous build, the game has been changed for ambidextrous mice. Perfectly optimizable for both left- and right-handed gamers out of the box, it ticks all the boxes for gamers who thrive on a highly functional mouse with a clean, ergonomic design. With no-sweat parts comprised of a ROCCAT-pioneered soft-touch surface, the Kiro is the flexible ergonomic mouse that lets you win your way.

Technical Specification

• Pro-Optic Sensor R2 with up to 2000dpi
•  Up to 4000dpi with Overdrive Mode
•  1000Hz polling rate
•  1ms response time
•  20G acceleration
•  1.5m/s (60ips)
•  Turbo Core V2 32-bit Arm based MCU
•  1.8m USB cable

Dimensions / Weight

• Width 6.7cm, Height 3.0cm, Length 12.0cm, Weight 103g

System requirements

• Windows® 8, Windows® 7, Windows® 10
• USB 2.0 Port
• Internet connection for driver installation

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What Makes ROCCAT® KIRO Unique?

It’s A Modular Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse

As I have highlighted in the title, first and foremost, what is modular ambidextrous gaming mouse? Better yet, why does it sounds so special? (In fact, it actually does!) It basically means that this mouse is designed to be used by left-handed and right-handed people with equal ease.

However, ambidextrous mice are the common compromise for many a left-hander, but the KIRO offers much more than just the standard symmetrical shaped mouse. It is shipped with four side plates, 2x blanks, 2x with buttons, allowing the user to have the ideal left or right handed mouse. It also comes with the promise of 3D print support, allowing for endless customization options.

It has Extendable Build

Undoubtedly the most important factor in choosing a mouse is how it feels. While you can prevent a lot of strain by merely rearranging your workspace, having a good mouse that works with you can still make a huge difference. For the most part, this involves two things: size and grip.

Size is mostly personal preference (plus how portable you want your mouse to be), but certain mice are better for certain types of grips. This gaming mice is ergonomic, functional design comes complete with a catalog of four durable side parts, including both buttons and blanks, so you can customize your layout rapidly and get in the game right away.

It has a frickin Overdrive Mode

ROCCAT ensure that the KIRO is a fully equipped to be a competitive mouse. It features the Turbo Core V2 32-bit ARM-based MCU, allowing it to double up the native 2000DPI to a stable 4000DPI. The Kiro’s specifications are a step down from Roccat’s usual Pro Gamer offerings, but they’re still more than adequate for everyday use.

The native 2000 dpi sensor can be boosted via software to a maximum of 4000 dpi but, as we’ve seen with similar technology from Steelseries, the very highest settings can feel a little jittery. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed using it for twitch shooters, as long as I didn’t push the mouse’s sensitivity too far into the overdrive zone.

ROCCAT® SWARM. Nuff Said.

No Roccat review is complete without mention of their excellent driver software. In the Kiro’s case, the control panel allows the basic tweaks that are possible for many of their mice – things like lighting, sensitivity, lift-off distance and so on – as well as brand-loyalist exotica such as Roccat Talk and Alien FX. However, the driver ditches things like programmable macros and multiple gaming profiles, reinforcing the impression that the Kiro is meant for the less hardcore crowd.

AlienFX™

AlienFX is Alienware’s exclusive lighting control system software that allows users to create and customize their own lighting and special effects experiences in an ever growing list of fan favorite games. ROCCAT’s partnership with Alienware has brought AlienFX and ROCCAT together with an exclusive collaboration, injecting this amazing lighting experience into some of ROCCAT’s most beloved products.

Notes: At this point AlienFX™ is only compatible with 64-bit operating systems.

Talk® FX

Using Talk® FX, you can have your keyboard light up only the relevant key bindings, so you can focus entirely on the fight. Have your mouse flash red or green when you’re low on health or mana so you can’t get caught out in the frenzy of battle. Have your keyboard show the direction of attack with glowing damage indicators so you know how to react to your opponent. The Talk® FX SDK provides limitless opportunities for gamers to get the edge.

 

Performance Test

Out the box the KIRO works well, though you will want to install the Swarm driver to get the most out of it.

The KIRO feels quite small in hand even though is similar in size to the SteelSeries RIVAL 100, this would likely be because it is a little lower in height. This makes for quite a comfortable mouse for various grip types, as a claw gripper I personally found the size Ideal, big enough for a comfortable palm grip, small and light enough (103g) for finger tippers to enjoy too. Though, it’s likely that people who use a palm grip may prefer a larger, heavier mouse. In my standard claw grip, I didn’t find any problem with hitting the large side buttons, but I would have preferred them to be moved around 10mm forwards.

The rubberised surface feels a little different to other soft feel surfaces, feeling smooth and cool which can be attributed towards the non-sweat aspect of the technology ROCCAT have used.

The side panels are easy to remove and replace with magnetic contacts, they remain in place tightly, without movement or gaps to distract you while it is in use.

A Quick Conclusion

There’s plenty to like about Roccat’s latest offering. If you can look past the low native dpi and pared-down software, you’ll find an extremely comfortable device that’s packed with fun and innovative features. As a reasonably-priced, entry-level mouse for casual gaming, the Kiro is something of a triumph.