Roccat Kone XP Air review: Great gaming mouse performance and RGB lighting

The Roccat Kone XP Air gaming mouse is best described as a peripheral peacock. Don’t get me wrong, the beefy rodent packs impressive performance into a sleek, ergonomic chassis, but its unique take on RGB is what helps it stand out from rivals like Logitech and Razer. If you’re looking for a palm-sized light show, the XP Air might be the perfect clicker for you, even though it comes at a premium price.

The vibrant RGB lighting is sure to help the Roccat Kone XP Air catch your eye, especially if you’re looking for more than just the standard colored stripes. However, the strong remapping capabilities can also help the Clickmate rank among the best gaming mouse options available today, as it has 29 programmable buttons. Mapping capabilities aren’t necessarily the Kone XP Air’s biggest selling point, but it’s certainly a boon that helps mitigate its lofty MSRP.

As you might guess from the name, the Kone XP Air is a wireless gaming mouse, which means it’s susceptible to all the warnings typically associated with cutting a cord. Fortunately, the Roccat is always up to date when it comes to wireless, and extras like the RGB fast-charging dock help shield the device’s $169.99 / £149.99 asking price from scrutiny. .

Before we dive into aesthetics and performance, let’s take a look at what you actually get inside the Roccat Kone XP Air case. Assuming it didn’t turn into an actual rodent and bite into the packaging, you should be able to find a mouse, a matching charging throne, a “Phantomflex” USB-C charging cable, and a nifty wireless dongle.

The Kone XP Air also has Bluetooth connectivity, and we’ll soon find out why that’s useful. However, I’m a little disappointed that only one USB-C cable is included in the box, especially since you’ll need it to connect to the fast-charging dock.

Of course, the lack of an additional cable isn’t a problem, especially if you’re sitting most of the time at your gaming table, but it does mean that if you want to turn the mouse into a wireless clicker, you’ll have to unplug it. the dock cable, which looks like a pesky bug.

Roccat Kone XP Air Design

Of course, complaining about the wired connection of a wireless gaming mouse is Alanis Morissette’s decision, because my complaints about the cable are full of irony. The Kone XP Air’s wireless setup actually helped me forget about cables, as the front docking port means you can plug it in and out of your gaming PC with a single USB.

Roccat’s simplistic approach to cabling makes a world of difference, especially as it adds a degree of setup versatility and certainly contributes to my long-term success with good cable management. Trust me, if you have your own personal spaghetti monster bugging you while you play, you’ll understand why it’s so important.

The Roccat Kone XP Air feels light to the touch, but it’s far from the lightest gaming mouse on the market. At 99g, it’s a bit heavy compared to the lightweight SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless. Cela ne veut pas qu’a certain poids est mauvais si, comme moi, vous êtes accustomed to a classique à boîtier métallique comme le Corsair Vengence M65, car vous ne le lancerez pas accidentally de votre bureau lors que vous jouerez à Cyberpunk 2077 pour la first time.

It’s worth noting that while the Kone XP Air isn’t the lightest mouse around, it’ll still glide across a playmat like a hockey puck. Heat-treated PTFE pads on the bottom help each hand contract and glide smoothly, and help support the fact that it weighs nearly 100g.

The slip-on ear cushions aren’t the Kone XP Air’s only ergonomic benefit, as its contoured shape provides natural comfort. The thumb bulge is reminiscent of the Logitech G502 Lightspeed’s flared base, but Roccat’s clicker is distinct enough to avoid a deja vu design. Because the edge of the mouse has a nifty Easyshift button on the mouse, it’s much easier for little hands to reach.

Speaking of which, the Kone XP Air comes with 29 programmable buttons. What’s that? Do you only see 15 on the mouse? Well, that’s where the easyshift switch comes into play. The default thumb button click gives each press an additional assigned function that effectively doubles the number of actions you can perform with one hand.

Granted, I’m not the biggest fan of MMORPGs, but I’m pretty sure having 29 mapped mouse buttons in Final Fantasy XIV would be great. However, if you prefer the smell of gunpowder in the morning, you can remap the easyshift key and turn it into a deadly grenade launcher. This will reduce the number of available features to 15, but the feeling of explosive, muscular mayhem might be worth it.

Alright, let’s talk about the dazzling light of the Kone XP Air because its RGB fins look like futuristic biotech. With five customizable zones and many different patterns, fans of light gamers will enjoy gaming with this mouse. There are bound to be gamers out there who hate Roccat’s original 3D lighting outright, but if you’re looking for something LAN-specific, this is the one for you.

That is not to say that Roccat’s lighting is aggressive, as it is relatively diffuse thanks to the translucent and matte body of the lamp. Believe it or not, it’s actually pretty stealthy compared to the wired Kone XP, although it looks like Godzilla is charging up an atomic heat beam. Personally, I think your LEDs need a brightness boost, as it’s hard to appreciate the RGB fins when sitting near a window during the day.

Roccat Kone XP Air Software

The accompanying Roccat software gives you access to a variety of aesthetic and performance tweaks, but it’s unfortunately a bit clunky. From a design perspective, the toolbox layout is a bit clunky and finding specific settings isn’t always intuitive.

However, once you know where everything is, you’ll find it easier to tweak things. My real issue with Swarm is syncing it, as sometimes the Settings app doesn’t do anything. It’s an intermittent crash, but it happened several times during testing and it’s annoying enough to mention.

ROCCAT KONE XP AIR EFFICIENCY

Using a mouse with decent DPI and a high 1000Hz polling rate can help your FPS gaming skills flourish, and the Kone XP Air is no exception. Out of the box the mouse feels precise and natural, but you can really tweak things to please your palm using the Roccat Swarm preset.

The Kone XP Air specs come with nice optical switches, and Roccat says they’ll apparently last 100 million clicks. That’s a lot of shooting, spells, or whatever you’re doing on your gaming PC, so it might last a long time in the future. It may take a while to find out if they actually meet these requirements, but the switches certainly seem accurate and reliable.

Naturally, beautiful lighting and gaming PC performance require power, and the Kone XP Air has an RGB fast charging station. Stands aren’t always a great addition, especially if you don’t have time to put your gaming mouse down, but Roccat’s small stand can provide five hours of charge in just ten minutes.

Despite my best efforts, I struggled to develop a natural “dead battery” scenario when testing the Kone XP Air. This is largely due to the docking station’s fast-charging capabilities and variable battery capacity, which offsets my ADHD tendencies.

Let’s say I actively avoid battery-powered devices, as I rarely forget to charge them, but this setup means that if I manage to plug in the Kone XP Air even once a day, I’ll still have enough power to charge. sure. The fact that its base floats with beautiful RGB lighting reminds you that it’s there, too, and the mouse glides on the dual prongs of the stand with minimal effort.

It’s easy to forget that the Roccat Kone XP Air supports Bluetooth connectivity, but turning it on means you can switch between additional devices like a Steam Deck and a gaming PC with a 2.4GHz dongle. Again, having to unplug and replug USB cables is one of my favorite annoyances, so being able to use a mouse on a Valve handheld with the flick of a switch is pretty handy.

The gaming mouse scene is a crowded cage with plenty of trusty rodents living inside, and the Roccat Kone XP Air makes a living out of it. If you’re not really worried about RGB, you could probably buy something like the Razer Viper Ultimate Hyperspeed for less, but you’ll also miss out on the fast charging and wonderful button mapping setup.

Simply put, if you’re looking for a unique RGB accessory, look no further than the Kone XP Air. If you’d rather invest in a high-end wireless gaming mouse, Roccat’s clicker may tick a few boxes too, but future competitors like the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro will offer longer-term performance.