Five reasons to get a gaming mouse aside from gaming

The Roccat Burst Pro Air is a colourful lightweight that flits nimbly across my mousepad. I use it when working from home, for creative work and, of course, for gaming. Here are the five reasons why I think gaming mice are the way to go.

Mouse

EUR69,59

Roccat Burst Pro Air

Wireless

13

Mouse

EUR69,59

Roccat Burst Pro Air

Wireless

13

Reason 1: less is more

The Burst Pro Air deserves its name. It weighs just 81 grammes – a full 20 grammes less than the Apple Magic Mouse I’d been using. The Burst Pro Air has a total of six buttons. There are gaming mice with more than this, but this automatically drives up the weight. I think six is a good compromise.

Reason 2: from Bluetooth to a yellowish green

Despite its low weight, the Roccat is equipped with customisable RGB lighting. What’s more, it comes with a 2.4 GHz dongle in addition to Bluetooth. With my needs, I don’t notice any lagging – neither with the dongle, which is faster on paper, nor with Bluetooth.

Alternatively, I can hook it up to my computer with the included 1.8-metre USB-C cable. That way, I never have to worry about the colourful lighting draining the battery. This sounds like such a no-brainer, but wasn’t an option with the Magic Mouse, as the port is located on its underside.

Reason 3: comfy shape and size

The mouse is easy to use. The buttons work with optical switches, and the mouse sensor performs very well on my mat. The mouse’s curve feels pleasant to my right hand, and the size works well with my rather small hands.

Reason 4: customisable keys

If you ask me, this is the biggest plus: Roccat’s software offers individual key configuration. In my web browser, I use the side buttons to go forward and back. Since I rarely need the (incorrectly) labelled DPI button – I can also adjust the CPI in the software – I mapped it to open the Task Manager instead.

I no longer have volume controls on my custom keyboard and miss them quite a bit. So, I decided to divert them to my mouse. In combination with the lower side button (called Easy Shift), I can now not only control the volume, but also pause, fast-forward and rewind tracks.

Reason 5: superficiality, plain and simple

An aspect that shouldn’t be ignored: the Roccat Burst Pro Air is, frankly, pleasing to my eyes. It’s a colourful, busy little bee with a honeycomb-like pattern on the top and sides. With its RGB lights, it fits perfectly into my overall home office vibe and makes my space just a touch more pleasant.