ROCCAT presents its flagship wireless gaming mouse the Kone XP Air. Widely known for its refined ergonomic KONE shape which you can only find on a ROCCAT mouse. An included RGB rapid charge dock allows you to mount this mouse as a centerpiece at your battle station. Kone XP Air features a Multi-button design and 4D wheel with 29 programmable inputs, gaming-grade 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth dual connectivity, 3D RGB AIMO lighting with 5 programable zones, Titan optical switches, Owl-Eye 19K dpi optical sensor and Heat-treated pure PTFE glides priced at $169.99.
There are going to be parts of this review that will overlap with our previous look at the Kone XP wired version. I am actually very surprised to report that the XP Air weighs in at 3.4 ounces which is just a smidge lighter than the wired version. Roccat stays consistent with the shape of its Kone series mice. It’s a tad longer from end to end with a nice indent for your thumb on the left side. A new feature added to the XP version of the Kone is the Easy-Shift[+] button platform which acts as a thumb rest at the bottom left side of the mouse. I have only recently come across a few mice with thumb platforms, and on the real, I am a huge fan of this feature.
I am looking at this mouse as being good for FPS, MOBA, and some MMORPG-type applications. I personally think it’s a few buttons shy of being a good fit for MMORPGs like Final Fantasy IX Online or World of Warcraft. I have not yet grown comfortable with using the 4D mouse wheels’ side buttons in combat-type situations, It is however an awesome feature for UI or out-of-combat-type functions. Roccat’s Easy-Shift[+] technology allows you up to 29 programmable inputs by allowing you to press activate a modifier button. I understand that this equates to more than a standard MMO mouse with 12 buttons on the side but I don’t want to have to shift for those abilities.
Only true gamers know how important the looks of your battle stations are to perform at a high level. Look good feel good. If you have read my reviews before you would understand how insanely in love I am with docks. I sincerely wish that every peripheral on my desk had one. We take pride in our gaming hardware and want to show it off on a pedestal. We want people to walk into the room in our gaming area and hear the RGB gods serenade them in chorus. Yeah, the dock charges the mouse too. Of course, you will need Kone XP AIR’s 5 RGB lighting zones powered by AIMO illumination technology as well to set the mood. ROCCAT did a really good job with the 3D-looking light feature inside the palm of the mouse.
At $169.99 we are going to hold the Kone XP Air to the highest standard in performance. It’s Titan optical switches as I have mentioned before are in the 1% when it comes to performance. It’s literally laser-fast because well, it’s a laser. 19k DPI at 50g acceleration on a smooth-as-butter Owl-Eye optical sensor that is good for up to 100 million clicks. ROCCAT’s patented Stellar wireless technology is just as advertised, low latency. I think now most hardware companies have adopted heat-treated pure PTFE glides because it’s absolutely the best material on the market to use. 10 minutes of charging gets you 5 hours, and a full charge expects up to 100 hours of gaming time. This mouse is battle ready.
I use ROCCAT products myself because they slap so hard. Weight was one of my gripes with the wired version, but the XP Air model is on the lighter side for a wireless model. I do think the side buttons could be a little wider for us with bigger hands. Finally, $169.99 is a ton of money for a mouse! Can we meet at $139?
