I’ve always been a fan of Laser mice, I find them much more accurate and just easier to use, and of course I do like some of the higher end optical mice as well but not as much as the laser type mice. I used my Logitech G5 from when it came out originally till the second version came out this past year and used that version of the G5 everyday on my main system, that is until I got the Ikari Laser for review…
Don’t get me wrong though, I like the G5 and always will, but I found that I only use two of the DPI settings and none of the others that are available, the Ikari offers two settings, High and Low that can be set in increments of one to truly customize your mousing preferences. The G5 also has a weight kit, but I put them in and left them there, I never changed them out, I like a fairly heavy mouse and don’t feel a need to change the weight so it was kind of a cool but rather useless feature for me.
I received the Ikari Laser about three weeks ago and at first it was a bit disconcerting to use, but now I am truly in love with this mouse and it will remain hooked to my main system probably until it dies…
Gaming mice manufacturers seem to think that more is better, but that’s not always the case, sometimes less is better especially when they focus more on the actual performance and the usability of the mouse, rather than added frivolities. SteelSeries has done just that and created a gaming mouse that has a nice balance of performance and features that you’ll actually use… so continue on to learn more about my new mouse!
SteelSeries Ikari Laser Gaming Mouse Review
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: SteelSeries
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
SteelSeries Ikari Laser Gaming Mouse
SteelSeries Ikari Laser highlights:
– Programmable macro buttons with driverless plug-and-play feature
– 40.000 samples per second (SPS) for unbeatable tracking
– 1 – 3.200 CPI (changeable in increments of 1)
– Built in LCD display to help set CPI values on-the-fly
– Chassis material and shape based on input from professional gamers
The SteelSeries Ikari mice are the result of 15 months extensive research of ergonomics, technology, shape, motion, hand grip and play styles by gamers. The shape, materials and specifications of the SteelSeries Ikari mice are based on input from professional players from Team 3D, compLexity, mousesports, SK Gaming, Team NoA and other world-class gaming organizations, who collectively represent the world’s most accomplished gamers in Counter-Strike and other gaming disciplines.
The SteelSeries Ikari Laser mouse features programmable macros for RTS and MMO gamers and a high precision sensor suitable for FPS gamers. Furthermore the Ikari Laser is completely driverless which enables the mouse to remember settings and macros when plugged into tournament computers – without installing any drivers or software.
The advanced SteelSeries XY2 laser engine supports resolution settings with increments of only 1 CPI, which for the first time ever gives the user the ability to fine tune the mouse exactly to his personal reaction pattern. Set your windows and in-game sensitivity to default and set the CPI on your hardware instead of forcing software calculations.
With the built in LED display in the bottom of the Ikari Laser you are able to adjust your CPI anytime, anywhere – you are completely independent of software or drivers.
The gaming grade engine used in the SteelSeries Ikari Laser utilizes a new way of analyzing tracking, reaching 40.000 SPS (or around 5 times the speed of conventional laser technology).
Specifications for SteelSeries Ikari Laser:
– Samples per second: 40.000
– Inches per second: 50
– Counts per inch: 1 – 3.200 (1 CPI Steps)
– Acceleration: 20 G
– Sensor data path: True 16 bit
– Lift distance: 0,07 inch
– Buttons: 5
– Cord: 6.5 ft (braided to improve durability)
– Polling: 1000 Hz
– Gold-plated USB connector
– Measurements: 5,1 x 3,3in – height 1,4in
– CPI high/low indicator
– SteelSeries FreeMove Technology
– Large pressure points that reduce friction for optimized glide
– Driverless, plug-and-play feature for LAN gamers
– Operating systems: Win XP/Vista/Win 2000/Win 98/Win ME/Mac OS
I grabbed a few questions and answers from the FAQ page, you can read all of them HERE if you wish, but I felt these helped explain the idea and specs behind the Ikari Laser.
Q: What makes the Ikari so special?
A: The Ikari Series has been developed in cooperation with professional gamers from all around the world. Teams like SK-Gaming, mousesports, Team3D, compLexity and others were involved in many of the stages of development of the Ikari. It took us a total of 15 months to gather and process the feedback we have received. The result was the Ikari series. We believe both of the Ikari mice are a perfect addition to your arsenal of professional gaming gear and will help you to improve your game.
Q: I’m considering buying an Ikari mouse – which mouse pad is recommended for it?
A: The Ikari Optical is perfectly compatible with all our mousepads. The Ikari Laser is not compatible with glass mousepads so you shouldn’t use it with the SteelSeries Experience series. We recommend a mousepad of the SteelSeries QcK series or the SteelSeries 5L for use with the SteelSeries Ikari Laser.
Q: I’m confused. You use the term CPI (counter per inch) but every other mouse manufacturer uses DPI (dots per inch). Why can’t you just use the recognized term?
A: DPI is an expression from the printing world and has nothing to do with mouse movement. DPI is meant to describe that for one inch of distance you move your mouse on any surface, the equivalent number of counts are sent to the PC – resulting in movement on your screen. CPI is the correct term for this as it actually is consistent with what you seek to describe with the abbreviation.
Q: I’m still confused. You use the term SPS (samples per second) but every other mouse manufacturer uses FPS (frames per second). Why can’t you just use the recognized term?
A: Other mouse manufacturers use sensors that take pictures" of the surface and compare them to each other. This is why referring to frames per second is correct here. Our technology only takes samples and is in this way a lot more efficient than always processing a bigger image. We’re just using the correct term for our technology for the Ikari Laser.
Q: What is SteelSeries FreeMove?
A: SteelSeries FreeMove offers users the option to choose the degree of when this feature should kick in and correct your movement. Through seven steps in the Ikari Laser software you are able to adjust how much control should be left up to the mouse and how much control should be left up to yourself – in other words how precise should the mouse be reproducing your movement.
Price: USD: 89.99 + shipping
A Better Look at Things
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The Ikari comes in the familiar color schemed package that SteelSeries is known for, on the front you can plainly see the Ikari itself, while the back has the specs, features and a diagram of the Ikari pointing out the main parts.
Opening the box we find the Ikari mouse, SteelSeries sticker, user manual, software disc and advertisement.
The Ikari itself is black and dark gray in color with a light gray mouse wheel and the SteelSeries logo on the back.
On both sides of the scroll wheel we have the standard buttons of course, behind the scroll wheel is a small black button that is used to change the CPI.
The shape or form of the Ikari actually makes it very comfortable to use, at first it felt a bit weird but after a couple days it was fine. The right side has what I might call a finger rest on it, but the hump actually spreads your hand out a bit more than other mice making your hand in a more natural and comfortable position.
On the left side we have two more smaller buttons, these are almost standard on any quality mouse now, default they are forward and back buttons but they can be changed to whatever you wish through the included software. Below the side buttons are two small LEDs with the labels ‘High’ and ‘Low’, these will light up bright white when you select which CPI settings you are using.
Looking at the bottom of the mouse we find four large feet, the large size of these feet keep it very evenly balanced and stable. Of course we also find the laser sensor there, but there is an additional small screen which is an LED display that is used to change the CPI on the mouse.
Installation, Testing and Comparison
Here’s a few pictures of the Ikari with the Logitech G5 Rev2 and the OCZ Equalizer to give a size comparison:
As you can see the G5 is thinner, rounder and a bit taller, while the OCZ is similar in shape and size to the Ikari.
The included software is optional but can be helpful to those who do a lot of gaming and like to really play with the settings. You can create custom macros and assign them to the buttons, or you can just reassign the buttons to something else if you don’t like the default settings.
You can change the CPI on the mouse, this is done by selecting which you want to change, High or Low and then holding in the selection button, the display will change to the CPI number and you can adjust it with the scroll wheel, hit the CPI button again to save. One nice feature is that you can select the CPI in increments of one, you can also scroll fast and the CPI will jump by 10s, 50s and even 100s, it all depends on how fast and how long of a scroll you do. Of course you can use the included software as well to change the CPI if you wish instantly.
The Ikari has an interesting feature that I have never seen before called ‘Freemove’, Freemove allows you complete control over the cursor, or you can set how much control you want. Pretty much all mice are hard wired to correct a users movements to make them straight, but sometimes that’s not the greatest thing, especially in gaming where you’d want complete control over your movements.
Here’s some pictures of the LED display in action, it’s blue colored and bright to be able to be used in low light situations:
The first two pictures above are of the CPI settings and the second two are of the profile names, you can see in the last picture that you are limited to ten characters. The ability to put your own text to name the profile is rather cool, I was thinking that it could also act as an anti-theft feature, considering that your name or gamer tag could be used as the profile name. At least it would work temporarily until someone changed it… but it’s a thought…
and for the last few pictures here are shots of the CPI indicator, you can see it’s fairly bright as well so you know at a glance which setting you are using easily:
I’ve recently upgraded to using three monitors and found that using a higher CPI really comes in handy when you’re scrolling across that much desktop space, normally I don’t have my CPI set up very high as I like to have a lot of control over my cursor. When I was using my G5 I had two settings, one set high and the other low for accurate movements when doing detailed work and that was all I used so the two CPI settings of the Ikari work very well for me and are exactly what I need for my personal preferences. I guess if you use all of those DPI/CPI settings then it might come in handy, but I personally don’t see much of a need for it really, one high and one low setting is all you need. With the Ikari you can change the settings as desired though the mouse or you can create unlimited profiles for the various tasks and games you play and just switch to them easily through the software.
As I mentioned in the intro I love this mouse, it has become my new favorite, it is very accurate and performs very well no matter what you are doing. Since the shape of the Ikari is bit different than other mice out there it takes a couple days to get accustomed to the feel of it, it feels larger than the G5 and it is, it’s wider but yet shorter in height. The Ikari is meant to fit in the palm of your hand comfortably and give you full control over your movements and the shape allows this very well.
Overall the Ikari is a great mouse, no matter what I used it for it performed flawlessly with one catch though, I noticed that the scroll wheel button is a bit too sensitive… I’d be browsing the web and scrolling up or down and the wheel button would activate to move the screen around by dragging it, this is something I normally don’t do so it was a bit annoying. Of course you can deactivate the scroll button if it really bothers you, but I found that after using the Ikari more and more I hit the button less and less, it seemed I was getting accustomed to the sensitivity of the wheel button and wouldn’t hit it as often as I did at first.
I tried the Ikari on several mousepads and for the most part it worked great, except I found it had problems on SteelSeries own new SP mousepad, but it does specify that the SP is made for optical mice mainly so it’s not that big of a deal. It worked fine with various cloth and other hard surface pads as well.
One odd thing I noticed about the Ikari, and it’s not a bad thing, is that in the SteelSeries FAQ it mentions that the Ikari is NOT compatible with glass mousepads, but yet it worked flawlessly on my Icemat 2nd Edition, which is the same as the SteelSeries Experience Mousepad since the companies were combined. Odd side note I guess, but I just found it a bit weird…
Summary:
The trend with gaming mice seems to be to add more features, buttons, weights etc, but SteelSeries has essentially done the opposite and created a laser gaming mouse that takes us back to basics. No weight kits, no interchangeable face plates, no other gimmicks, just a good solid mouse that offers excellent performance and the ability to be custom tailored to the users specifications.
I truly like the idea of being driverless, yes there is optional software to further customize the Ikari, but it’s not truly needed to utilize the main feature of changing the CPI, this is done on the mouse itself easily.
The Ikari is an excellent mouse in all aspects of it’s form, function and design that I can easily recommend to anyone looking for a new, quality gaming mouse.
Just remember though the shape of the Ikari is very different than others out there and at first it will feel kinda weird, but soon you’ll become accustomed to it and appreciate the ergonomic shape.
DragonSteelMods gives the SteelSeries Ikari Laser Gaming Mouse a 4.5 out of 5 score and our Editor’s Choice Award as well.
Pros:
-Comfortable to use
-No drivers
-Easily adjustable
-Cool LED display
-Excellent tracking
-Well made
-Big feet, keeps balance
-Good weight
Cons:
-Scroll wheel button is a little too sensitive
-Pricey
I would like to thank SteelSeries for the chance to review the Ikari Laser Mouse and for their continued support of DSM.
Discuss, Questions for the Author HERE
review#380