Roccat Kain 200 AIMO Wireless Mouse Review

Conclusion

The Roccat Kain 120 AIMO was one of the best mice we’ve tested in recent times with a gorgeous design giving a premium feel that was met by the standard of the internals. The Kain 200 AIMO Wireless mouse has all the good features we saw on 120, but with the added benefit of wireless support for only a small price hike. There really isn’t much not to like, so rather than just have a love-in for a couple of paragraphs let’s get really nit-picky and mention the couple of disappointing aspects.

Firstly the manual is normally a high point of the Roccat experience. They are clear, well laid out and cover all the bases. The one included with the Kain 200 AIMO was the exact opposite. Once you actually found the English section of the manual, by no means clearly delineated its entire instructions were “plug the USB cable into a free port and go to Roccat.org to download the software”. As this is a wireless mouse those instructions aren’t really telling you what to do, which cable goes where, what to do with the receiver, how to turn the mouse on. It’s a poor effort. Thankfully we’ve been doing this long enough that it was obvious, and will be to you too, but we always think manuals should be pitched as if it’s someones first purchase and cover the basics. Particularly on a £90 mouse.

Secondly the software installation process is anything but smooth. We get so sick of downloading the latest version of software from a manu’s website only to immediately have to update it. But it’s not a problem unique to Roccat, just their “install a ton of things including a reboot and still have to install even more” setup exacerbated the issue. Now we accept that most people install one utility every couple of years, rather than dozens every year as we do, so we’re more sensitive to delays. But when the manual isn’t clear and the software takes a while to get up and running with the first impressions aren’t great.

With those, admittedly minor, niggles out of the way everything else about the Roccat Kain 200 AIMO Wireless mouse is a positive joy. The sensor is just as brilliant on this wireless model as it was on the wired version, with accurate tracking, smooth movements even at low speeds, plenty of DPI options and great lift-off performance. It ticks every box you could require of a sensor and thanks to its 16000 DPI abilities those of you who game at a very high level won’t be left cursing your hardware for any missteps. Equally the buttons are supremely crisp and responsive. Omron have rightfully earned a reputation as the ultimate mouse switch producers and the ones equipped to the Kain 200 do nothing to tarnish this. Even the side buttons are tight and tactile. That might sound obvious but we’ve lost count of the mice we’ve tested with gorgeous main buttons and side buttons which feel like sticking your thumb in some pudding. No such issues here.

We’ve always preferred performance to aesthetic considerations as aesthetics are more a matter of personal preference, but the Kain is absolutely gorgeous. It is slightly smaller than many of the big multi-button mice around these days so will better suite those of you who haven’t got hands like mine which can press both control keys only using one hand. However, don’t think it’s a laptop size mouse, it’s just a little smaller but not so small you feel swindled. What really steals the show is the combination of the luxurious matte finish, smoother than a baby’s bottom, and the amazing lighting. It feels so good in the hand it’s one of the few mice we suggest you try before you buy, but solely because the moment you place it in your hand you’ll buy it. It’s that good. The word premium is bandied about too much these days but for the Kain 200 AIMO it’s utterly appropriate.

Lastly the wireless performance is everything you could hope for. It’s so responsive that you forget it’s wireless, with none of the lag or missed movements or interference you might be used to if you haven’t used a modern wireless mouse. The battery life is more than enough for even the lengthiest gaming session, and doesn’t significantly impact the weight of the Kain 200 either.

We adored the £63 Roccat Kain 120 AIMO and the Kain 200 AIMO is all that, but with the addition of wireless technology in white and black options for £89.99. Once you get over the initial software installation niggles and get up and running it’s going to give you absolute pleasure, and wins our OC3D Enthusiast Award.

  

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