Hamburg-based ROCCAT Studios has released a high-precision laser sensor gaming mouse that gives users access to 22 programmable function buttons without going button crazy. The Kone[+] mouse also sports precise aiming assistance, eye-catching multi-color light strips along its back, a sound feedback system and the option to alter its feel by adding weights.
The successor to the company's acclaimed Kone mouse, the new input peripheral has been developed with the help of extensive feedback from the gaming community. It offers a highly precise 6000dpi Pro-Aim Laser Sensor R2 with a combination of 10.5 megapixel resolution (11750fps) and 1000Hz polling rate for precise movement tracking. The Tracking & Distance Control Unit (TDCU) has been integrated in the laser sensor and caters for fine-tuning to suit the mousepad being used, as well as control over lift-off distances.
Improvements have been made to the action of the solid four-way scroll wheel and surrounding buttons, which number 12 in all. The user gains access to double-up button functionality with the new EasyShift[+] button, which has been likened to using the Shift key on a computer keyboard. Pressing and releasing this button puts a total of 22 user-programmable mouse functions at the fingertips.
There's another button with a special purpose named EasyAim. With this held down, the mouse automatically switches to a pre-selected dpi setting which is useful for a precise aim – it could mean the difference between a kill or being killed. Similarly, the EasyWheel function can be used to control the Aero Flip 3D feature in Windows 7, amongst other things.
Kone[+]'s 72MHz TurboCore Processor and 576KB of onboard memory provide the peripheral's powerhouse, with storage for up to five different profiles for game-specific recall. When game play is terminated, the default setting is selected automatically. The device also comes with predefined macros for the top 20 PC games, and users can create custom command sequences with the Macro Manager. The mouse is not just for games of course, as all those user-allocated buttons should also prove useful in office applications such as Microsoft Word.
Along the back of the mouse you'll find some funky, curvy enhanced lightpipes where four multicolor LEDs can be configured to light up, alternate or pulsate to give users eye-catching light show effects. Kone[+] also includes ROCCAT's Sound Feedback system that will voice any changes to dpi settings, profiles, volume level or sensitivity. The mouse's driver has also been given a spruce-up, now having "innovative functions making it possible to customize the mouse to suit individual needs like no other mouse."
Other features of note include silent, frictionless Teflon mouse feet and the ability to add weight to the device as necessary thanks to the inclusion of 4 x 5g weights.
ROCCAT has released the Kone[+] gaming mouse in Germany, Switzerland, UK, France, the Netherlands and Scandinavia for EUR79.99 (about US$109), with other countries to follow shortly.