FPSLabsPicture 16 « : SteelSeries Ikari Gaming Mouse

Having made headway into almost every peripheral category, logical progression for SteelSeries would point towards mice. Presenting the Ikari.

After nearly two years in development from conception to production, the SteelSeries Ikari was announced in the Summer of 2007. Unfortunately, the only gaming hardware review site has not been able to provide you with a true gamer review up until now due to many things including FPSLabs becoming an independent publication. Allow me to present the SteelSeries Ikari…

For those of you who didn’t know, the Ikari comes in two flavors: Optical and Laser. Back at NewEgg Lanfest 2K7 we had the chance to try out the Laser version and interview Kim Rom of SteelSeries fame. I have to say that my reaction was positive back then, and I was eager to give this baby the full run-through. The packaging for both mice is identical with the only difference being the obvious specification changes between the optical and laser engines. Securely packaged, the mouse came with a manual, driver CD, and a SteelSeries sticker. Nothing too unusual or worth mentioning here other than my first impression was a good one with aesthetically pleasing packaging and product.

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Needless to say, I have had the Ikari for quite some time to give it a thorough and complete review. It is the lengthy times spent with the product that gives us a better gauge of how we like the product over time versus 5-10 days. I can honestly say that my first impressions of the Ikari still holds true today. This is one of the lightest, most agile mice I have ever used and I have used and tested almost every gaming mouse available on the market. The shape is unique, but instantly familiar in the hands of a ‘righty’. It seems simple in design, but is advanced in features and nature. The textures on the two mice are different. While the laser version has one of those powder, rubbery coatings, the optical has glossy plastic on top with a slight rubbery coating on the sides. I preferred the texture on the laser mouse, but both were comfortable.
{mospagebreak heading=Intro, Impressions&title=Features}
Much thought went into what features would be chosen and how to best implement these features for the competitive gamer. For instance, CPI (Counts Per Inch) switching is a feature on both versions of the mouse, but instead of getting crazy with meters and 3 or 20 different settings they enabled just two settings. A single button in the center of the mouse switches the CPI between high and low with ease. The current setting is indicated by two small white LEDs on the front left side of the mouse. This allows gamers to quickly reference their CPI, not have to worry about multiple settings, and reduce the number of actions they must take while in game. Both versions of the mouse have onboard memory, but the laser version goes one step further to include an LCD at the bottom of the mouse. The LCD is used to change the values of the high and low CPI settings. Simply switching to the setting you want to change and then holding down the center button will put it into setting mode. Then you just scroll to your desired CPI for that setting. With the optical mouse, you can change and store these settings onto the mouse via the drivers. One thing to note is that the Ikari is the only mouse on the market that allows you to adjust the CPI in increments of 1. Kim Rom says this is important, and I say thanks for the option, but I don’t see it as a selling point or even necessary. I could be wrong, but I felt little if any difference between 800 CPI and 801 CPI. Increments of 10 would have been just fine probably. Like I said, nice to have, but neither a positive or a negative in my book. The ability to change the settings right on the mouse, however, is awesome. The drivers for the Laser Ikari mouse were never necessary to install thanks to this ability.

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The side buttons on both mice left a little to be desired. I got used to them fairly quickly, but one thing I loved about the Microsoft Sidewinder was the side buttons. Loved them so much I thought about modding them into this mouse once the review was finished. Not too much negative to say here as the buttons are effective, easy to get to, and are not in a detrimental location.

Lift off distance is HUGE for many low sensitivity players and SteelSeries knows this, having made professional gaming gear for years. Lift off distance is the amount of distance you must lift the mouse before it stops recognizing movement. This is important for low sensitivity players because they are constantly lifting their mouse and moving it over to get more mouse pad. Too high of a lift off distance can be disastrous. They succeeded in creating what I believe to be the shortest lift off distance of any mouse on the market at what seems to be paper thin. Very nicely done. I say all this regarding the laser version. The optical version is officially 3.5mm of lift off distance due to the use of a brighter light source for better tracking. A trade off that is necessary with optical technology, but unnecessary with laser

The only physical “flaw” that I can see is the difficulty I had lifting the mouse with one hand. The right side is contoured for comfort and not for typical lift. Be prepared to lift with your pinky and thumb if you are a low sensitivity player and not your ring finger.
{mospagebreak title=Optical vs. Laser, Performance}
Optical Vs. Laser

We have had this discussion one too many times and I am going to end it here and now for FPSLabs. Fact from fiction, the laser technology that initially had some problems has now advanced to a point where it has surpassed optical in every category including the most important stats: CPI, Lift off distance, and Tracking. There is nothing more to be said other than that the comparison of these two mice proves this point even further. The optical Ikari uses the latest and greatest in optical engine technology, but it still doesn’t measure up to the stats and performance of the laser version. Kim Rom practically said it in the NewEgg Lanfest interview, the optical > laser debate is all in your optical fanboy head. Laser is more precise, more reliable, more consistent, has a smaller lift off distance, and is the way of the future. So long as companies continue to use the latest iteration of laser technology in their mice- specifically, the technology used in the latest and greatest laser mice like the Ikari and Logitech G9 - there does not exist a good reason to go with optical over laser. End transmission.

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Performance

As per usual, I played every genre of game possible to get a feel for how this mouse performed in all areas. The test games included Team Fortress 2, Crysis, Halo PC, Shadowrun, Starcraft, Unreal Tournament, and RollerCoaster Tycoon (awesome!). I tested these mice on the SteelSeries SP, 5L, Razer Mantis Speedmat, Razer ExactMat, and an S&S all without a problem. CPI switching was right on par if not better than others and the scroll wheel has just the right divots. I will say that I do like Logitech’s free scroll (without divots) for browsing and the like, but I can do without considering everything else this mouse brings to the table.

Countless hours of owning and my hand is comfortable, the mice didn’t get slippery, and I didn’t experience a single skip in tracking. I tested these babies at low sens and high sens and couldn’t seem to throw it off track. High quality technology and manufacturing went into both versions. The mouse feels solid, but maintains a nice light weight for speed and agility.
{mospagebreak title=Comparison, Conclusion}
Comparison

This is right on par with the near perfection of the Razer DeathAdder. Because this is the second mouse I have reviewed that has scored so well, I am beginning to believe that mouse technology is VERY close to its peak and the only thing left for purchasers to decide is the shape of the mouse that makes them comfortable. This mouse is lighter than the DeathAdder and MUCH lighter than the Sidewinder. It’s extremely comfortable for me and I encourage you, as with any mouse, to try it out before you buy as shape is a very personal choice. The DeathAdder and the Logitech G9 are the only mice on par with this one in terms of performance. The DeathAdder is the only other mouse I found as a complete package to be on par with the Ikari.

Conclusion

The Ikari laser and optical mice performed with the same results and agility all around. If anything, I would say that the laser version felt more on target and was faster to respond, not that my super human senses can really distinguish between the two. I was incredibly pleased with both mice. The only question I have is, why would you purchase the optical version? The laser version comes with better technology, an LCD that boasts the option of changing your settings right on the mouse (no drivers), and the texture is more comfortable in my opinion. At a price of $89.99 for the laser and $59.99 for the optical, can you really argue that this is a value? Also consider the fact that I have seen the Ikari Laser as low as $60. Their debut into the mouse industry is shining example of the fact that no one knows serious gamers like SteelSeries. The Ikari is the best there is.

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