Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury Gaming Mouse

Ever moved your mouse so rapidly that the cursor skips across the screen? Apparently, this happens when the mouse sensor is unable to track properly because you are moving it too fast.

To solve this problem, which may affect some elite gamers playing first-person shooting (FPS) games, Logitech has engineered a solution called the Fusion Engine. It is the top feature of its latest G402 Hyperion Fury gaming mouse.

Combining an accelerometer and a gyroscope with a standard optical sensor, the Fusion Engine is able to track mouse movements at speeds exceeding 500 inches per second (IPS), so Logitech says.

You can verify this for yourself using Logitech's Gaming Software utility, which comes with a built-in measurement tool. As a former FPS player, the best I managed using this tool was 92 IPS. I seriously doubt any human is able to breach the 400 mark.

In other words, the super sensor at the heart of the G402 is overkill. It is no different from the ridiculously high sensitivity touted by some gaming peripheral brands.

But gimmicky or not, the G402 is still a very good mid-range mouse. Like all gaming mice, its sensitivity, which ranges from 240 to 4,000 dots per inch (dpi), can be adjusted on the fly. Some may find 4,000 dpi insufficient, but personally, I rarely go beyond 3,200.

More importantly, the G402 has a button that switches to a pre-assigned dpi setting when depressed. This feature is useful in FPS games where a high dpi setting is usually preferred when fighting enemies at close range, while sniping at a foe from afar works better with a much lower setting. Conveniently located within thumb's reach, this button lets you switch instantly between the two dpi settings.

Instantly recognisable as a gaming accessory, the G402 is completely black except for the logo, which is illuminated by a pulsing blue LED light. An LED status indicator lets you know your current dpi setting.

Designed for right-handers, with an asymmetrical design, the G402 feels comfortable enough. It has eight buttons that can be reassigned to other functions or custom macros using Logitech's software. Changes to the settings are saved to the built-in storage on the mouse.

This software is available only on Windows platforms, so while this mouse works with other operating systems such as Mac OS X, it will have only the basic functionality.

Compared with its competitors, the software lacks some of the frills, such as the ability to tweak mouse acceleration and to change the LED colour.

At $65, the G402 is very affordable for a gaming-grade mouse. While its Fusion Engine feature seems like a gimmick, the mouse feels solid and has a very useful button that switches dpi settings. By Vincent Chang

BACKGROUND STORY

TECH SPECS

Price: $65

Buttons: Eight

Sensitivity: 240 to 4,000 dpi

Response time: 1 millisecond Maximum speed: Over 500 inches per second

Weight: 144g

RATING

Features 4/5

Design 3/5

Performance 3/5

Value for money 4/5

Overall 4/5

This article was published on Sept 10 in Digital Life, The Straits Times.

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