If you’re in the market for a new gaming mouse, you ought to consider the ROCCAT Burst Pro.
We’ve been trained to think that if something is heavier, it must be better quality, I think. Well, the ROCCAT Burst Pro throws that out of the window. Weighing just 68g, it’s unlikely you’ve cradled a mouse in your hand that’s lighter than this.
Admittedly, it does take some getting used to. My previous mouse, like many of the gaming variety, came with a series of weights, allowing me to set the mouse at my desired heft. I went somewhere in the middle; not too heavy, but just enough to feel like you’ve got something substantial in your hand.
That’s not the case with the ROCCAT Burst Pro. Lifting it out of the box for the first time, it feels feather-light. “That’s going to be too light,” I thought. Once I’d plugged it in my computer and spent 10 minutes with it, though, I realised I was wrong.
Quality doesn’t have to mean heft. The lightness of the ROCCAT Burst Pro means it effortlessly glides in your hand like there’s nothing there. Its heat-treated PTFE glide pads on the bottom of the mouse help, too. It’s incredibly smooth to use, whether you’re using a mouse mat or a tabletop (though you do notice a difference when using a good-quality mouse mat). Replacement glide pads are included in the box, too, which is a very nice touch.
The contours of the mouse fit perfectly in my hand – it’s just the right size, with curves in all the right places. If you have extra-large hands, though, you might find it a little too small to comfortably hold. A super-soft braided cable attaches the mouse to your PC via USB. It’s extra-flexible, so it’s never going to get in your way.
It has an understated design, but one that’s made striking thanks to cleverly-placed RGB lighting. The wheel, for example, is illuminated with a cycling RGB display along its edges, while the body of the mouse also lights up, but with a unique honeycomb pattern. That honeycomb pattern follows through onto the sides of the mouse, giving it a textured finish that also provides some additional grip.
There are five preset cursor speeds to the ROCCAT Burst Pro, which can be easily cycled through with a button on top of the mouse. It’s positioned just under the wheel, and I was worried I’d end up pressing it accidentally, but it hasn’t happened; it requires a meaningful click, so you’re unlikely to catch it without meaning to.
Along with the main two buttons on top of the mouse, there are two extra buttons which, out of the box, act as back and forward buttons when you’re browsing. But heading to ROCCAT’s website and downloading its universal Swarm software gives you access to additional features. With that, you can fine-tune your DPI, customise your button loadout and change the RGB lighting.
The Swarm software is great for those who like extra control. You’re able to set specific game profiles if you need a different set-up for different applications, and you can assign your buttons to practically any task you could need them to do. With the multiple profiles, it means you can have buttons do very specific tasks within a game. But even without the software, the ROCCAT Burst Pro is excellent and perfectly useable straight out of the box. Most casual users will never need to use Swarm, but it’s a very welcome addition for those who do like to tinker.
At £50/$60, the ROCCAT Burst Pro feels fairly priced. It’s in a comfortable middle zone; not too expensive, but not exactly ‘budget’ priced either. Let’s face it; only serious PC users or gamers are going to spend more than about twenty quid on a mouse. But this one feels worth it. Don’t be deceived by its lightness. It has all the bells and whistles you need, without being too over the top. It’s extremely comfortable to use, and it functions perfectly – what more could you want from a mouse?
