Okay, let's get this out of the way: I have a bit of a mouse problem. Not the kind you need a cat for; rather, I purchased five mice this year. That's one mouse more than I have limbs that can use them (I'm very talented, not an octopus).
With that said, the Mionix Castor makes me happy every time I touch it.
To compare, my Logitech G9x will warm the cockles every once in awhile when I'm FPSing and I pull off some slick magic with a whipped headshot on a huge DPI setting, or when I remember to toggle the smooth scroll wheel on the bottom for scrolling through pages at ludicrous speed. But that's chump change in comparison.
If the G9x is a finely-tuned weapon of virtual war, the Mionix Castor is total nuclear disarmament.
It holds your hand. Now I don't mean it's a bear of a thing that you'll haul around by its rough matte surface - and to be honest, that's what I feared it'd be. Nope! You're holding hands with Mr. Castor, who just really wants to know what's bothering you at work and offer some sage advice that'll turn the whole world right.
It's something about the plastic and its coating - the G9x has this rubberized matte that doesn't rub your hand raw, but it sure catches any dead skin that might've been there and hides it until you manage to accidentally scrape it and there's that white streak and UGH. (Still not a bad mouse, for the record.) The Mionix feels... silky? It's like microfiber had a really nice shave, and since it's sculpted to let your hand just fall into it, it catches the warmth and radiates it back JUST ENOUGH so that it feels indescribable.
But that's just the surface. We have to go deeper!
The Castor claims to have a zero-tracking sensor. Despite buying anything remotely resembling a mouse that passes in front of me, I can't speak to that mechanically. But from a user standpoint, it might have something to do with how intuitive the movement is - there's no learning curve to speak of, and movements come out precisely as you make them and without compromise. And since the software that comes with it allows an absurd amount of customization (want different levels of DPI for vertical and horizontal movement for some reason? knock yourself out!) it's easy to tweak to your liking.
The switches on this thing, too. MAN. Clicking is crisp and offers some real tactile feedback, but the actuation window (where the actual "click" happens and the mouse registers your input) is thin enough to reliably double-click at lightning speed without missing a single press. And it's not like some mice that will only click reliably and comfortably if your fingers are right on the switch - they just work!
Really, the best feedback I can give is that this mouse is subtle. It shows a lot of design knowhow from a usability standpoint, and an appreciation for its breadth of potential use. The sculpted finger rest on the right side? Uninvasive if you're not using it, but that slight little ridge is heaven if you're palming the Castor. Surprising for me, since I'm usually more prone to claw or rest my pinky and thumb on the mousepad for precision movements (which you can still do, by the way).
And you may have noticed in the photos: it's Not Ugly. The amount of control you have over the lights is actually pretty funny - pink blinking lights? Sure! Two different colors for your scroll wheel and the logo? Why not? Shove your favorite color code in there and get to work. I have mine set to slowly pulse through a gradient on just the mouse wheel, and it's gradual enough that it's actually really pleasant. And I'm someone who generally hates LEDs on input devices.
So, worth it? You bet your firstborn it is. Seriously, if you're in the market for a mouse and this is within your budget, give it a shot. My only criticism is that it'd be nice if you could set it to ratcheting or smooth scroll, but I think that's just coming from the G9x (and as I mentioned previously, I forget about it often).
| Brand | Mionix |
|---|---|
| Series | MIONIX Castor Black Optical Gaming Mouse |
| Item model number | MNX-01-26004-G |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Operating System | Windows, MAC, Linux |
| Item Weight | 5 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 2.78 x 1.58 x 5.06 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 2.78 x 1.58 x 5.06 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Voltage | 5 Volts |
| Manufacturer | Mionix |
| ASIN | B06ZXWBN8P |
| Date First Available | April 30, 2017 |
