Simple. – SteelSeries Kinzu V2 Pro Edition Mouse Review

I’m an old-school gamer when it comes to PC gaming.  Give me a mouse with two clicky buttons and a keyboard to map all of my favorite settings and I’m good to go.  As a matter of fact, while playing the Diablo III open beta last weekend with the SteelSeries Diablo III mouse and headset, I had spent a good 10 hours online just using the top two buttons.  It wasn’t until I accidentally clicked one of the side buttons and dropped a couple of caltrops on the floor I realized I even had extra buttons to map things to.

Don’t get me wrong: I love the Diablo III mouse, as well as SteelSeries’ mind-blowingly powerful Sensei!  But being a gamer who remembers life before the mouse, I was astonished at the power given to me by the simple right- and left-click and simply never looked back… or forward, for that matter.

Enter the SteelSeries Kinzu V2 Pro Mouse.  We took a brief look at this mouse and its partner, the Kana, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, and now we’ve had an opportunity to get some hands-on time with them both.  One thing that’s pretty much been universally decided among us PC kids at Wanderson75.net is SteelSeries really knows how to build a mouse that’s just right for a particular gamer.  With the Kinzu V2 Pro, it really seems like this mouse is designed for those who are looking for the basic, left- and right-click mentality many of us simpler gamers are looking for.  Another plus is the ambidextrous design, allowing both left- and right-handed gamers the ability to play on the same mouse.

Like the rest of the SteelSeries mouse line-up, the Kinzu V2 Pro also has a middle button that toggles between two configurable settings for your preferred CPI (counts per inch, or, “what makes the cursor move across the screen faster”).  CPI can be adjusted for the two settings (indicated by the LED being on or off), from 400 (really slow) to 3200 (decently quick).  Instead of having the granular incremental adjustment like the more advanced Sensei or Sensei RAW, you’re instead only able to adjust in increments of 400 with the SteelSeries Engine software.  This can be a bit of an annoyance for those who really like being able to take full control of their mouse in terms of speed.

This mouse, like its higher-grade siblings, is built for longevity and reliability out of the box.  Like the Diablo III mouse, which touts a guaranteed lifespan of 10 million clicks, the Kinzu V2 Pro houses Omron switches to ensure your product will last a very long time. A double-braided cord also promises safety from crushing or snags that can occur if the cord finds its way underneath your tower, monitor, or other obstruction.

It comes in three colors: red, silver, and black. All sport a high-gloss finish.  Unfortunately, no rubberized coating is available, so for oily or sweaty hands, you might want to clean it on a regular basis, as residue is easy to build up on these finishes.

The price of $44.99 might be a little steep for some, but given the quality and features built into the Kinzu V2 Pro and paired with SteelSeries’ reliability, most gamers will find the price well worth it.

The Kinzu V2 Pro Edition receives a 4.75/5.0.