Customization: 10
If you are looking for a mouse that you can truly make your own, the Kone XTD is the mouse for you. Utilizing the latest Roccat drivers, you have complete control over all eight of the customizable buttons on the Kone XTD. Simply open the driver menu and choose which options you want to modify. You can literally rearrange the mouse configuration to whatever you see fit. In addition to the standard buttons, the Kone XTD utilizes a feature called Easy-Shift which gives you twice the number of customizable buttons. You have your normal functions, but when you hold down the Easy-Shift button you can assign new tasks to all the buttons giving you two functions with one button. This system works extremely well and you’ll have plenty of buttons to maps out making sure your hand doesn’t have to leave the mouse. In addition to the programmable buttons, the Roccat Kone XTD driver software allows you to save up to five different profiles so whether you play World or Warcraft, Counter-Strike or both, you can set up profiles that make sure your setup is saved and ready to map at any time.
Sure there are plenty of button options to chose from but there are also some visual customizations that may not help you on the battlefield, but it makes sure you rack up kills in style. The Kone XTD features four mutli-color LEDs that form two thin color bars on the mouse itself. These color bars are fully customizable and can be lit up in most color combinations. Whether you prefer both bars to be one color, or if you rather them slowly fade to every color in the rainbow, the choice is yours. These color bars allow you to make sure that your mouse will fit the color scheme of your rig.
We felt that the Kone XTD really offers you a wide variety of choices to make sure your mouse plays with you, not against you. All the buttons can be changed quickly and easily. Whether we played an MMO or were engaged in a FPS, the mouse did its job well. We especially liked the built in macro manager for the more complicated commands. Whether you are a seasoned pro, or just looking for an edge, this mouse will give you the tools you need to be successful.
Value: 8
The Roccat Kone XTD is a premium, top-of-the-line gaming mouse and that comes with a price. Sure there are plenty of cheaper options that will perform well. However, the Roccat Kone XTD has a number of visual and performance features that makes this mouse a good deal. If you happen to have a Roccat keyboard with the Roccat Talk functionality built into it, the value goes up even further. We felt that the Roccat Kone XTD found a way to keep the price point at a reasonable level while still providing gamers with enough features and flexibility to make the purchase worth it. If you are serious about gaming and you have a need to keep the more complex commands literally at your fingertips, the Roccat Kone XTD will certainly get the job done for you.
Features: 9
There are a number of premium features that were built into this mouse that sets this device above the rest. First, the Kone XTD features in-game DPI switching. With the simple press of a button just before the scroll wheel, the mouse’s DPI settings can be raised or lowered on demand. The software will also announce the current setting to you so you know how high or low you have the setting. We found that the jumps were large enough to significantly effect the sensitivity without having to press the button too many times. This is a great option for FPS gamers.
If you happen to be an MMO gamer, you’ll be happy to know that this mouse has several buttons capable of running macros. We went into further detail in the Customization section, but it is worth noting again. However, the options aren’t limited to buttons.
The Kone XTD comes with four 5g weights that can be added to the mouse. These weights can give your mouse the exact weight and resistance you are looking for making those tricky kills even easier. We did find that accessing the weight compartment under the mouse, a little awkward to maneuver and the placement was a little far back than we would have like to have seen. We would have loved to have seen a quick release or something a little easier to manipulate than a screw bottom holder. Also, having the weights in the center of the mouse, or being able to position the weight where you like it, would have made more of an impact than having all the weight in the back of the mouse.
The Kone XTD includes a braided cable which does a great job at staying straight and not getting caught on anything on your gaming setup. There was plenty of length to the cable so we had no problems at all reaching the back of our test rig. Finally, the Kone XTD has a rubberized finish covering the surface of the device. You’ll find the grip very comfortable and you’ll never loose your grip. Wherever you plant your fingers, that is where they are going to stay.
The Kone XTD features an impressive list of specs which would explain why the mouse runs so well. It comes with an 8200 Pro R3 DPI laser, 576KB of internal storage for all your macros, a turbo core V2 72 Mhz ARM MCU to make sure the mouse runs smoothly. The 8200 DPI PRO R3 is as fast as gaming mice get these days, so you can’t get any more powerful than that. All together, you have a mouse that has power to spare.
Overall, we found the Kone XTD to contain every option you could hope for no matter what games you like to play. Aside from the weight compartment, we found this mouse to be one of the better mice you can buy, given the features it comes with right out of the box.
Function: 10
We found the Kone XTD to function extremely well no matter what we subjected it to. Whether it was the twitch physics of a sniper in a first person shooter or the complex macro management of an MMO, this mouse handled it without a problem. Switching profiles was quick and easy which allowed you to play whatever you wanted to play, how ever you wanted to play it. The mouse was very accurate and had plenty of its own power to get the job done. As far as function was concerned, the Kone XTD passed our tests with flying colors. We couldn’t get the mouse to fail us, so this joins the ranks of an excellent piece of gaming hardware.
Overall: 9.25
All in all, the Kone XTD is an elite level gaming mouse. There are plenty of great options that suit all different types of gamers. When you combine that with a great piece of software that controls everything, you have everything you need right at your disposal. We loved the Kone XTD for its flexibility, control and most of all its style. The mouse looks great and the customizable LEDs makes sure that this mouse will blend into any gaming rig. If you are lucky enough to have a Roccat keyboard, you can take the visual effects to a new level where the mouse and the keyboard will match at all times. This is a great gaming mouse and if you are in the market for one, we couldn’t recommend this mouse to you anymore.