Kinesis Vektor RGB Gaming Mouse Review

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Penned by Austin Carroll

Austin Carroll is a writer and web designer from Eugene, Oregon. He's been at HGG for five years and maintains an active role designing and develop... Read more

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Does the Vektor Mouse from Kinesis Gaming deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as offerings from Razer, HyperX, and company? Let’s find out!

I’ve spent the past week using the Kinesis Vektor every single day. In addition to using it while working, I’ve also tested its prowess in action-packed games like Fortnite and Runescape. Along the way, I’ve gained quite the understanding of how it performs in both everyday tasks and in battle.

Now, Kinesis claims that the Vektor excels in three primary categories: comfort, control, and performance. But how does it really measure up?

Unboxing

• Quick Start Guide
• Vektor Mouse

The Kinesis Vektor comes in a pure black box that features a ghostly image of the mouse alongside minimal branding. The packaging is quite intriguing and demands a closer look. Naturally, I’m happy to oblige.

Open the box, and you’ll find a Quick Start Guide as well as the mouse itself.

The first time I picked up the Vektor, a peculiar word came to mind: elegant. Now, this isn’t a word I tend to associate with gaming peripherals. Sexy, sleek, and — dare I saw it — epic are usually more appropriate. But there’s something about the Vektor that’s delightfully sophisticated.

True to its name, the curves and contours seem carefully thought out, and the RGB lighting accents every twist and turn with a river-like flow of pulsing LEDs.

Upon closer inspection, you’ll find that the LED at the center of the scroll wheel lines up perfectly with the small gap that intersects the left and right buttons. Combined with the soft edges and uniform body of the mouse, this gives the Vektor a flush design that’s quite aesthetically pleasing.

But how does it fare in terms of comfort, control, and performance?

Performance

The entire mouse is smooth to the touch, though the surfaces do differ in material. The sides are made of rubber for grip-ability, while the top is more your typical ABS plastic.

I admit that I’m a stickler for a bit of texture, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a ribbed pattern or other mild abrasive on the sides. Even with the rubber material, my hand still slides more than I’d prefer.

The slim braided coil is just the right size and feels quite durable to the touch. Contrast that with the light weight of the mouse, and you’ll find a balanced model that’s ready for competitive play.

In addition to the Configurator Software that lets you customize your media actions and macros, the Vektor also comes with a handful of built-in controls for easy adjustments on the fly.

This includes five different DPI levels that range from 500 to 5000. Simply press the center button down, and you’ll jump to the next level. This makes a huge impact when playing fast-paced games, as you can quickly find the perfect setting based on your playstyle. Slow and methodical, or snappy and responsive? Pick your poison, or swap from one to another based on the situation.

You can fine tune the DPI within the software, and adjust it in increments of one. A max DPI of 5000 is going to be more than enough for most gamers, but with many gaming mice sensors now ranging up to 16,000 DPI, it’s not as capable as the top offerings from other manufacturers.

In terms of the LEDs, you can quickly change the modes, color, and speeds with just a few clicks on the responsive OMRON switches. Once you’ve matched up with your other gear, it’s as easy as jumping into battle and outperforming the competition.

Speaking of outperforming the competition, that’s precisely what the Vektor aims to do. To that end, it boasts a quality PixArt PMW3325 Optical Sensor that combines snappy movement with a blazing-fast 1ms response time.

To get a better idea of its competitive capabilities, I tested the mouse out in several matches of Fortnite. The result?

With a couple of my most-used keys bound to the side buttons, I was able to quickly and effectively take down my opponents with pinpoint precision. Despite the Vektor’s new-to-me form factor, the mouse’s snappiness felt second-nature and landed me a few new dubs for my ever-growing collection.

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