There’s a new force to be reckoned with in the lightweight mouse market, and that is the German-based Endgame Gear. The XM1 is their first offering, and is the end result of a collaboration with former Mousesports AWPer Johnny R (show clip?). It features an analogue switch algorithm that gives it a response time of less than 1 millisecond. No RGB zones, extensive branding or a honeycomb shell, just straight up performance. This is a no-frills and no-nonsense approach, and I know a lot of people are already smiling. Don’t be fooled by its understated exterior though, the XM1 boasts some impressive specs: we have the Pixart PMW 3389, pre-sorted Omron switches and PTFE glides. The unit I’m reviewing features the new Flex Cord. The initial release came with a rubber cable.
The XM1 is an ambidextrous mouse with thumb buttons on the left only. From the measurements we can tell that it is a medium-sized mouse, and it’s very light at only 70g. It is a fairly low profile mouse and flares out towards the back. It’s not actually as wide in the middle as the top view would suggest, and we get a nice grip width of 5.7cm. The hump sits towards the back, and it’s a low profile hump design. It doesn’t slope as aggressively as the MM710 for example, but it’s not as gradual as the Viper Mini either. The best grip style is definitely going to be claw or relaxed claw. The low profile design and ergonomic side curves also makes it fingertip friendly. Although it won’t offer a ton of palm support, users with smaller hands should be able to palm it.
I have a hand size of 18x9cm and use a fingertip grip. The mouse felt very comfortable, but the hump did hit my palm occassionally with vertical movement. So I feel that it’s slightly too big for me and I adjusted to more of a hybrid grip. So for a fingertip grip I’d recommend a hand size bigger than 18cm. For claw or relaxed claw I think most hand sizes will be fine. For palm grip, a smaller handsize will work best, otherwise it may not offer enough palm support and could lead to hand cramps. So anything under 19cm should be good for palm. This is just a general guide, and personal preference also comes into play. At the end of the day, any hand size and any grip style can work. I have to say that the shape is one of the standout features of this mouse. The side curves are very ergonomic and I like the hump design.
The XM1 features a matte black coating. It’s very grippy and sweat friendly. It does tend to collect some grease marks though. Probably not the end of the world as this is a performance focused mouse, but it was a minor annoyance to me as I do care what my mouse looks like. Apart from that I really like the minimalistic design of the mouse.
The switches are pre-sorted, which basically means there will be less variance between the two primary mouse buttons, and they should feel very similar. The buttons require medium force to press, and the pre and post travel is very low. There is a little bit of sideplay, but this is to be expected considering that the primary buttons are separate from the main shell. The primary buttons feel very crisp and consistent – Endgame Gear did an excellent job here. I also like the lower clicking height of 2cm, and I feel more in control of the mouse. I would’ve liked some finger grooves though. The scroll wheel is positioned quite far forward on the mouse, which I found quite odd. In my case I was using the very tip of my index finger for the scroll wheel – but it could be a bit of reach of you have smaller hands. The scroll wheel has well-defined individual steps and just the right amount of tension. The click is a bit on the heavy side though. The side buttons are excellent. Well-positioned and they have a nice outward curve giving them a tactile feel. Again there is very little pre or post travel. Overall an exceptional clicking experience. The only nitpick I have is the position of the scroll wheel.
Considering that this is Endgame Gear’s first mouse, the build is excellent. Minimal creaking and absolutely no rattle. Nothing feels or sounds loose. The frame is very sturdy and there is virtually no bend. Very impressive build for a mouse that only weights 70g. The Flex Cable is extremely light and flexible. This is pretty much the same as CoolerMaster’s Ultraweave cable, which is the best cable I’ve ever used. I really need this cable on my Viper Mini. Just as good as wireless in my opinion.
Four PTFE glides on the bottom. The sensor placement is perfect. As expected from an e-sports focused mouse, the DPI button is on the bottom to prevent accidental clicks. You can use it to cycle through 4 DPI levels, and by holding it in you can adjust the polling rate. Competitive gamers will like the plug and play functionality.
As expected, the 3389 is an absolute beast, and offers flawless tracking. You definitely won’t experience any spinouts or angle snapping. The lift-off distance is 2mm by default, and I didn’t experience any LOD problems. It actually felt lower than 2mm. The less than 1 millisecond response time was not really noticeable in game, but thumbs up to Endgame Gear for the innovation. The mouse performed brilliantly on CSGO and my aim felt very precise. Sadly the XM1 is a little bit too big for me, so I didn’t have the flicking and swiping speed of the Viper Mini. I was every bit as accurate though, if not more accurate. I really would like to see a smaller version of the XM1 from Endgame Gear. I think it could offer some serious competition to the Viper Mini. On Kovaak Aim Trainer the performance was good and I came pretty close to some of my Viper Mini high scores. What usually happens when I use medium mice is that my precision aiming is very good, and my flicking is slower.
I’m very excited to see what Endgame Gear will offer next. I was really impressed by this mouse. Awesome shape, great build, high quality clicking. There really isn’t much to not like about this mouse. I really hope they go the Viper Mini route and make a smaller version in the future.
headtr1p 