| Genius Gila GX Gaming Mouse |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Input Devices | |
| Written by Greg Schepers | |
| Tuesday, 05 February 2013 | |
Genius Gila GX Gaming Mouse Review
Manufacturer: Genius, KYE Systems Corporation Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Genius. It is a very difficult task for designers to develop a gaming mouse that will rise above the competition. The gaming mouse market is saturated, after all. We have established developers that have been building gaming mice for years, such as Logitech, Razor, SteelSeries, and MadCatz, and, we have developers that were later entries into the market, but have been able to make some headway. Now we have Genius, and even though it has been around for years developing PC peripherals, its decision to enter the gaming peripheral market under the GX Gaming brand didn't come to fruition until 2011. Since then, Genius has made a number of solid entries into the marketplace, and it hopes its latest entry, the Genius Gila gaming mouse, can be the one that earns it the proverbial "seat at the table."
As you can see by the features and specifications listed below, the Genius Gila gaming mouse has a full complement of attributes. What we are all curious to find out is how beneficial these attributes are over the course of several days of both gaming and normal task use. I encourage you to keep reading in order to find out. Features & Specifications
Closer Look: Genius Gila Gaming MouseConsidering the quality of the retail packaging, the first impression of the Genius Gila gaming mouse is a very good one. The box isn't the typical rectangular shape that we've come to expect; it has uniqueness to it, yet it is not cumbersome and won't create headaches for those tasked with stacking them on retail shelves. The front of the box is a flap, which is held close to the box by a magnet. The flap opens up to reveal the mouse. All the features and specifications are accompanied by attractive imaging and are displayed on virtually every surface of the box. But, enough about the box; let's move on....
The buttons on the left-side of the Genius Gila gaming mouse are well positioned and are long enough to provide coverage for a variety of thumb lengths. However, it was difficult to feel which button my thumb was actually touching. No separation is present between the two buttons, so it feels like one long button.
This is being billed at an ambidextrous mouse and the shape of the mouse supports that claim. The one feature that made me question the true ambidextrous nature of the Genius Gila is the fact that the left-side of the mouse has buttons, yet the right-side, as you can see below, does not have any buttons.
The last point I would like to mention in this section is that the Genius Gila had a great feel to it, especially considering the fact that it is an ambidextrous mouse. I have medium to medium-large hands, so the size of this mouse worked well for me whether I went with a palm grip or with a claw grip. Now, let's take a more detailed look at the Genius Gila....Genius Gila Gaming Mouse Detailed FeaturesYou will find a compartment located on the bottom of the Genius Gila gaming mouse, which contains the adjustable weighting system. The piece that holds the weights is removable, making the addition or subtraction of weights much easier. Each of the six weights is 4.5 grams.
The weights come in a hard-plastic case with a foam insert. The Genius Gila gaming mouse felt as if it was the correct weight for me right out of the box, so I (obviously) didn't add any additional weight. You may find this mouse to be heavier than average for a mouse that maintains an adjustable weighting system.
One of the most obvious features in the image below is the "headlights." The color of these lights is adjustable, and we'll discuss the lighting in further detail a bit later. The scroll wheel, which is also visible in this image, maintains the garden variety click-to-click scrolling. The feature missing from the middle mouse button is the tilt click. Many of us have come to rely upon the tilt click, yet it was not included on the Genius Gila gaming mouse.
On the bottom of the mouse, there are three separate Teflon pads. I tested the Genius Gila gaming mouse on some basic mouse pads, as well as the full-scale Razer Goliathus Speed Edition. Initially, it did not seem to glide that well over any surface. However, after about two days of use, it was gliding just fine. Apparently, there was a bit of a break-in period. And then, there is the off-centered laser. For some gamers out there, this is a deal-breaker. I personally never had a problem no matter where the laser is located. I guess I just don't pivot at the wrist like some of you do.
Becoming pretty standard in terms of signifying the quality and attention to detail when it comes to gaming mice is the braided cord and the gold-plated USB connector. Does the Genius Gila have these features? Check.
Now that we know what the mouse looks like and are familiar with the features and specifications of the Genius Gila gaming mouse, it's time to move on and discuss the drivers.... Genius Gila Gaming Mouse Software
There's really nothing new under the sun in terms of the drivers for the Genius Gila gaming mouse, which is referred to as the Scorpion User Interface (UI). Most of us familiar with a gaming mouse have used similar software in the past to customize profiles. However, the Genius Gila does offer on-board memory with 32KB of storage for your macro settings. This feature eliminates problems that arise when playing a game that prevents macro usage. Even though this feature isn't unique, it's not yet exactly commonplace.
The Scorpion UI provides you with the ability to create new, import, export and delete macros on the "Manage Macro" page. Again, this is a pretty common feature found in most GUIs.
The "Advanced Setting" tab in the Scorpion UI allows you to fine-tune your mouse. As you can see below, you can manipulate the mouse speed, sensitivity, scroll speed, polling, rate, and DPI settings. You also have the ability to engage angle-snapping if you so desire.
The Genius Gila gaming mouse maintains a 16 million RGB backlight system in three different surface areas, which can be manipulated when going to the "Light Options" tab. The area considered "Light 1" is what I call the "headlights," which are located in the front of the mouse on either side of where the braided cord meets the mouse. "Light 2" actually consists of two separate areas; the light on the scroll wheel, and the "GX GAMING" light located near the top of the mouse. Finally, we have "Light 3," or what I call the "taillights." The intensity and pulsation of these lights can be manipulated on this page as well.
As mentioned earlier, you can adjust the polling rate when on the "Advanced Settings" page. I set the Genius Gila gaming mouse to a polling rate of 1000Hz, and utilized the Mouse Rate Checker to find out its polling rate performance. Here are the results:
We've looked at the Genius Gila gaming mouse in detail, from the hardware to the drivers. Now, we must move on and test it to see how it performed.... Testing & ResultsTesting MethodologyI used the Genius Gila gaming mouse for one week on an average of about six hours per day. I performed a variety of professional and casual daily tasks mainly utilizing Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Excel, Word) and Adobe products (Photoshop, Dreamweaver). In addition, I played a number of games including Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Assassin's Creed III, and Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor. Test System
ResultsAs you all well know, a gaming mouse is not judged according to the number of buttons it has. In fact, many of the designs with more than the typical compliment of buttons often turn out to be awkward in the sense that the buttons are rarely placed in a fashion that promotes a normal level of dexterity. No matter how well built it is, if you have to contort your hand and wrist to reach a button, what's the point? That is one of the features I found to be refreshing about the Genius Gila gaming mouse. Every button, at least for my fingers, was within reach and easily depressed with little effort. Of course, a mouse is not a "one size fits all" proposition, so results may vary. The Gila is being marketed by Genius as an MMO/RTS gaming mouse, and the additional buttons, along with the ideal placement, will come in handy for use in those genre of games. However, it is blatantly obvious that FPS gamers will benefit from this design. Why else would it have a "sniping" feature? Adjustable DPI is, more often than not, incorporated into the design of a gaming mouse. In fact, I think it's safe to say that it is now a standard feature. What I don't understand is having the ability to go all the way up to 8200 DPI. Who actually sets the DPI at that level? I generally stay around the 2000 DPI level, but that will vary depending upon the game. However, I think that's a way of Genius really promoting what they've "got under the hood," which is the NXP LPC11U14 microcontroller. Genius claims that the NXP LPC11U14 provides the Gila with a response time that is "8 times quicker than typical gaming mice." The Scorpion UI was not unlike other GUIs I've used with other gaming mice. One of the positive features that caught my attention was the aforementioned "Instant Button" capability, which allows the user to, basically, borrow a macro from another profile. However, the issue I had was that there was no keystroke option available. In gaming mice I've used before, you can easily assign a keystroke to a button through the GUI. The Scorpion UI does not include this feature, so you pretty much have to record a macro to assign a keystroke. This is not that big of a deal, but I thought it was noteworthy. A suggestion I have for Genius is that, in the future, provide the ability to assign profiles to programs. For example, the Logitech G9x allows a user to assign a program to a profile, so once you open a program, the mouse will automatically switch to the profile assigned to that program. I mentioned this earlier, but I was a bit apprehensive initially in terms of the comfort level I would experience while using an ambidextrous mouse with a 12-button design. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the mouse a great fit for my hand, but the button placement was perfect. The only detractor from a comfort standpoint is that the mouse gets a bit warm on the top causing my hand to perspire. Genius Gila Gaming Mouse Final ThoughtIf you're anything like me, input devices are decisions that I agonize over. Okay, I'm probably being a little dramatic, but these are difficult decisions nonetheless. A gaming mouse is certainly not a "one size fits all" proposition, but Genius made a run at it with the Gila. Think about the features: ambidextrous, 12-buttons, DPI ranging from 200 to 8200, 72 macro capability, adjustable weighting system... it certainly seems as if this mouse should appeal to the masses.Is this mouse for everyone? Probably not. The off-centered laser alone will prevent some individuals from buying the Genius Gila gaming mouse. However, Genius did design a comfortable, visually appealing, versatile, and high-performing mouse, which will attract a customer base. I think the Gila is a feather in Genius' cap and will help to solidify its position as a real player in the gaming peripheral market.
Genius Gila Gaming Mouse ConclusionArmed with the NXP LPC11U14 microcontroller, the Genius Gila is able to produce a DPI range from 200 to 8200 and is rumored to be approximately eight times faster than the garden variety gaming mouse. It is also capable of delivering a 1000Hz polling rate. While testing it, I found the Gila to be as good as advertised. So, from a performance standpoint, the Gila is a solid performer.The best description I can give regarding the Genius Gila gaming mouse is that it resembles a sports car, and not just because it has what appears to be headlights and taillights. The shape in conjunction with red-on-black paint job make it look like it should be going 100mph rather than just sitting dormant on a desk. And, you'd think that a mouse with these kinds of lines would only have a few buttons. That's not the case here. Genius incorporated 12 buttons into this sleek design without adding unsightly humps and bumps on the device. The buttons just flow into the mouse, yet remain extremely easy to manipulate... more about that later. There's nothing out of the ordinary in terms of the construction of the mouse. No, it doesn't have an aluminum frame... it consists of plastic and molded rubber pieces; which is pretty standard in the industry. However, it does maintain a solid feel. You will not find anything shaking or rattling on this device. As I alluded to above, the 12-button design of the Genius Gila gaming mouse was well thought out. The buttons are well-positioned, yet flow into the frame. The only issue I had was that, for buttons right next to each other, there is really no separation between the two. This makes it difficult to distinguish between adjacent buttons. The Scorpion UI makes the Gila very customizable by providing six different profiles and up to 72 macros. As of February 2013, the current retail price of the Genius Gila Gaming mouse is $99.99 (NewEgg / Amazon), which puts it at the high-end price point for wired gaming mice. Considering the features, the performance it delivers and the quality of its construction, it belongs there. I've paid more for much less, as have many of you out there. Pros:
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Comments
That seems reasonable if it performs as stated.
A reviewer at Newegg complained about "buggy software."
I'd buy it from Amazon since they have a very liberal return policy, which is why I buy most such items from them.
The only reason I'd buy elsewhere is because they may not happen to carry what I want at the moment.