Steel Series Ikari Laser Mouse Review
by Tim Miller
First Impressions
As soon as I saw the Ikari in its package I knew it was a slick looking mouse. While taking it out of the package I noted the nice braided cord and gold plated USB. I couldn’t wait so I went ahead and connected the mouse to my PC and as advertised, it was plug n play. No need for installing drivers, etc. I did note the b-r-i-g-h-t white light coming from the mouse.
The Good
I jumped right back into a game of Counter Strike: Source I had been playing using a Logitech G9 mouse. The mouse was responding too slow, so I switched it on the fy to the default "high" setting and it was too fast for me to get a lock on my online enemies. So I stopped and decided to learn about the Ikari mouse. One of the first things I noticed was a change in lingo. From the Steel Series website here are some important FAQ’s to know:
Q: I’m confused. You use the term CPI (counter per inch) but every other mouse manufacturer uses DPI (dots per inch). Why can’t you just use the recognized term?
A: DPI is an expression from the printing world and has nothing to do with mouse movement. DPI is meant to describe that for one inch of distance you move your mouse on any surface, the equivalent number of counts are sent to the PC - resulting in movement on your screen. CPI is the correct term for this as it actually is consistent with what you seek to describe with the abbreviation.
Q: I’m still confused. You use the term SPS (samples per second) but every other mouse manufacturer uses FPS (frames per second). Why can’t you just use the recognized term?
A: Other mouse manufacturers use sensors that take “pictures" of the surface and compare them to each other. This is why referring to frames per second is correct here. Our technology only takes samples and is in this way a lot more efficient than always processing a bigger image. We’re just using the correct term for our technology for the Ikari Laser.
Q: What is SteelSeries FreeMove?
A: SteelSeries FreeMove offers users the option to choose the degree of when this feature should kick in and correct your movement. Through seven steps in the Ikari Laser software you are able to adjust how much control should be left up to the mouse and how much control should be left up to yourself - in other words how precise should the mouse be reproducing your movement.
Q: How do I find a CPI and FreeMove combination that fits me the best?
A: Through experience. By adjusting your CPI and FreeMove degree over time you will be able to find the perfect combination. Try assigning two nearly identical settings on the Low - High toggle and go in-game to try it out. Keep doing this until you find the perfect combination.
Armed with this info and using an online CPI calculator available on the Steel Series website I was able to "tweak" the mouse to a comfort level that suited my gaming taste.
www.steelseries.com/us/products/mice/ikari_laser/information
The Ikari has a very different and very ergonmic shape to it. The mouse is also very light for those seeking a light weight mouse to use. Once tuned in I found the Ikari to be very responsive and easy to use for the most part. I can’t emphasize enough how nice it is to have a plug and play mouse without the need of driver’s. This mouse is very simplistic in many ways, but I am happy to not the response was very good and customizable.
The Bad
I mentioned before how nice the ergonomics were with the mouse. I only had one problem, my hands are pretty big and the mouse felt somewhat small in my hand. I also prefer a heavier mouse, and this one was quite light. I know a lot of people who want a light mouse, so for them this will be a good thing. I would have liked to see the option of different sizes or shells for this mouse. I am a big fan already of the shape they are using, I just wish it would not feel awkward at times in my hand. I had mentioned earlier the bright "white" light coming from the mouse. I found it a bit distracting in a dark lit setting and felt it could have been toned down a bit.
The Conclusion
The Ikari is to be applauded for its simplicity but usefulness and innovation in the business of serious gaming. It had a few things I would have liked to see as options or changes, but overall the mouse was very nice; and will be missed. I used this mouse for around 20 hours of gaming mostly in Counter Strike: Source. Steel Series advises using their optical mouse for FPS games, and the laser for RTS/RPG games.. but I found it held its own very well in FPS games and know its used by pro gamers in competition successfully.
Specifications
Specifications for SteelSeries Ikari Laser:
- Samples per second: 40.000
- Inches per second: 50
- Counts per inch: 1 - 3.200 (1 CPI Steps)
- Acceleration: 20 G
- Sensor data path: True 16 bit
- Lift distance: 0,07 inch
- Buttons: 5
- Cord: 6.5 ft (braided to improve durability)
- Polling: 1000 Hz
- Gold-plated USB connector
- Measurements: 5,1 x 3,3in - height 1,4in
- CPI high/low indicator
- SteelSeries FreeMove Technology
- Large pressure points that reduce friction for optimized glide
- Driverless, plug-and-play feature for LAN gamers
- Operating systems: Win XP/Vista/Win 2000/Win 98/Win ME/Mac OS
