Thursday, July 16, 2020
ROCCAT brings some fire to its mouse game.
ROCCAT is a storied company with a long history in the PC accessories space. The company was acquired by Turtle Beach a few years ago, and continues to put out great products like the ROCCAT Vulcan 121 keyboard we recently reviewed.
When it comes to mice, there are a few core things you want said mouse to be able to do, particularly from a gaming perspective. The ROCCAT Kain doesn't really do anything mind-blowing, but perhaps sometimes that's all you need. The ROCCAT Kain 200 nails all the basics in a big way.
Get catty
ROCCAT Kain 200
Bottom line: The ROCCAT is a solid mouse that isn't what I'd describe as remarkable, but perhaps that's the point. It does exactly what it says it will: provide accurate cursor motion with both wired and wireless options.
Pros:
- Wired and wireless options
- Great cursor action up to 1000Hz polling and 16,000 DPI
- Ergonomic and lightweight
Cons:
- Mouse wheel is overly resistive
- AIMO lighting platform isn't very mature
- "EasyShift" doesn't work across devices
What you'll love about the ROCCAT Kain 200
The ROCCAT Kain 200 uses the company's own sensors and buttons, giving it a bit of a unique profile in a sea of gaming accessories. The pointer itself is great, with incredibly responsive action whether it's connected via cable or the provided wireless dongle.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Sensor | ROCCAT "Owleye" 16,000dpi, 1000 Hz polling |
| Features | Configurable lights, six configurable buttons, on-board memory |
| Weight | 100g |
| Size | 4.88 x 2.56 x 1.69 inches |
The Kain 200 comes with ROCCAT's Swarm software, which lets you configure various aspects of the pointer. Whether it's the polling rate, the DPI, angle snapping toggle, or the lighting, you can bake those options directly onto the mouse with on-board memory too, so you don't have to keep the software running at all times.
The pointer itself is great, with incredibly responsive action.
The configurability is handy when using the mouse in its wireless configuration, since you can reduce lighting, polling rate, and other features to improve the battery life, which is pretty great for a gaming mouse, offering around 50 continuous hours of use on average. I found that I was able to use it for five days before in need of a charge, and I imagine that would extend further by disabling the lights and similar luxuries.
Design-wise, the ROCCAT Kain 200 has a nice accent of anodized aluminum down the mouse wheel strip, which is a nice touch that matches it to other ROCCAT accessories. The DPI toggle is large and resistive to accidental clicks, and can be remapped if you so prefer. Since I play MOBAs and MMOs, I tend to use the DPI buttons on mice to add extra keybinds for abilities.
The mouse is ergonomically designed and feels comfortable across several hours of continuous use, with good actuation on every click press. It's also quite grippy on the sides, and the side buttons should be easy to reach for most average hand sizes.
There's very little bad to say about the ROCCAT Kain 200, but there are a couple of gripes I had after a few days of testing.
What you'll dislike about the ROCCAT Kain 200
Perhaps my main complaint pertains to the mouse wheel, which was far more resistive than I was used to. It's grippy and still easy to use, particularly if you're using it for scrolling on the web or in a document, but in games, I think less tension might have helped the overall feel of the product here.
Additionally, I found myself a bit frustrated with the software's "EasyShift," which lets you add an additional virtual modifier key to your mouse. This is handy in games like World of Warcraft, because you can effectively double the amount of available keybinds using one of these virtual modifier keys. Razer has something similar in its products. However, the modifier key only worked with the mouse itself, and not across to one of ROCCAT's own keyboards, which seems like a bit of an oversight.
Either way, neither of these things are what I'd consider to be deal breakers. Even with EasyShift locked to the mouse itself, you can still gain a ton of extra buttons without having to perform hand gymnastics across your keyboard.
Should you buy the ROCCAT Kain 200?
The ROCCAT Kain 200 does exactly what it sets out to do: provide a capable gaming mouse experience that feels ergonomic and tactile, with an array of configurability expected of the product type.
The ROCCAT Kain 200 doesn't do anything particularly special, and I would've liked less resistive action on the mouse wheel, but the overall usability and presentation is great, and well-worth a purchase.
A solid pointer
ROCCAT Kain 200
Kain and able.
The Kain 200 is a really great mouse that doesn't really do anything particularly special, but sometimes that's all you need.
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