ROCCAT KIRO Modular Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse Review

TweakTown's Rating: 98%

The Bottom Line

ROCCAT's KIRO tops the charts in many areas! It is comfortable to use, it offers a substantial feature set, it is accurate - nearly everything about it is perfect. This may be an ambidextrous design with modularity and 3D printing support, but at this price to boot, it raised the KIRO to a whole other level.

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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On a bit of a run with ROCCAT product, we now bring you the LUA's big brother and ROCCAT's latest take on an ambidextrous gaming mouse. This mouse has been designed to not only improve on what the LUA offers but is also made to incorporate the latest generation of advancements in functionality, as well as packing it full of features gamers will appreciate. While this build is ambidextrous, it does not have to be, as ROCCAT has added in some goodies to help mitigate the extra buttons on the off-hand side of the mouse, and will even have 3D printer support from ROCCAT very soon.

ROCCAT has chosen to base this mouse on an optical sensor boasting just 2000 DPI. To raise this level, ROCCAT uses Overdrive to double the sensitivity and afford greater control through its range of sensing and tracking. ROCCAT has also chosen to use Omron switches, which are all the rage when it comes to long-lived main switches which take the most abuse. They use a rubberized coating to improve grip, there is a fancy RGB LED logo at the back, and they also offer interchangeable "SIDEPARTS" as ROCCAT calls them. Of course, all of these features are backed with the latest in ROCCAT SWARM software, which allows you a one stop shop to adjust things exactly how you want them.

It has more features than you can shake a stick at, but at the same time, they are packed into a comfortable shape made to work with any grip style. While the primary intent for the KIRO is to be used with FPS and MOBA games, there is no reason why this product cannot be used within the full spectrum of game styles. For some added fun, this device also offers TALK FX and ALIEN FX, which turns the LED lighting into an immersive experience in lighting while gaming. In our opinion, ROCCAT has raised the bar and is now offering a great product for both right handed users, as well as those left-handed gamers out there, and as you are about to read, at an outstanding price point as well.

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In the chart we grabbed from the ROCCAT website, we see they do cover a lot of what the KIRO offers in detail. As we mentioned earlier, there is a Pro-Optic Sensor R2 in control, and by default, the DPI is capable of reaching 2000. With the software installed and the Overdrive Mode active, you then have access to 4000 DPI. The sensor also comes with a few nice features on the side as well. The polling rate is set to 1000Hz, and there is a 1ms response time. We also see that it will track movements at 20G acceleration, and at speeds of up to 1.5 meters per second. In control of all functionality, the KIRO is built around a Turbo Core V2 32-bit ARM MCU, which makes certain that everything runs as smooth as silk. The last bit we see at the left is that the KIRO ships with a 1.8-meter cable, but there is no mention of its rubberized coating.

The KIRO is light, at just 103 grams, and is compact as well. It stands only 30mm in height, 67mm wide, and 120mm in length from front to back. The sides of this mouse are highly textured and can offer two buttons on either side. The reason we say "can offer" is because the KIRO comes with two SIDEPARTS. This allows the user to blank out either side, both sides, or leave it as it ships, with four side buttons to utilize. The majority of the mouse is made of plastic, but the top section is painted with a rubberized coating to ensure that your sweaty hand is not the limiting factor in making all the right moves. All told, there are ten buttons including the scroll wheel abilities, and once SWARM is installed, you can customize all of them or as few of them as you want.

The KRIO modular ambidextrous gaming mouse is already available in stores, and it comes with a very friendly price. Whether you choose Amazon or Newegg at this time, you will find both locations offering the KIRO with identical prices. It only takes an investment of $39.99 to obtain the KIRO, where many mice with less to offer can cost up to double that amount. This is great for everyone involved. ROCCAT is going to sell a lot of these mice with such a great price point, and the users benefit the most, as they can now raise their gaming experience, and do it with a comfortable well-equipped mouse that is just waiting to be used in your next gaming session.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS X99-E WS - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• CPU: Intel Core i7 5930K - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Memory: KLevv Cras DDR4 3000 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Video Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Matrix Platinum - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Storage: Intel 730 480GB - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Case: SilverStone TJ11 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Power Supply: Corsair AX1200 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Buy from Amazon

Packaging, Accessories, and Documentation

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The packaging attracts your eyes to the KIRO with the use of all the bright colors on it. Along the top, we find the name, description of the device, and an indication of the RGB LED used inside of it. Along with the large image of the mouse, we see features listed on the left, and a small rendering of how the SIDEPARTS work below it. Then, along the bottom of the panel, we see that this is TALK FX and Alien FX equipped, and is made for FSP and MOBA gaming.

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The right side of the box is angled as it carries the colors from the front and is where the ROCCAT name and logo is displayed. In the section below, we see the name of the device off to the left, and to the right is the site address to locate the software or gain support for the KIRO.

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On the back, near the top, we see a new image of the KIRO, where the features are listed, as well as pointed out around the mouse. Features are again listed in the center with full specifications listed at the bottom in a few languages.

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The last panel offers summaries on some of the things that come with this KIRO mouse. They mention the extendable build of the KIRO, which addresses the SIDEPARTS. They also cover the Overdrive Mode which raises the DPI and also indicates the use of SWARM software.

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Inside of the box, we find the same angled plastic tray system which ROCCAT uses for their mice. This is a two-part packaging which sandwiches the mouse and in this case the SIDEPARTS as well, and with a bit of room below it, ROCCAT hides the paperwork there.

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The KIRO ships with buttons on both sides of the mouse, but to allow users to address that, ROCCAT offers these two highly textured, blank, SIDEPARTS. This way if you do not want the buttons on one side of the mouse, or if you want no side buttons at all, using these will address that need.

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Found under the inner packaging, you will locate the quick-install guide and the disposal information. The guide is brief but explains how to connect the KIRO, and then shows you where to go to get the SWARM software. After that, it is left up to the user to figure it out. As for the disposal information, while only certain areas require specialized disposal of this type of device, if you like this big blue ball you spin around on, you may want to read it and follow its information as well.

ROCCAT KIRO Modular Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse

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From this view, we see the rubberized surface applied at the top, and can also see the angled side to the left click button. This angle leads right into the pair of side buttons intended for right-hand users. The majority of this side is made of textured black plastic, the shape is convex, and both are done to increase grip and make it easy to lift and move the KIRO.

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The textured sides make their way all the way to the back edge of the KIOR, and with a couple of angles on either side, they surround the rubberized center section. We can also see the ROCCAT KIRO light up section, and it is placed high on the arch, just right of the centerline.

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Out of the box, the right side matches what we saw on the left, down to every detail. These buttons are intended for left-hand use, but as mentioned, if you can access them, you can use all four side buttons at once.

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The angular shape of the main switches not only runs along the front but also carries around as they make their way up near the scroll wheel. We also see that the USB cable is centered in this design, and is built into the lower section of the frame.

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On top of the mouse, we find the rubberized scroll wheel which allows you to move it forward, backward, and also you can click it down. As for the shiny button just behind it, this is the default DPI adjustment button, but like most of these buttons, it can be reassigned.

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If you do not want buttons on the left side of the KIRO, grab your SIDEPARTS that shipped with it, and install this one to the left side. These are magnetically attached, and there is a groove under the mouse to allow for easy removal of these parts.

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You can also do the same thing on the right side. We also think that these are what will be getting 3D support as well. Although if you own a 3D scanner and printer, you can beat them to the punch and make your own.

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The 1.9 meters of cable is rubberized from end to end. There is not a strap to keep the wire bundled for traveling, and while it terminates in a fancy ROCCAT marked connection, the actual USB 2.0 connector is not gold plated either.

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Under the KIRO, we find it to be supported with two wide feet, one along the front edge, and one along the back. The product sticker in centralized and zig-zags around the eye of the optical sensor. The grooves we mentioned earlier to release the SIDEPARTS are also visible to either side.

Inside the KIRO

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Four screws found under the feet will allow this mouse to be internally viewed. Be mindful of the pair of cables connection the side switches to the PCB, but otherwise, once the screws are out, this mouse has tabs at the front which hold the halves together.

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On both sides of the upper section, you will find a PCB holding two switches. In this case, these switches are white TTC switches, and they are soft to activate and also offer an audible click.

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Under the left click button, we find an Omron D2FC-F-7N(RT) switch, which we assume provides the standard five million click lifespan. The RT is an unknown designation to us - who knows, maybe these are "Rally Tested"?

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The DPI adjustment button is backed with the same white TTC switch we found backing the side buttons, and it also uses light pressure with an audible click. Rather than use a piece of black tape to surround the optical sensor, ROCCAT uses this plastic shroud to keep the sensor lighting hidden.

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We do not suggest the removal of the cover as the optical LED has to be moved to do so. Under it, we do find the Avago A3050 as the numbers on the cover alluded to.

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The chip labeled FO4266 is the LPC 32-bit ARM Cortex-M MCU used in the KIRO. This MCU is more than enough to handle the workload and features.

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Making our way around to the right side, we find that the right click button is backed with another Omron switch. It seems almost mandatory now, that if you make a gaming mouse, it must include these as the main switches.

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Once powered on, by default, the LED under the ROCCAT KIRO name and the logo is set to display fully on, yet at the same time, it cycles through the full RGB scale. While we took this picture with purple as the color of the moment, you do have access to select a color, as well as adjusting the speed in which the LED modes work.

SWARM Software

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We did not take an image of the pinned tab that starts off the run of tabs along the top, as you can put anything you wish to use most in there. We moved right into the settings tab instead. This is where you can adjust the sensitivity, scroll speed, tilt speed, as well as the double-click speed, on the left side. On the right, you can adjust the DPI in five levels to suit your needs, and can also change the Windows pointer speed.

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In the tab marked button assignment, you do exactly that, assign what each of the buttons will do. In the image, you can click on the arrows to either side, and it will swap the SIDEPARTS in the image, and to the right, they will appear as usable.

While the left click and the right click buttons cannot be changed, all others on the list can. In a dropdown box, you can choose hotkeys, basic and advanced functions, or use it to launch the browser, multimedia control, open applications, or turn it off.

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The last of the tabs offers you the ability to address the advanced settings. In this window, you can change the polling rate from its default of 1000Hz, you can adjust the Lift Off Distance, you can reset the entire profile (of which there is only one), or swap the orientation of the mouse. The right side allows you to turn the LED on or off, click on the colored box and pick from any RGB color, address its mode of display, and even how fast the modes cycle.

There are also some sound feedback options where you can get an audible cue when the DPI switch is used; you change DPI levels, or if you adjust the volume.

Gaming and General Impressions

DOOM

The ROCCAT KIRO might seem a bit on the small side at first, but it did not stop our domination in DOOM. We are using it at 4000 DPI most of the time we game, but even at its maximum, the accuracy is there, allowing us to move freely, without the need to lift the mouse and reposition. The tracking is smooth at all DPI levels, and with the layout of the KIRO, we have no issues reaching the buttons on the left when using it as a right-handed user would.

If you choose to leave all four side buttons active, they are hard to use on the other side, as you are left searching for them blindly with your ring finger. However, the KIRO did not cause us any reason to stop using it; it feels right at home under your hand in this FPS title.

Overwatch

While 4000 DPI is still usable in Overwatch, for some reason, we found ourselves going to the sliders, and finding that 3200 DPI seemed to be the sweet spot. Since we could not access the right side buttons well in games, we chose to test the software and used them to launch both DOOM and Overwatch, which comes in handy when you just want to come in and play.

We found no issues tracking players at any distance with the KIRO, again, everything was smooth, and every action we pressed was relayed to the PC and activated with no noticeable lag in its functionality.

Windows and Productivity

At 4000 DPI, it takes roughly three inches of movement to traverse a 1080p screen from left to right, and we noticed no angle snapping going on either. The mouse did not jiggle around causing issues when double clicking on icons, and not once did we see any wandering of the cursor either.

When it came to editing images, where accuracy is a must, the KIRO shines and happens to be in our top five mice when it comes to this aspect of usage. While gaming, or just surfing the vastness of the internet, the KIRO is a mouse, not matter which hand you use, that should be under your command.

Final Thoughts

The KIRO modular ambidextrous gaming mouse is a great piece of hardware. It is not so overloaded with features where you get lost trying to sort it all out, yet it is designed well enough to get you through anything you may want to throw at it. The modular design with interchangeable SIDEPARTS has been seen before, but the ease in which this assembly works is top notch stuff. While it is ambidextrous to suit the entirety of the potential clients out there, it does not feel like it is once in your hand, the feel is just that nice.

We also liked the fact that you do not have to pick and choose which buttons to use. This means that where a regular mouse limits the number of buttons, you can easily use the other pair of side buttons with the KIRO, they just take some time to find and get accustomed to, location wise. All in all, this is a solid smaller mouse that will accommodate all grip styles, and even with a larger hand, the mouse KIRO does not cut in anywhere, making life uncomfortable for those users.

Coming with top tier components is also a huge selling feature. Starting things off with the use of one of the better optical sensors out there is a great start. Backing it with Omron and TTC switches is also a good step. What takes the cake though is the SWARM software. In here you can gain full control over every aspect of the KIRO. Everything from basic settings of the buttons, down to whatever floats your boat. While you are limited to just one profile with the KIRO, and is likely the only "downfall" of this design, considering the budget-friendly pricing, one may not mind swapping profiles before a game session. That's right, while the mouse can only use one profile at a time, you can build and store others, and you just have to manually change them for whatever game you want to play before starting said game. Not a deal killer in our minds.

Also, if you happen to have games which run by default with the TALK FX or happen to own an Alienware PC, you can have fully immersive lighting to go along with the theme of the PC or the game being played. The only bad thing here is that our hand covered the one and only LED zone visible on the mouse when we gamed, so it may not be all that immersive for the user in reality.

When it comes down to the bottom line of buying a mouse, features come first hopefully, but for some, pricing is everything. With the KIRO from ROCCAT, it does not seem to matter which you hold most dear. The mouse is feature rich, solid, feels good in the hand, and its modular ambidextrous design means it is made for everyone. The fact that the KIRO can be had for just $39.99 ($35 at Amazon at the time of publishing) for just about any US retailer means it won't hurt you in the pocket either. As far as we are concerned, while some may consider this mouse basic is some aspects, the pricing is justified, and the KIRO modular ambidextrous gaming mouse has everything one needs to get the utmost out of their gaming experience, yet is still able to handle the day to day business as well.

Chad's Peripherals Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS X99-E WS - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• CPU: Intel Core i7 5930K - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Memory: KLevv Cras DDR4 3000 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Video Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Matrix Platinum - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Storage: Intel 730 480GB - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Case: SilverStone TJ11 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Power Supply: Corsair AX1200 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Buy from Amazon