Review: ROCCAT Kone XP gaming mouse

When it comes to a gaming mouse, it’s all about finding the right fit for your hands. I’ve been using a lot of simple, smaller mice lately that are minimalistic in design. That’s why I was a bit skeptical about trying out the new Kone XP from ROCCAT.

The Kone XP is the latest mouse in the brand’s popular Kone lineup. It features 15 programmable buttons and the company’s AIMO intelligent RGB lighting system. You can find the Kone XP on ROCCAT’s website in white or black for $89.99 or on Amazon for the same price.

I’ve been using the Kone XP for both work and gaming for almost two weeks now. It has definitely been a big adjustment over smaller, wireless mice that I’ve mainly been using. But I have been pleasantly surprised for the most part. Let’s get into it.

Shape and design

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As I said earlier, the Kone XP is a bit on the larger side for a gaming mouse. It weighs in at 104 grams and is a bit larger than the popular Logitech G502.

But the Kone XP is not too big at all. In fact, the shape of the Kone XP actually fits my hand very well. It sits rather low for the most part with a rounded palm that fills my hand nicely when I grip it with my palm.

The top of the body has a clear, matte finish that is surprisingly grippy considering how soft it feels. The rest of the body feels very ergonomic on both my thumb and pinky sides, with a smooth, black plastic that feels just as soft as the top.

And you can’t help but notice just how many buttons there are on this mouse. Overall, there are 15 separate buttons on the Kone XP that can perform up to 29 different functions.

In addition to 14 dedicated, customizable buttons, there is a button on the bottom of the thumb rest that acts as a modifier. By holding this in, you can activate a second function for each of the 14 other buttons.

All of the buttons are completely customizable in the ROCCAT Swarm app so you can choose the layout you like.

I did notice that the placement of some of the buttons makes it hard to press them and the modifier at the same time.

It’s nearly impossible for me to press the four thumb buttons and the thumb modifier at the same time. There are still tons of other button options on the mouse, but this just caught my attention.

Tons of customizable buttons

The performance of the Kone XP is up to par with what we’ve come to expect from ROCCAT peripherals. It features ROCCAT”s signature Titan Switch Optical for mice rated for up to 100 million clicks. Each click feels exactly like the last with that satisfying mechanical feel.

The majority of the buttons on the mouse feel exceptional, as well. You can click the mouse wheel left or right as buttons and even that feels nice and tight.

These are buttons that Logitech G502 users will be familiar with, but they feel much more secure on the Kone XP.

I would like for the thumb buttons to feel a little stiffer, however. They all work perfectly fine, and I haven’t noticed any trouble with inputs in any games. But, that said, they just feel a little floaty inside of their casing.

It’s not a problem now, but I could see these specific buttons wearing out with heavy use over time.

How does the Kone XP perform?

Of course, this is a wired gaming mouse, which may be a turn-off for some gamers. But I have to mention the extremely lightweight cord on the Kone XP.

Some wired mice have heavy, stiff cords that tend to get caught up and tangled when gaming. That’s not an issue at all with the Kone XP. The cord on this gaming mouse is extremely lightweight and flexible, and I barely even notice it’s there.

On top of that, the mouse features heat-treated PTFE glides on the bottom for extra smooth tracking. I have a three-year-old mouse pad that is in desperate need of replacing, and the Kone XP still glides across it like butter.

I’ve been playing a little Fortnite over the last couple of weeks now that there’s a no-building game mode. And even though I’m still a terrible shot, the Kone XP tracks accurately and smoothly without any sort of hiccups whatsoever.

And how could we forget RGB? Some gaming mice will have little RGB lights on the mouse wheel or a logo that lights up. But ROCCAT wasn’t settling for the bare minimum with the Kone XP.

The mouse features 22 individual LEDs incorporated with the company’s AIMO intelligent lighting system. If enabled, AIMO reacts to whatever you are doing on your computer at the time and changes the lighting accordingly.

Different sides of the mouse will change lights based on button presses or mouse clicks. AIMO is really designed to tie a bunch of ROCCAT products together, but the lighting effects on the mouse are still pretty cool by themselves.

Should you buy the ROCCAT Kone XP?

This one is a tough decision. On one hand, nearly every aspect of the mouse is high in quality and performance. If you play a lot of MMOs, then you will love having the extra buttons to bind your abilities.

On the other hand, it’s a bit on the expensive side for a wired gaming mouse. At $89.99 the Kone XP sits on the higher end of comparable gaming mice. The fan-favorite Logitech G502 offers similar functionality, though it has much less RGB, and it’s a much more modest price of $39.99.

Even the legendary Razer Naga wired version is $10 cheaper than the Kone XP. But none of these mice have the RGB capabilities that the Kone XP has.

For fans of RGB on their peripherals, the Kone XP is going to be nearly unbeatable. It offers stellar performance and customizable lighting that is unmatched.

If you’re in the market for a gaming mouse and you want something that’s stylish and built with quality, then check out the Kone XP on ROCCAT’s website or on Amazon for $89.99.

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Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: Cooler Master CK721 – a gorgeous, satisfying gaming keyboard
• The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is an ultra-lightweight wireless gaming mouse
• Review: SteelSeries Rival 5 – a multifunctional mouse full of surprises
• The Vissles LP85 wireless mechanical keyboard is a small but mighty wonder

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more. A sample unit was provided for the purpose of this review.