The ZOWIE's newest S Series features the S1 and S2 gaming mice that are designed and built for eSports players who are looking to level up their gameplay. In its most basic form, a gaming mouse can be a simple device with a sensor, two buttons and a scroll wheel which allows you to interact with programs as if they were extensions of your hand.
Gaming peripheral manufacturers have really upped their game in recent years as there is intense competition for the best gaming mouse crown. However, finding the ideal gaming mouse is essential to performing well at any level of play.
Other than just the basics, gaming mice amplify every element of the basic mouse concept to the extreme, which may include more buttons, higher tracking resolutions, and curvier curves.
Some gaming mice are built for general gaming, while others are specifically designed for game genres such as first-person shooter (FPS), real-time strategy game, MMO, etc. The ZOWIE S Series, in this aspect, is designed for FPS titles due to its ease of switching between the DPIs as well as the ease to perform “Up ‘n Down” movement.
Minimalist matte black design with a nice form factor
The S Series sports a compact design covered with a matte black finish that goes well with any setup. Unlike other popular mice on the market, ZOWIE prefers to keep it simple and put more emphasis on the key factors that drive performance.
The ambidextrous shape is fantastic and extremely comfortable. However, on a closer look, you'll find that both S1 and S2 are actually more suitable for right-handed gamers due to the lack of side buttons on the right side of the mouse. It fits the hand and is suitable for any type of grip style, whether you're a palm or claw grip adherent.
Its ergonomics-first design puts all of the typical mouse functions into a form factor that places the hand in a neutral position. At the same time, ZOWIE places careful consideration on the varied palm-size and grip of its users, providing two different sizes of the same shape form factor catered for different gamers, giving birth to S1 (medium) and S2 (small), where the latter is slightly smaller. Having a right-sized mouse also helps to reduce the stresses that can lead to carpal tunnel and repetitive strain injury, due to extended gameplay.
The shorter overall design allows gamers to wrap around and hold the mouse easier. It also provides the ease to perform “Up ‘n Down” movement with the mouse which are generally needed for FPS games.
The main issue with the S Series, however, is also due to its matt black design that can be an oil and fingerprints magnet. Despite this, it is not a deal-breaker as the matte finish, at the same time, does feel pretty impressive on the S Series, giving it a serious, no-nonsense look.
Smooth performance with 3360 sensor
Most of today's mice use one of two types of light-based motion sensor, either they are optical/LED or laser. Unlike olden mechanical tracking, light-based sensors have fewer issues with dust and dirt, and the absence of moving parts means fewer failures.
Inside of the S Series, you'll find the 3360 sensors, well-integrated and reliable, capable of smooth performance with perfect precision. The 3360 is also a non-proprietary standard and can be found in other mice, such as the ZOWIE EC1-B, SteelSeries Rival 310 and ASUS ROG Gladius II.
The S Series provides very accurate tracking for precise aiming and good lift off distance (LOD), ideal for FPS gamers. Having the perfect LOD (low is better than high for FPS), allows you to pick up the mouse and place it anywhere on the pad, minimizing ‘travel time' and not messing up the position of your in-game crosshairs.
Adjustable DPI and report rate
The question of DPI or “dots per linear inch” is a common one, and there plenty of discussions dedicated to learning what the optimal number is for gaming, particularly in popular FPS titles like Counter-Strike and Overwatch.
Down to basics: higher DPI means that the cursor will move further with less physical movement from your hands. The opposite is true with lower DPI numbers where it takes more effort for the user to move the cursor across the screen at 100 DPI than at 1000 DPI. For FPS games, your in-game character will turn slower at low DPI and faster at high DPI numbers.
The beauty of the S Series is that ZOWIE allows you to adjust DPI and report rate (or polling rate) entirely using hardware. More specifically, controlling those features can be done by accessing the bottom side of these mice. It means to gamers that they are able to customize DPI steps between 400DPI, 800DPI, 1600DPI, and 3200DPI. As for the report rate, you can change it from 125Hz, 500Hz, then to 1000Hz.
It is also a little unfortunate that these buttons are located on the bottom of the mouse as a trade-off to achieve its ambidextrous and streamlined shape. It just means that changing DPI and report rate cannot be done without flipping the mouse over.
The verdict on the ZOWIE S Series
The ZOWIE S Series are designed more for FPS gamers, rather than MOBA gamers, or gamers who need multiple macros available on their gaming mouse. The form factor is excellent, and the availability of two sizes provide you an option to choose the one that fits your palm-size and grip type. Moreover, ZOWIE, including the ability to adjust the mouse's DPI and report rate on the fly is really special without the need of any support software. It provides fast and easy customization based on your gameplay.
The Zowie S Series eSports gaming mouse is available through the BenQ brand store on Lazada (S1 and S2) and authorized resellers at a price of S$129.
