Xiaomi Gaming Mouse: Is It Really That Bad?

Hello everyone, I’d like to share my thoughts on a gaming mouse from Xiaomi that has left me with mixed feelings. I’ve been using it since April this year.

Key specifications:
Weight: approximately 130 g
Programmable buttons: 6
Processor: ARM 32-bit
Sensitivity: 50–7200 DPI (optical sensor)
Tracking speed: 150 IPS
Acceleration: 30 G
Polling rate: up to 1000 Hz
Body: thermoplastic rubber, ABS plastic
Battery capacity: 1500 mAh
Connection: Micro USB cable and wireless (USB dongle)
OS compatibility: Microsoft Windows & Mac OS
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Package contents
This gaming mouse from Xiaomi comes in packaging reminiscent of Razer products. It has a minimalist design and decent quality, but the cardboard is very thin, so it was damaged during shipping.


The back shows the mouse’s features and specifications in Chinese.


Besides the box (if you can even call it that, given how thin it is), the package includes a plastic blister, the mouse itself, a 1.2-meter braided USB-to-micro-USB cable, and a manual in Chinese.


I have to give the cable credit: the braid is good, and it has kept its original appearance throughout my time using it. It comes with a hook-and-loop strap. The cable is soft and doesn’t hold its shape. It has a standard USB connector and a specially shaped micro-USB connector that holds firmly in the mouse. It takes quite a bit of force to unplug the cable from the mouse. The cable has never accidentally “deactivated” the mouse during use. By the way, I tried connecting a Ugreen cable, but the mouse wouldn’t charge.



Appearance, ergonomics, and user experience
I’ve used this mouse a lot. It’s traveled with me to different cities and has covered at least 2,400 km in my backpack—a real traveling mouse). You can see its condition; I haven’t exactly babied it. Here’s how I used it: I kept a charging cable plugged into my PC and used the dongle with my laptop. In other words, I used the mouse with two devices: I charged and used it on the PC, then unplugged the cable and used it with the laptop. This setup worked really well for me, since it meant I didn’t need two separate mice.

The top gives it what I think is a pretty nice look, with a scroll wheel that has adjustable lighting. The wheel (by Kailh) has a pleasant, crisp scroll and click. There are also two buttons for changing the DPI modes, the two main buttons (Omron switches), and a DPI indicator that also warns you when the battery is low. Just below that is the second adjustable lighting zone. The main buttons feel crisp and aren’t too loud, but you can clearly hear the click.



The top also has a removable cover held firmly in place by magnets, with the wireless dongle underneath.


On the bottom, there’s a power switch for wireless mode. When the red background is visible, the mouse is off (as shown in the picture below); flip the switch up and the background turns green, meaning the mouse is ready to use. You don’t need to flip the switch when using the mouse wired. There’s also a Connect button for wireless pairing, which you only need when connecting a new device. The optical sensor is here too.



The left side has programmable buttons, as well as a button that sharply lowers the DPI when pressed. The two macro buttons have a pleasant, soft click (Kailh switches); the DPI-down button (which can be reassigned) has a short, crisp click. The surface is made of grippy plastic that feels like rubber.


The right side is unremarkable.


As soon as you start using the mouse, you notice its weight. For the first 2–3 hours, it was extremely uncomfortable to use, but once you get used to it, you start wondering, “How did I ever use such lightweight mice?” It then feels like a natural extension of your hand. Of course, it depends on the person; most people I let try it liked it. I should also mention that it’s quite wide (about 65 mm), but even with my small hand, it feels comfortable and sits well. The photos below show different grips.



Battery and battery life
I’ll keep it brief: many people will find the battery life too short (around 19–20 hours), even though the battery is rated at 1500 mAh. For the way I use it—switching between two devices—it’s enough. Turning off the lighting barely increases battery life in practice.

Sensor
I'm no esports pro or hardcore gamer, but I do enjoy playing games now and then and working in Photoshop, and the Xiaomi mouse does its job perfectly. The cursor never skips and moves smoothly. I ran a test with the DPI set to 1200 (the most comfortable setting for me) using Enotus Mouse Test.


Software
The biggest downside right away: everything is in Chinese, even the program's name, which makes it difficult to use. It's called Mi gaming mouse. When you launch it, the main screen appears, where you can go straight to the mouse's features.

The panel on the left lets you access the mouse's main functions:

- Main menu;
- Configure additional buttons
- Lighting
- Adjust DPI and data transmission rate
- Firmware


The second tab in the left panel lets you reassign the buttons: the scroll wheel, two top buttons, and three side buttons. You can assign other functions, keyboard shortcuts, or set up custom macros in the relevant categories.





The third column is for configuring the lighting. You can choose any of 16.8 million colors for both the scroll wheel and the rear lighting separately. You can also adjust the lighting speed. The scroll wheel has several lighting modes: steady, pulsing, or off. The second lighting zone has more modes: always on, pulsing, marquee, color cycling, or off.



The fifth tab lets you update the firmware and shows the program version.

Conclusion
In short, it's a good mouse with great ergonomics and both wired and wireless modes. In wireless mode, it performs just as well, and connects in a matter of milliseconds. Apart from the software, I haven't found any major downsides in my use, though many people may find the battery life insufficient. I also realize its ergonomics won't suit everyone (though most people I've let try it disagree). You get used to the mouse quickly, and it's hard to switch to another one. I tried going back to my old Redragon Cobra, but ended up sticking with this one.

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