Ambidextrous mice has that distinct design that makes it appealing in terms of aesthetics and functionality, some prefer these type of gaming mouse as it is easy to grip due as most ambidextrous mice have smaller bodies while some for its main purpose; allowing left-handed players to use the mouse with ease. Asus has launched a new ROG gaming mouse under the Strix line that features an ambidextrous design, but can comfort be enough to satisfy a gamer’s need of a high quality gaming mouse?

Before we begin, let us take a look at the specs of the ROG Strix Impact:

• Dimensions: L115 x W62 x H39mm
• Weight: 112 g with cable | 91 g without cable
• OS Support: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7
• Switch: Omron (50 million clicks)
• Resolution: 5000dpi
• Interface available: Mouse (USB)

One look at the Impact and you can see that it relies more on simplicity rather than having a flashy appearance. Featuring a matte finish on the body with some strips of gloss finish on the sides and in the mouse scroll part. The entire body is made out of plastic, which can be good in some ways as having rubber paddings on the mouse can be difficult to clean when the rubber begins to corrode. On the lower part of the mouse, you will notice the Mayan-inspired etches which can double as a grip, however the placement of the design seems out of reach for some users especially to those who uses a palm grip style in hold a mouse, it would be nice if the etch design covered the entire lower portion. The major concern is the actual size, as it measures at 115mm (roughly 4.5 inches long), some users with larger hands may find it difficult to hold.

The Impact gaming mouse has an RGB lighting effect found on the ROG logo which is on the butt portion of the mouse, and the effects can be changed to four different lighting effects (static, breathing, color cycle and reactive) which can be configured with the use of the ASUS Armoury software.

As for functionality, the Impact gaming mouse has 2 basic mouse buttons, a mouse scroll that can scroll up or down as well as a scroll button and a DPI switch. The mouse buttons have separate buttons unlike in some newer gaming mice available in the market, this allows for the buttons the respond faster as the separate buttons makes lessens the force needed to register your input. The Omron switch on each mouse button are durable that can last for up to 50 million clicks, which is pretty long enough to survive for years of usage. The mouse scroll also features a Mayan-inspired etching on the rubber padding which provides a nice grip and the scroll button has a good response when you pressed on it. The DPI switch has a nice click sound when pressed, however it only has two DPI sensitivity levels configured which can be identified on which setting is activated with the LED turning on or off. It could have added another sensitivity level or two and include three different lighting effects on the DPI indicator.

As for performance, using the Impact gaming mouse on games has its pros and cons, depending on what type of games a user would play. We tried using the gaming mouse on Overwatch and so far it feels great, the comfort on holding the mouse was pretty good and it gives you enough control to get good precision when aiming. However when playing games like strategy and RPGs that requires more buttons, some may not like the lack of buttons on the Impact that can be useful for shortcut commands/skills on the game. It is also nice that the matte finish on the gaming mouse’ surface makes it look neat as compared to those that have glossy finish which makes finger print marks and other dirt visible and prone to scratches.

Using the ASUS Armoury software provides a wide option of configuration for the Impact gaming mouse. You can configure the buttons of the gaming mouse and change its input function or adjust the DPI sensitivity of the two settings, adjusting the polling rate and the button response. You can also use Macro scripting to the mouse as well, you can record the string of inputs for your macro and save it. Though the lighting effects may be limited, you can still configure the RGB effect with three different styles or change from the millions of possible color palettes, you can also sync your RGB lighting with the Aura Sync feature for select Asus components and peripherals.

To sum it all up, the Asus ROG Strix Impact gaming mouse has that simplistic design and functionality, nothing that makes it really fancy, just something enough to make it a functional gaming mouse. The ambidextrous design makes it an all-around gaming mouse for both right-hand and left-handed user, the lack of buttons might give some players who plays MMO games a hard time as they may be needing more buttons for their skillsets. The lack of other RGB gimmick aside from the ROG logo may turn off some who likes to have a lot of fancy RGB lighting. But if you are into simple design and a bit of customization to your mouse, then you might like the ROG Strix Impact gaming mouse.

The Good

• Ambidextrous design
• Omron switches
• Customizable RGB effect for cosmetics

The Bad

• No additional buttons
• Non-braided cable
• No side buttons