The New (and Improved?) Microsoft Sidewinder x5 is here and apparently microsoft hopes to lure the gaming community at large to their new product. A brief introduction first, last year Microsoft released another mouse with the same name (mean’t for gaming) which had… unnessicary features, but hey how bad can it be right? Its just a mouse? Try an LCD on a gaming mouse.. now THAT is bad. So now Microsoft tries to win back the gaming community with the new Sidewinder.

Microsoft Siderwinder x5 (Click to Enlarge)

Personally i’m a very big FPS/RTS (First Person Shooter/Real Time Strategy) game fan, i believe in competetive Lan-Gaming over singleplayer/online gaming and in those conditions do you need a gaming mouse the most. Currently i’m using a Logitech Mx518 and i’ve used the Logitech G5 and G7, Razer Copperhead and numerous other gaming mice and i’m sure that everyone here will agree with me when i say that the Mx518 kills everyone/everything else (i’ll go into the depth of Logitech vs Microsoft later).

Alright having all of that said lets look into the actual features of this “new” mouse:

• It comes with 3 ranges of sensitivity; 400, 800 and 2000 Dpi and works on a laser engine (not an optical one, this is something that needs to be kept in mind) and its sensitivity can be changed by On-The-Fly buttons present on top of the mouse, i.e. you can switch between 800 - 2000 Dpi with the click of a button.
• It comes with 5 extra programmable buttons which can be used for binding your favorite gaming actions.
• It supports MACROS, for games such as World of Warcraft etc you have certain macros i.e. you can configure a step of commands for a single action using the software provided with the mouse.
• Comes with a 3 years Warranty.

Techinical Facts:

• RESOLUTION: 2000 DPI laser
• IMAGE PROCESSING: 7080 frames per second
• MAX ACCELERATION: 20 G
• MAX SPEED: 45+ inches per second
• USB REPORTING: Full-speed, 500 Hz
• BUTTONS (Left/Right): Rated to 10 million click

Microsoft Sidewinder Buttons (Click to Enlarge)

Okay with all of that technical stuff out of the way lets really analyze the features of this mouse, 2000Dpi for a gaming grade laser mouse is not uncommon at all, neither is having a lot of programmable buttons.. there are 2-3 things to be kept in mind while selecting a mouse for sensitive shooting games such as CounterStrike 1.6 / Source, Crises, COD4 etc. One of those thing is the Stability of the mouse aswell as its actual feel and grip, the sidewinder.

Pros:

1. The Sidewinder is very Stable and sensitive and the laser system is very precise.
2. The Buttons have a huge degree of customization and the software is much better than that provided by Logitech (called setpoint).
3. The Price is extremely low for a lazer mouse, you have the sidewinder going for 59.99USD right now whereas you have a similar mouse (in terms of specs) Logitech G5 going for roughly 120USD which is a HUGE difference in terms of pricing
4. Its been designed for not only style but for comfort aswell and you get used to the mouse’s buttons etc very easily (yeah i’m digging this mouse alright :P)

Cons:

1. You have OPTICAL mice such as the Mx518 which are much more stable and reliable for the same price going upto 1800Dpi, with 3 programmable buttons.
2. You can buy the OLDER sidewinder x5 for a CHEAPER price than the current one, and the older one has the same functions and much more.

Final Thoughts:

At the end of the day, its your game, its your money and its your need.. if you want to play an FPS which isn’t VERY FAST such as Crises, Counter-Strike, CoD4, BattleField 2 etc i’d highly advise agains’t the sidewinder because the professional gaming grade mouse for that particular genre is the Mx518 (for the same price) which is much more reliable. On the other hand if you wish to play games such as Quake, Unreal Tournament etc buying the Sidewinder wouldn’t be that bad a deal, its got a lot of PROS but the biggest CON is the fact that you can buy the older Sidewinder for a cheaper price with more functions which is why I personally would advise agains’t purchasing this particular mouse.