February 15th, 2011

Steelseries Xai

Conclusion

The Xai feels a bit of a self-contained anachronism. It’s a foremost generation in terms of technological components, but a decade behind in terms of polish and refinement. There are a few mice out there with these kind of specifications, though, and they needed something to set them apart. Alas, SteelSeries have missed out and ended only in producing a good product rather than a really great one.

The attention to detail has been lost somewhere along the line and although the Xai will do the job well, it wont leave you thinking its designers really had the gamer in mind. It ticks a lot of boxes, but not quite all of them to make it a true winner.

Pros	Cons
Symmetrical design works for left- and right-handed users	LCD menus are awkward to navigate
LCD menu screen allow configuration at any time	No way to switch profiles on-the-fly
Very high precision laser technology	Macro software is a little buggy
Highly customisable settings	Feels a little unrefined for such a high price
Configuration software has in-built help explanations
Classic design not overly ostentatious