XSReviews

The Speedlink Obsidia is a cuter, rounder version of the common gaming rodent. The Pikachu of gaming mice, if you will. The different shape is designed to offer an ergonomic advantage, but inside you’ll still find as many high-grade components as a more traditional gaming mouse. It sounds like a promising combination; let’s put it to the test.

Features & Specifications

• 5-button USB mouse
• Ergonomic design for right-handed use
• Thumb recess for increased comfort
• Precise optical sensor from 800 to 3200 DPI
• DPI switch for toggling between four settings
• 2D scroll wheel with precise notches
• Rubberised finish for comfort and a secure hold
• Quick and easy installation, no drivers needed
• 180cm cable
• 87 x 113 x 44mm, 100 grams

Design

The Obsidia is shorter and wider than the average gaming mouse, and is designed to offer a resting place for your entire palm.

There’s a recess on the left side for your thumb, with two small buttons above. The scroll wheel is tilted a little to the left, and sits just beyond a nearly flush DPI button.

Finally, the bottom of the mouse contains the optical sensor and four quarter-circle feet.

Testing

We used the Speedlink Obsidia for three days to see how it performed for gaming, image editing and just surfing the web.

In general, we found that the wider body did translate into a more comfortable experience, although the ergonomic benefits weren’t as noticeable as more unusual designs (such as a vertical mouse, or the RollerMouse shown below).

The Obsidia is best thought of as a hybrid, combining mild ergonomic advantages with a fully traditional hand position. That makes some sense for those that want a mouse that is a little more comfortable, but those with full-blown RSI should probably look for something more unusual like a RollerMouse, trackball mouse or a vertical mouse.

When working, whether surfing the web or editing images, we found that the Obsidia was more than up to the task. The optical sensor was precise, and our hands felt snug and secure on the wide body.

Gaming proved a little more challenging, but still quite possible. Slower-paced games like Civilization and Torment: Tides of Numenera became more comfortable, and the extra side buttons proved helpful in strategy games as well.

However, fast-paced games like CS:GO and Overwatch were less well suited to the mouse, with the slick right side of the mouse making it hard to pick up for quick 180-degree turns. If you play on higher DPI settings, this won’t be a problem, but at 800 DPI or below it can be an issue.

Wrapping up

The Obsidia is a jack-of-all-trades, a comfortable mouse for work and gaming that doesn’t require you to learn a completely new way of doing things, something that is demanded by many ergonomic mice with novel designs. However, that also limits the ergonomic benefits it can provide, and those with severe RSI will find the Obsidia not enough of an improvement over a traditional computer mouse. Still, I think the Obsidia should still hold reasonable appeal for anyone that wants a more comfortable mouse for long-term gaming or work.