It’s been years since we last reviewed a Speedlink mouse, and the industry has changed substantially in that time – holey mice at ultra low weights have come into vogue, RGB lighting has become table stakes and sensors have reached an impressive standard. The Orios SL-680010-BK, Speedlink’s latest, is definitely a mouse of the times, with a more streamlined and comfortable design, relatively modern PixArt 3325 sensor and an average weight for its size at 95 grams. We tested the Orios for one week; here’s what we found.
Features
- Seven programmable buttons
- Side, logo and scroll wheel RGB lighting
- PixArt 3325 optical sensor
- 1,000Hz polling rate
- 5 on-board profiles
- Ultra-smooth glide feet
- 128 x 70 x 39mm
- 95 grams
Design
The Orios has a smooth and safe design, with comfort curves in each of the left and right mouse buttons, a light hexagonal texture on both sides and two wide, surprisingly asymmetric mouse feet. The long shape and low hump of the mouse makes it ideal for palm grip, although other grip styles are also possible. Given the length of the mouse, we’d recommend it for medium to large hands.
In terms of features, we’re looking at two side buttons differentiated by texture, a slick scroll wheel with weak tactile notches and RGB lighting throughout. This, of course, can be changed or disabled as required through the simple software provided. DPI can be adjusted using the two small buttons below the mouse wheel, although the default minimum setting is 1000 DPI – more than double what we usually test with. The default polling rate is also 500Hz, so you may wish to change this to 1000Hz depending on your preferences.
As we’ve found before, Speedlink’s software is simple but effective, with an intuitive interface and very few superfluous features. The mouse includes memory for five profiles to be saved, so the software can be uninstalled after you have set up your mouse.
Impressions
At 95 grams, the Orios RGB is significantly heavier than the mouse we normally use – the Glorious Model O at 67 grams. This manifests in more force being required to quickly snap the mouse around at low DPIs, thereby hampering responsiveness and accuracy. However, the Orios at least does not include any edgy bodywork, so the weight is not excessive and should be fine for most users. We’d love to see a honeycomb or weight-optimised version of this mouse for ultra-light enthusiasts, as the shape of the Orios is pretty spot-on.
Our testing centred around three games: Divinity Original Sin 2, Borderlands 3 and Counter-Strike Global Offensive. CSGO is the most demanding of the three, and here we found the extra weight a bit problematic. However, the streamlined shape of the mouse and balanced weight meant that using the mouse was comfortable, picking up and placing it down to spin around at low DPIs was smooth and overall performance was middling at worst.
A milestone: 20,000 kills with this AK-47 skin.
In Borderlands 3, the mouse performed to a high standard, with this single-player experience taking place at a slower pace and offering more allowances for missed shots. The side buttons were useful here, allowing for quick access to the map and inventory, although they did rattle annoyingly a bit when tapped.
Divinity was the final test, and here the mouse proved comfortable for long gaming sessions. However, clicking on small woodland creatures (squirrels, rats) still proved difficult even at low DPI settings. Thankfully, the turn-based nature of combat in the game means that this occasional inaccuracy only cost time, rather than affecting the outcome.
Wrapping up
The Orios RGB is a sensible mouse, with a soft shape, attractive RGB lighting and a solid entry-level optical sensor. While the mouse doesn’t sport a single ultimate feature that makes it a must-purchase (e.g. the Infinite Scroll of some Logitech mice, the honeycomb design and effortless mouse cable of the Model O, the convenient light and wireless design of the G Pro Wireless), it is still a reasonable mouse for the money and should be considered if it’s convenient for you to purchase.
