Today we’re taking a look at a budget gaming mouse from Xenta. The mouse comes in at a £15 price point, but still includes a 2000 DPI sensor, wireless connectivity and unique adjustable sides. Ebuyer have sent over a review unit for us to test, so let’s get right into it!
Specifications & Features
- 2000 DPI laser sensor
- Adjustable sides (3x left, 1x right)
- 2.4GHz wireless (with dongle)
- AA battery compartment (with space for dongle)
- Five buttons (left, right, scroll click, back, forward)
- 112 x 58 x 31mm
Unboxing
The Xenta comes in a simple black box with a plastic window, with feature pictograms listed on the right hand side.
On the left side of the box, we can see the four different stickable sides.
Finally inside the box, aside from the mouse we have the aforementioned four sides, and an Ebuyer-branded battery.
Design
The Xenta Laser Wireless is a simple wedge-shaped mouse, with a bulky back-end and a slim front. The top has a standard layout; two long left and right click buttons, a tiny scroll wheel between them, and there are two back/forward buttons on the left. The right side is unadorned.
The left and right sides are provided as stick-on sections in the box. You have a choice of three sides of varying shapes for the right, and one side for the left. You could also theoretically leave the sides as they are, but this doesn’t feel too comfortable. To install the sides, you just need to remove the plastic backing, and use the adhesive below to stick onto the mouse’s body. It’s a simple process accomplished in a matter of seconds, although it’s a bit of a strange experience compared to most plug and play mice!
The bottom of the mouse contains the 2000 DPI laser sensor, four skates and the battery compartment. In here, you’ll find room for a single AA battery and a small holster for the wireless dongle, which you’ll plug into a PC to connect the mouse. There’s also an on/off toggle, although the mouse also goes into standby automatically to save power.
Testing
I used the Xenta Laser Wireless Mouse for about two weeks off and on, both in games and day-to-day computer use: browsing, Photoshopping and mousing around the web.
I found the Xenta Mouse workable but a bit uncomfortable in both situations; I felt a little bit less accurate with my clicking and my hand hurt a little more than usual after extended sessions. Of course, it’s a massive step up over a traditional ball mouse, or God forbid, a laptop’s trackpad, in terms of accuracy and comfort.
The laser sensor felt precise and worked well in a range of games, although I was left searching for a way to change the DPI on-board. Eventually I discovered that you can adjust the DPI by holding the left and right buttons for three seconds, which lets you switch between four pre-defined levels: 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000. A dedicated toggle (and/or software adjustability) would be nice to see in an updated version.
The mouse didn’t run out of battery out of the dozen or so hours I used it, so I can’t report on the battery life accurately. It appears that the mouse doesn’t recharge the battery (as it can’t be plugged in via micro USB, like the G700S), so you’ll need to outright replace the battery at some point.
Conclusion
The Xenta Laser Wireless is a fun, affordable mouse that makes some sensible design decisions to reach a suitably low price point. The two-tone design is light and maneouvreable, even if the buttons aren’t too clicky and the wedge shape isn’t the most ergonomic. The 2000 DPI sensor is sufficient for work and gaming, although it lacks easy adjustability. The “build your own mouse” sides are an inventive one-time alternative to true adjustability. The mouse can’t recharge its AA battery, but the standby feature works well and it hasn’t run out of battery so far. All in all, it’s a compelling budget option that stands toe-to-toe with options from more established brands.
Pros
- Really low price point, easily affordable
- 2000 DPI laser sensor is sufficiently accurate for gaming
- Slim and light design, easily portable & controllable
- Black / white two-tone colour scheme is attractive
- “Build your own mouse” sides are an inventive & inexpensive solution
- Battery compartment includes storage for dongle
Cons
- Buttons and scroll wheel lack tactile response
- Wedge shape is not ideal ergonomically
- Battery is not rechargeable inside the mouse
- A dedicated DPI toggle would be nice to have
Score
