I tried Roccat's Kova mouse, a true ambidextrous mouse

The new version of Roccat's Kova mouse, a true ambidextrous mouse, offers an aggressive design that also provides a good grip. Its versatility of programmable buttons makes it a good versatile mouse for both the office and the game, and especially now it's even cheaper since the launch of its little sister Kova AIMO. Delight the fans of FPS and MOBA!

While Roccat has just launched the Kova AIMO to please the RGB fans, since it is compatible with its AIMO lighting system (which we would have suspected by its name!), I studied the Roccat Kova. Why will you tell me? Well, simply because thanks to the launch of his little sister, the Kova, which is still in the manufacturer's catalog, sees its price at € 10. So I found it interesting to see what it was worth of this truly ambidextrous mouse, often acclaimed by lefties.

Optical sensor
Maximum DPI: 7000
Buttons: 12
Weight: 99g

PRESENTATION AND DESIGN

The Kova has been in the Roccat catalog since 2012 and since then has experienced several evolutions, which shows its success! Especially since his reputation with lefties is more than demonstrating. As always we will start with the packaging. Take the standards of the brand; therefore, it will be impossible to see the mouse (and have an idea of ??its size and ergonomics before buying), since it is enclosed in a box with mainly dark and blue colors. Always with a beveled side, we find in the front a large photo of the mouse with its main features, and two mentions: "Approved by FPS" and "Approved by MOBA", which leave no doubt as to its use.

All these features are covered in more detail on the side, as well as on the back of the case and highlight its ambidextrous side, its new Pro-Optic sensor, its RGB dual zone lighting and the famous EsayShift + feature. .

When we opened the box, we discovered that the mouse is well packed in thermoformed transparent plastic and is accompanied by a small brochure of the user's manual and the warranty brochure, also a brochure. So there is nothing silly about the package, but in a mouse of this price, I did not expect more.

Like many Roccat mice, it is available in several colors, here white / black or gray / black, the model I tested is gray / black. Its design is known as it follows the lines of previous versions, but with an even more aggressive style, which is far from indifferent. With his gray helmet, I find him, even a small stealth plane




Obviously, since he is an ambidextrous mouse, everything here is about symmetry! You can not change the sides of the buttons, but the buttons are on both the right and the left in the same locations. So we have no less than 12 buttons (with horizontal scroll) of which 11 are programmable! Which, thanks to the EasyShift + function, will raise the number of programmable functions on the buttons to 22! Basically what to get some brushes during a game change! But who can provide a certain comfort depending on the games you use. This is the reason why, given the number of programmable buttons, I find that the mentions approved by FPS and MOBA are a bit restrictive.

The cover is made of a soft, matte plastic lining that, if it is quite pleasant to the touch, will have an unfortunate tendency to retain the marks of the fingers and the palm of the hand. So, if it is in gray, it is not very noticeable, I believe that in the white it will involve more than regular cleanings. And if this coating can also seem slippery at first glance, the grip is guaranteed by a good design of the slices, which provides good maneuverability.

In the RGB lighting level, there are only two areas that benefit: the wheel and the back of the mouse through a discrete band, so discreet and positioned so that, in fact, it is barely visible. It feels more like having a small triangle on the left and on the right than an edge on the whole back.

ERGONOMICS

Here is a mouse of a fairly compact size, 13.1 x 6.6 x 3.8 (L x W x H), and lightweight as announced by Roccat of 99 grams, cable included. Cable that has a fairly common length of 1 m 80, enough to satisfy most configurations.
The buttons are therefore 12 in number. The two main clicks that are often made, all in one block, have the advantage of lowering very low on the front of the mouse. So, in addition to the good rebounds of our mouse, taking the palm of your hand will not be a problem at all. And, obviously, it will be possible to use the grip of the claw or the fingertip. These clicks are equipped with the famous Omron sensors for which I could not find any indication as to the number of activations they can support. If they are a little noisy with the click, they offer a very good bounce and are very receptive.




In the grip of the palm, these two clicks are bordered by a more prominent button, their indexes and the main ones are well calibrated. And especially it makes these two side buttons easily and quickly accessible. In the same way, they have a good response capacity and are really very well placed, especially in the game for the FPS office, since they give, for example, a double click. In the center we find, as always, the wheel, a 2D Titan, which, although with notches, is very (too) sensitive. Which gave me some excitement when I changed my weapon in FPS. Covered with a soft rubber coating, it offers vertical scrolling and that's it! Finally, not completely, since it is backlit and this lighting is customizable through SWARM software. Behind the wheel, is the DPI change, easily accessible.

On the left side, two buttons have their right side twins, the ambidextrous mouse requires. If they are well positioned, it is unfortunate that they are not better separated. What makes the game, often happened to me, in a hurry, click on both at the same time. The buttons on the right can still be used, provided they assign functions that are used infrequently because they require some gymnastics with the ring finger.

When putting the beast in the back, there are four Teflon papats we discovered, but five, which offer a fairly correct glide.

In short, you will understand that this Roccat Kova offers good ergonomics for a really comfortable grip and the buttons fall naturally under the fingers without having to look for them.

CHARACTERISTICS AND SOFTWARE

As I said before, the buttons fall naturally under the fingers and are easily programmable through the Roccat SWARM software. Software that will have to go to the manufacturer's site and that, strangely, is not the latest version and will ask you to make several updates.

On the first page of the software, you will have access to the main parameters with, in the lower part of the window, access to 5 configurable and recordable profiles in the mouse memory, which will allow you to connect your mouse to another PC and have your profiles already configured directly.

You will also find the DPI change, which can be set from 250 to 7000 DPI, in increments of 50. You can program up to 5 levels of DPI, but you can choose the number to be programmed by checking or unchecking the boxes in front. Of the different bearings. What is interesting in FPS is having to change only between 2/3 different DPI frequencies according to the needs, without having to do a complete cycle to go back to the desired frequency.

On the left side of this window, there are other options available to you, which allow you to change the horizontal scroll speed or the double click speed.

The second tab is where you can configure all the buttons. Since this mouse is equipped with the EasyShift + function, we do not have a single column but two, one corresponding to the main assignment and the other to the secondary assignment. By the way, I want to point out that if, in the box, they tell us, thanks to this function, 22 attributable functions, here we have 12 rows per column or 24 functions! But for once it goes in the right direction, we will not complain.




The assignment of actions to the keys is very simple when you click on the button you want to change, which will open a drop-down menu in which you will only have to choose the desired assignment.

As for the games, if finally there are few options (38), compared to a Logitech G203 that offers 640, all the bigger titles are present. And do not stress because the software offers a macro editor to create yours according to your needs. And it must be taken into account that its use is easy because it is very intuitive, which is an advantage over what some competitors offer in this area.

The third tab allows you to configure other parameters such as the polling rate, even if it will always be left at 1000 Hz, since it allows you to configure the use of the mouse with the left or right hand; Finally, it is also possible to have an audio return, especially for the DPI change, since there is no visual indication available. If, initially, it is a little strange to hear a male voice announce the number of intellectual property rights selected, we get used to it quite quickly in the end! Whenever you understand English because unfortunately you will not have the option of language. And this voice can also announce the profile change if you wish.

It is also in this tab where you can make your RGB settings, which are also very limited, since there are only 4: fixed light, breathing effect, flash or a last called "color flow", which allows alternate colors but, ultimately instance, more flashes that really fluid
One thing to keep in mind about this SWARM software is that by putting some settings in favorites, you will have direct access to them by opening the software without having to go from one tab to another.

PERFORMANCE

In fact, the Kova has a Pro-Optic R6 sensor that can reach up to 3500 DPI, but thanks to the addition of a 32-bit Turbo Core V2 chip, this sensitivity is doubled, equivalent to 7000 DPI.
Its optical sensor is good and reacts very well, especially on a good mouse pad.
Its sounding rate at 1000 Hz will delight the FPS users and this mouse, thanks to its ergonomics, is really comfortable to use because it is very sensitive and takes very well in your hand.

This Roccat Kova has been with me for more than 15 days, in the automation of offices like Battelfield V, Star Wars Battlefront II, War Thunder and some other games and, frankly, I do not have to complain. The clicks are frank and nice, the buttons on the sides of the main clicks are really an advantage and, fortunately, because the side buttons, as I said before, are too close together and that, especially in the heat of the action, can happen to press both at the same time. But with a little habit it becomes less and less common.

It is really a good all-purpose mouse that, thanks to the EsayShift + function, can be used by MMO players.