Software

Cougar has the "Cougar UIX System" software to help with the configuration of its mice. While the software is feature-packed, the UI feels crowded due to the bright colors and fonts that are used. It seems that using a more readable font would have helped its usability considerably. Additionally, some UI options (like the "cycle lighting" selection described below) are not explained in any way and are offered just as a radio-button selection.


The "Performance" tab allows users to select various settings related to the Cougar Revenger's performance, as you can see above. Since the mouse has a 3-stage DPI indicator, users can individually select the DPI for those levels, but the possibility to add more DPI levels is not offered.


The "Key Assignments" tab gives users the possibility to remap the Cougar Revenger's buttons. While the variety of options is welcome (besides normal functions and macros, you can launch applications or control the volume, too), the UI is cumbersome - key remapping is done by dragging and dropping icons from the right side. Additionally, a quick glance at these icons won't always reveal their purpose immediately; mouse clicks, scroll down, and middle click all have arrows pointing down on them, for example. A greater variety of button designs would have helped here.


"Lighting Control" offers several options for controlling the lighting on the Cougar Revenger. Besides the full RGB selector for the two LED zones, users are given the option to select several lighting effects. Besides the more common breathing effect, users can select a random color mode that has three options:

• An option where the colors just blend from one into another
• An option where the colors do not blend
• An intermediary option where a color fades out and the LED then stays unlit for a split second before the next color appears

Unfortunately, this mode is not explained anywhere; it's controlled by the way of the three radio buttons that have a colored circle next to them.