Performance

Using a mouse or any other input device is a very subjective experience. This means that each user is different and has different likes and dislikes. We try to convey the upsides and shortcomings of such devices with as much objectivity as humanely possible, but keep in mind that your style of gaming may be completely different.

Using the NZXT Avatar feels much better than I anticipated. Having a much heavier larger mouse on my desk for the most part made me a bit sceptically at first. Even though this is the company's first entry into the gaming device market, it does make a good first impression after a few minutes of use. Setting up the mouse to your needs does take some time, simply as there are so many different features you can access through the software. But once that is done one can concentrate on the weight and feel of the Avatar.

Talking about weight, I have to admit it is very well balanced. The Avatar should be considered a light mouse, but it is no feather weight. You feel the weight nicely and have good control when moving the Avatar across your gaming surface. Pressing the various buttons does not require excessive force and the click noise is not too loud. Using the scroll wheel does require a bit more force than I would like, but the feedback is great and the rubber surface really helps as well. The one big downfall are the two very large buttons placed on the sides of the mouse. They have noticeable edges and require less force to press than the other buttons. This means that you will find yourself hitting them quite often by mistake. A design with rounded edges, which would line-up with the mouse body, would have been much better. While such an accidental press may be forgivable in most gaming scenarios, it is not during surfing the web or in that final match at your local LAN party.

You may change the DPI setting two ways. Either use the two DPI up/down buttons in the center or press down both side buttons and use the scroll wheel. The latter process works without drivers, but also means that your browser navigation will go crazy while doing so. Users who want a good mouse for that occasional gaming session, will find themselves turning off the navigation functionality of these buttons for office work very quickly. Luckily you may use any of the four other profiles to quickly reactivate them when gaming.

Overall one can say, that the Avatar is a very solid and surprisingly balanced performer. Those who are used to very heavy mice, may find it to be a bit on the light side, but that is a purely personal preference.