Back in 2000, Microsoft released the Wheel Mouse Optical (WMO). Originally nothing but an office mouse, it quickly went on to become one of the defining ambidextrous shapes among gamers. As cherished as it is even to this day, the WMO was never really replicated. Until now, that is. Though hardly a clone, the Burst Pro is clearly inspired by this classic shape and retains the same overall dimensions and curves. The biggest difference lies in the hump, which is centered and rounded on the WMO, but slightly tapered and positioned more towards the back on the ROCCAT Burst Pro. Still, for those longing for a new WMO, the Burst Pro undoubtedly is a dream come true.

That having been said, the Burst Pro isn't just an easy sell to WMO lovers. Over the years, ROCCAT has built a reputation for engineering, craftsmanship, and build quality, and the Burst Pro leaves nothing to be desired in this regard. Despite its lightweight design, the build of my unit is of impeccable quality, with no noticeable creaking, flexing, or anything of the like. The scroll wheel is as good as you'd expect from ROCCAT, and all buttons are crisp and satisfying to click, though not quite as nice as on the ROCCAT Kain series. Unlike the latter, the Burst Pro is using ROCCAT-branded optical switches for the main buttons. Lately, more and more companies have started using optical switches for their mice, and for good reason. The main benefits of optical switches are the lack of double-clicking and the fact that they don't need to be debounced, resulting in exceptionally low click latency. The implementation on the ROCCAT Burst Pro is surprisingly mature: Click latency is as low as it should be, and the main buttons have remarkably low pre and post-travel—just click feel is a bit dull compared to most mechanical switches. PixArt's PMW3389 is the sensor, and it performs as flawlessly as you'd expect.

In terms of handling, the Burst Pro doesn't disappoint either. The feet are among the best, if not the best stock feet I've seen on a mouse so far. Glide is great right out of the box, with zero break-in required. The cable strikes a nice balance as it's flexible, but not flexible to where it would be considered floppy. The fact that ROCCAT was able to achieve a weight of 70 g without resorting to externally visible holes is commendable as well—I, for one, still prefer a non-perforated shell for any sort of mousing. The internal honeycomb structure used to keep weight low is also put to use with the illumination. Although some may find the RGB lighting tacky, it's no doubt among the more refined and original approaches to mouse illumination. Of course, the RGB lighting can be further customized within ROCCAT Swarm, which also offers the usual host of other settings, all while keeping resource usage pleasantly low.

All in all, I really had to try my hardest to find any flaws with the ROCCAT Burst Pro. After a couple of days, I did notice infrequent, faint high-frequency noise coming from the sensor ("coil whine"), but it taking me this long to notice in the first place should already tell you that it's hardly an issue. Quite frankly, ROCCAT delivered an outstanding product with the Burst Pro and therefore earns our Editor's Choice. At $59.99, the Burst Pro is priced fairly, too. The VAXEE ZYGEN NP-01 retails for the same amount, but can't quite keep up in terms of quality and lacks both software support and optical switches. The Endgame Gear XM1 White goes for $59.99 as well and offers similar performance and quality, along with a somewhat comparable shape. The HK Gaming Mira-M, SPC Gear LIX Plus, and Glorious Model O for $49.99 each all feature similar performance, but cannot compete in terms of quality.