Higher polling rates such as 2000 or 4000 Hz, and sometimes even 8000 Hz on wireless mice, have been a persistent trend lately. A less paid attention to, but nonetheless crucial part of this advancement is the move from USB full-speed to USB high-speed for high polling rate mice. While USB high-speed is necessary to realize polling rates higher than 1000 Hz, it also improves polling rates of 1000 Hz and under when compared against USB full-speed. Accordingly, it comes as no surprise that VAXEE has decided to no longer ship their wireless mice with USB full-speed dongles, and instead bundle them with their "4K" (USB high-speed) dongle only.

Looking at the performance mustered by the new dongle, this decision is even less surprising. As with all recent VAXEE wireless releases, CPI deviation is minimal, which is particularly relevant in that VAXEE mice are restricted to four fixed CPI steps, thus not allowing correction of any possible deviation. The NP-01 Wireless also retains how different sensor run modes are handled. In wired operation, the NP-01 Wireless always defaults to the so-called "competitive mode," which is a different name for what the PAW3395 sensor documentation refers to as "corded mode." In corded mode, all sensor parameters are run at their highest possible values, as power draw takes a backseat compared to non-wired modes. At polling rates of 2000 and 4000 Hz, the NP-01 Wireless likewise defaults to competitive mode, so only at polling rates of 125, 500, or 1000 Hz in wireless operation is the distinction between standard and competitive mode even present. Even in standard mode at 1000 Hz, motion delay on the NP-01 Wireless is admirably low, and edges VAXEE's previous USB full-speed performance. Without MotionSync, the NP-01 Wireless is ahead of the Logitech G403 (control subject) by roughly 0.5 ms, and upon enabling competitive mode, the gap widens even further to roughly 0.8 ms. This 0.8 ms figure applies to 2000 and 4000 Hz as well, so the main benefit of those higher polling rates over 1000 Hz in competitive mode is the extra smoothness afforded by them. MotionSync adds a bit more than 0.5 ms worth of motion delay at 1000 Hz, which is why it is best left disabled, and this fact is reflected by the NP-01 Wireless defaulting to MotionSync disabled. The only downside to running competitive mode at 1000 Hz is battery life being nearly halved, from around 100 hours to 55 hours.

Click latency likewise benefits from the switch to USB high-speed. At 1000 Hz wireless and 2 ms debounce time, the NP-01 Wireless averages 2.4 ms, which is a significant improvement over the 3.2 ms achieved with the USB full-speed dongle. 2000 and 4000 Hz lower this number even further, to 2.0 and 1.9 ms, respectively. Even though the NP-01 Wireless allows adjusting debounce time, there is no reason not to use the lowest value of 2 ms, as VAXEE has implemented slam-click prevention, thus allowing one to use the lowest possible value without any downsides, lest for possible double-clicking a couple of years down the line.

The only issue I could find related to performance is polling stability. In wireless operation, for any polling rates that aren't 4000 Hz, I've found there to be periodic bursts of off-period polls. We've already seen similar behavior on the full-speed dongle, though there the highest polling rate was 1000 Hz, so only 125 and 500 Hz were affected, whereas on the high-speed dongle, the highest polling rate is 4000 Hz, and any polling rate below that is affected. If I had to take a guess, I would surmise that within the firmware, anything timing-related is done for 4000 Hz (250 us) only, and lower polling rates aren't fully accounted for. That said, since tracking is not hampered by this, I'm inclined to consider this more of a technicality and nothing that should be paid much attention to.

While the XE Wireless was significantly heavier than its wired counterpart, the NP-01S Wireless managed to match its wired brethren. The NP-01 does the same, though outside of the VAXEE space, this figure isn't quite as formidable, given that comparable competitors such as the Endgame Gear OP1we clock in at 58 g. On the flip side, build quality at least is largely in a good spot on the NP-01 Wireless, as the shell doesn't creak or flex when applying lateral pressure, save for one spot: the back side button can be actuated when pressing below it, though unlike on the AX Wireless, doing so requires excessive force, which is why this registers as a non-issue in my book. In addition, and much like on the NP-01S Wireless, there is a rattle when shaking the mouse. Despite my best efforts, I still don't know where it comes from, but given that it is not noticeable unless one actively provokes it, I consider this a minor issue.

Looking at the internals, we not only see the same design used for previous VAXEE wireless mice such as the XE Wireless or NP-01S Wireless, but also the same components. Huano switches with a pink plunger are used for the main buttons, which have moderate pre and post-travel, but provide a pleasantly firm and snappy button response nonetheless, and lateral button movement is kept to a minimum, too. Surface-mounted switches from Huano are used for the side buttons, and both the forward and back side buttons shine with low pre and post-travel, along with even actuation. However, and somewhat similarly to the AX Wirelesss, when pressed towards the rear, the back side button changes feedback to a higher pitch and duller response. The degree to which this happens is much lower than on the AX Wireless, so while not ideal, it is not something that becomes particularly noticeable during regular use. The scroll wheel once again is from ALPS, known for its reliability, durability, and tactile scrolling at acceptable noise levels. The feet are unchanged in terms of size and shape over the wired NP-01, and glide is still very good.

Despite having debuted nearly four years ago, the NP-01 shape continues to be among the most unique and original designs still, which is why anyone looking for this specific shape really doesn't have any other option. And even for those who haven't taken a particular liking to this shape, the NP-01 Wireless is a compelling option, as the $10 premium over the non-4K versions is fair given the upgrade in performance, though of course, it still isn't what most would call a bargain. At 72 g, the NP-01 Wireless isn't the lightest wireless mouse around, but its performance, reliability, and ease of use stack up well to the competition. As such, the NP-01 Wireless earns our Recommended award.