The notion that there lies beauty in simplicity is a commonly shared one. With the NP-01S, said notion manifests itself not just in its understated, elegant looks, but also in an equally simple expression of functionality: Everything just works. Lately, I've had the displeasure of having to put up with countless mouse software suites, all of which gave me various types of headaches. By contrast, setting up the NP-01S is nothing but pure bliss. Upon plugging in, all that is needed are mere button presses, and that is about it. There is no need to adjust CPI steps as the default steps already have very little deviation, the sensor performs flawlessly, and click latency is as low or high as needed. This principle extends to the mouse as a whole: All the buttons are of high quality, with the side buttons being the star of the show, having exceptionally short travel. Build quality is equally solid: While the side buttons can be actuated by squeezing the sides, doing so requires herculean strength, rendering it very much a non-issue, and at 68 g, the NP-01S is lightweight, but not excessively so.

None of this is new, of course, and applies as much to previous VAXEE releases. Still, coming back to something at times helps put things in perspective, and I've come to enjoy the simplicity of VAXEE mice more and more lately. When using a VAXEE mouse, there is little surprise outside of the shape and some minor, yet often impactful improvements, but that is nothing but a good thing in my book. Most importantly, the internals being shared between releases allows VAXEE to focus on what matters most, which is the shape. While the changes made to the NP-01S may seem small at first glance, they decidedly alter the way it feels in hand compared to the NP-01. The lower and more centered hump, less pronounced left-side flare, and narrower width all give the palm more breathing space, which appears to have been the main design goal VAXEE had in mind for the NP-01S. Whereas the NP-01 still felt quite similar to a Zowie S2, the NP-01S is something different altogether, and quite unique at that. I truly have a hard time comparing it to something else, including the NP-01, which is closer to the S2 than the NP-01S is to the NP-01. As such, the NP-01S serves as an exercise in how even small modifications to a shape can have a greater than expected impact, and underlines the profound understanding of mouse ergonomics VAXEE has built up over the years.

Speaking of improvements, the NP-01S shares the ones first introduced on the Outset AX, namely thicker feet and a different matte coating, which is a bit more matte than the original NP-01 coating. Furthermore, compared to the NP-01, the side-button positioning has been adjusted to reduce the likelihood of the thumb interfering. And of course, it shares the same weaknesses, namely the incredibly loud scroll wheel and supremely stiff wheel click. The latter at least is something I'd expect to see addressed for future releases as there is no need to have the wheel click be this stiff. In fact, actuating it requires so much force that one may end up scrolling accidentally, which is precisely what this type of scroll wheel is supposed to prevent in the first place. The cable hasn't received any changes, either, and continues to be reasonably flexible. On a more personal note, I'd also appreciate VAXEE using different screws for the shell, as those they're currently using proved to be insurmountable hindrances yet again.

As mentioned, when it comes to the shape, there really isn't something quite like the NP-01S. The Xtrfy M42 too does without software, has equally great performance, low click latency, a similarly flexible cable, and two interchangeable back covers, for $59.00. The Endgame Gear XM1r at least in theory has basic software, but no RGB lighting either, great performance, solid build quality, low click latency, and a much more flexible cable, for $59.99. Lastly, the Sharkoon Light² 180 embodies a solid S2-like budget alternative with very good performance, low click latency, low weight yet barely any holes, and a reasonably flexible cable, for $39.99. Overall, the NP-01S once again is an incredibly solid release from VAXEE, and a joy to use in games, which is why it also gets our Recommended award from me.