Epic Gear Meduza HDST Gaming Mouse & Hybrid Mousepad Review

As with all of our mice we get in to review, we put them through our standard battery of tests, which consist of various game genres, general use and how comfortable using the mouse is over prolonged use. We may sometimes find, that some flaws appear after many days of use, so we will update this review if anything crops up. First up are the different game genre tests. The main three genres we use are FPS, RTS and RPG as these tend to be the most popular categories, so first up is FPS:

First Person Shooters

The two FPS games that were used are Battlefield 3 – for the longer slower paced FPS and Counter Strike: Source, for the more fast paced, intense FPS. Whilst playing both of these games there was not a single flaw, the movement was incredibly smooth on the Hybrid pad and there was no jitter at all – something high DPI mice can produce on CS:S. The ability to change the DPI/profile on the fly was very useful in BF3, as it allowed us to flick between different DPIs for when flying a jet or helicopter.

Real Time Strategy

The Meduza was also faultless when it came to playing RTS games, the smooth movement meant accurate selection and scrolling was rapid due to the high DPI. We also tested out the different sensor options when playing. We found that the optical was very precise and smooth, yet a little too slow. The laser on the other hand, was very quick, yet not as smooth as the optical. The Meduza really shone when we used the HDST, where speed and accuracy were combined giving us flawless performance.

Role Playing Game

Whilst playing the RPG game however, it became know to us that the lack of extra buttons as seen on many of the other gaming mice, meant that the more popular actions that we used, could not all be assigned. Whilst this is not an issue at all with the two genres above, it is clear that the Meduza’s prime use is not for RPG. The movements still remained smooth and precise and was a pleasure to use throughout still.

General use

Using for general use was just as nice to use as it was gaming, particularly when editing images in Photoshop, as this is where the accuracy of the optical sensor really made a difference when making some fine adjustments. Probably one of the more noticeable points we picked up on straight away, was just how comfortable the Meduza is. Not only does the soft touch coating make it feel nice in the hand, but also the ergonomic shape and having that extra ring-finger rest meant there was no discomfort for the many hours we spent gaming. It is one of the most comfortable gaming mice we have had the chance to review, even more so than the RAT7 – which is a surprise in itself. It’s not just the shape and texture
that makes it nice to hold, the buttons are also very tactile and easy to press, yet they don’t protrude much, so don’t leave imprints in your skin.

Software

The software is very simple to use, although installing and running the software is a bit over the top with a fancy introduction animation. The software is divided into four sections; main, performance, macro and support. In the first three sections you can change the button assignments, sensitivity, performance and macros, for up to 5 profiles that are stored on the PC and not on the mouse.

We’ve seen how the Meduza looks, how it performs and how it feels, so now it’s time to put it all together for the conclusion.