Marvo Scorpion PRO G945 Gaming Mouse Review

Marvo may not be a brand many of you have heard of, but they're quickly becoming one of my favourite brands. They're not out to tackle the likes of Corsair or ASUS, at least not yet. However, they started at the bottom of the market, providing some of the most competitive affordable peripherals we've ever seen. Such as the range of Scorpion products I reviewed a year ago, their value is still virtually impossible to beat. Check out some of my other Marvo reviews here to see what I mean. However, they've been pushing into more "expensive" models, such as the new G945 gaming mouse, which is roughly £30 at most retailers right now. Still affordable, but also still a lot more expensive than their previous models. Marvo G945 As you can see, it's pretty well equipped too. Sure, it's not as well equipped as the more affordable models from the big name brands, but it's also around £20-30 cheaper than most gaming mice too, which is certainly something you have to consider. You're getting an ok sensor, lots of RGB lighting, programmable buttons, durable switches, a sniper button, and more. Plus, first impressions of the design look great too, so let's dive in and take a look. Features & Specifications Heavy Duty Main SwitchesRated for 20M ClicksAdvanced Customisation Software9 Programmable Buttons Inc 3 Easily Accessible Thumb Buttons10,000 DPI Optical SensorPAW 3325DB + BY8948 SensorRGB LED Lighting1.8m CableUSB 2.0 For in-depth features and specifications, please visit the official product page here. Packaging & Accessories The box for the Marvo G945 is very nicely designed. There's a good photo of the mouse on the front, which shows off some of the RGB lighting. There are also some details at the bottom, telling you the DPI of the optical sensor and that it is programmable. Around the back, they've used all of the available space to cram in lots more details too. There's a labelled image of the mouse detailing the sensor, ergonomics, RGB, and thumb switch. There's also a bullet point list of all of the specifications and an international breakdown of the same information. In the box, you'll find a hard-wired mouse, and all of the usual documentation stuff. That's about it really, so let's get this plugged in and get playing. A Closer Look & Performance The mouse comes hard-wired with a lovely quality black braided cable. The USB header is fairly standard, but it does come with a dust cap. There's even a Velcro tie on the cable to keep things tidy. The mouse looks pretty great, and honestly, far better than I expected. This mouse is one of the most affordable models I've tested in quite some time now, so naturally, I came in with lower expectations to match. Honestly, I didn't need to lower them at all. It looks solid, and it feels really robust; so far, so good. Down the left side of the mouse, you have two large navigation buttons, which are easy to control and have a nice and robust click to them that's very pleasing to use. Then there's this red ball. I thought it was purely a button, which I guess it is. It's got a lovely click to it too, and perfect for using as a sniper button. However, it has a secret, it's a scroll-wheel... erm, ball; it can be rolled vertically! The whole mouse is programmable, so you could set this to zoom levels, volume wheel, navigation, weapon selection, whatever really. The same goes for the click; it's a fully programmable button too. There's a deep gap here, with a load or RGB lighting tucked in there, and you'll see that lit up shortly. There's a nice Marvo logo at the back, of course, that's RGB too. Down the right side, another section of RGB, and there's more in the mouse wheel too, giving us four unique lighting zones. Seriously, this is one awesome looking mouse. The matte black finish is complimented well by a few glossy sections. The ergonomics look great (if you're right-handed), and there's a slight curve to the LMB and RMB to promote a good hand position. The mouse wheel has a light turn, but a really tactile and a very audible click that rasps when spun. That's not a bad thing, I actually find the noise quite satisfying, and it certainly makes for more accurate weapon swapping while gaming. It's also clickable too, and fully programmable. Located behind it, there's a DPI button and an RGB button. However, I would likely reprogram the RGB button to DPI level down; I rarely need RGB control at my fingertips. On the underside, you'll find that 10k DPI optical sensor, as well as a profile switch (there are two profiles you can configure via software). Also, the mouse gripped like a running shoe when I tried to use it. This confused me greatly. Remove the protective film from the Teflon, that really works wonders for fixing this issue. Now the mouse glides like a greased up Scotsman. The ergonomics on this mouse are fantastic. It has a deep swell on the left as well as a small wing, giving your thumb a good grip and resting point. I have quite long fingers, but the mouse can accommodate me just fine. Everything feels easy to control and well placed. Plus smaller/shorter hands, or those who want to use a more claw-like grip will find secondary grip points further back that feel equally comfortable. The shape also means I can lift the mouse with a light grip too, handy if you're using a lift-off technique and lower DPI levels. Next, we have the RGB, and boy, does it look awesome. There are a good number of RGB LEDs in each zone, allowing for some pretty dynamic and dramatic lighting effects. The transitions are really smooth too, and with an RGB button on the mouse, you can tinker away with ease. Of course, there's software to really get into detail with it too. It's the same on both sides, and overall, it's way better than I ever expected it would be. As for performance, the mouse feels great in my hand. It's a little on the heavy side, but I'd say it's a standard weight, but I've reviewed so many ultralights in the last year. It's easy to use though, and all the buttons really do feel fantastic, with a really crisp click to them; worthy of a more expensive model, that's for sure. The sensor is decent, not eSports grade like we're used to seeing, but this mouse is half the price of the big names brands. There's a small amount of angle snapping mid-speed and mid-DPI levels, but it only presented itself on larger slow sweeping curves. This can be seen in the top left circle, first red right and the top, and second red ring, left and right sides. There's some presence of it on the straight lines test. Fast and slow accuracy tests and acceleration tests passed with flying colours. Honestly, any flaws here are small, and it did much better than I expected too. How Much Does it Cost? The price is all over the place at the moment, with some retailers selling it close to £20 some slightly over £30. However, £30 seems to be more common. Marvo at not a big retail brand, so it's rare to see them on say... Amazon. However, they tend to retail in many smaller high street computer shops, and smaller web stores, and eBay, so it's worth shopping around for the best deals. Overview I'm very impressed with what Marvo has to offer here. It's lightyears ahead of their budget models, and clearly, their new Pro range is out to kick some ass in the market. The last mouse I reviewed of theirs was about £6 at retail, a cheap little thing that did OK for those on a tight budget. However, this is obviously a much higher quality product, despite still being one of the cheapest mice we've ever tested. Of course, the design is also really cool too, but since it looks like someone copied the gorgeous Roccat Kone AIMO and changed it just enough so the teacher doesn't suspect anything, that's hardly surprising. Performance The sensor on this mouse isn't perfect, but for this price range, it's far better than I expected. That being said, a tiny bit of angle snapping was found when I went looking for it. However, when playing some Elder Scrolls Online, and Mass Effect Legendary Edition, I can't say I ever noticed it. Beyond that, there's a good DPI range, a low lift-off height, and everything is easy to configure in the software. I like that I can have multiple DPI levels, or disable some levels and turn it into a DPI toggle. However, I have to give Marvo top marks for the easy to use software, and that rather funky red thumb-ball scroller, clicky thing, it really works well and I hope to see it on other mice in the future. Should I Buy One? If you need a mouse and that isn't going to break the bank, I can't think of anything that comes close to those. You get a lot of programmable buttons, some seriously good RGB, good quality switches, and it feels great in the hand, and the design looks really cool too. If Marvo can do this on a low budget, I can't wait to see what they can do with a more expensive product!