XPG Slingshot Gaming Mouse Review
Peter Donnell / 2 years ago
How Much Does it Cost?
Unfortuntely, I couldn’t find up to date pricing information on the mouse just yet. Actually, XPG have been a bit light on details for the Slingshot in general, and I’m not sure why. It’s lightweight, but they don’t say how much it weights. They tell us the sensor, but not the sensor specifications, the buttons are programmable, but it doesn’t say how many, and they say the switches are 20M but not who makes them. That is a bit strange, but hopefully something they address in the future, as just slapping Meras body on the box can’t be their only sales tool. You can check for up to date prices and stock of the XPG Slingshot on Amazon here.
Overview
XPG has a rock solid lineup of PC hardware and peripherals already, and while there are a few strange qualities about the Slingshot, there’s really nothing to fault about it either. It’s a bit cooler and more gamer focused than their other more recently relasesed mouse, the XPG Primer, which incidentally used the same sensor, but has a larger and heavier design overall. Plus, while I think the whole Metaverse thing is of no interest to me, I can understand why they’re making a push to have a virtual mascot in that world, but the curvy lady is unlikely to appeal to some, that’s for sure. Still, it’s not like they haven’t done some weird stuff before. Remember the $10K keyboard?
It’s fair to say that XPG has done little to nothing innovative here, but the XPG Slingshot is certainly on trend and up to date with what everyone else is doing. Not every product has to push the market forward, and so long as the price is right, this mouse could do well for them. Look at the equivilent mouse they had four years ago, which was 5000 DPI, 20G acceleration and weighed 160 grams. Meanwhile the Slingshot is 12000 DPI, 50G acceleration, and 72 grams. Plus, I suspect the XPG Slingshot will cost a similar price of around £40-50 too, so pretty decent overall.
The build quality is excellent, and I really love that thicker paracord cable design. It’s lightweight, but it looks great, while also still being reasonably robust. The mouse has an exoskeleton design to shed weight, but they’ve still kept the plastics quite thick. The trade off is a mouse that is a little heavier than some ultralight mice, but it’s still a lighter mouse overall, while retaining a very tough and durable feel in your hand. If you’re a gamer that gives their mouse a tough time, this is going to be beneficial in the long run.
The performance is on point, and the PixArt 3360 sensor is absolutely superb. The mouse is a bit too fast on its upper DPI levels, but it certainly never hurts to have some options for fast map tracking. That being said, at the lower DPI levels, this mouse glides like silk and it’s easy to make fast, smooth and accurate movements, making it well suited to all kinds of work and gaming.
Should I Buy One?
If you can find the XPG Slingshot at the right price, you’ll be very happy with what the XPG Slingshot has to offer. While it’s design or features may not make it stand out from the crowd, it’s still a very competitive mouse. The build quality, style and performance are all great!