Zowie AM – Ambidextrous Mouse Review

Given the gaming heritage behind the Zowie brand name I figured it only fair that I dive right in at the deep end and play some games. This isn’t some “million button MMO mouse” though, so for today’s tests I’ll be using Torchlight II, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim.

Torchlight II is a very mouse intensive game, given that it’s used for both movement and combat at the same time it’s important to have a responsive sensor, good manoeuvrability and mouse buttons that prove snapped feedback for the ensuing click-fest that is Torchlight II’s combat. Fortunate then that the AM ticks all these boxes and didn’t miss a single beat, it did so well in fact that I ended up playing the game for considerably longer than I intended.

The same was true throughout Battlefield 3, the side buttons are easily accessible in both left and right hand positions and the fact that you can disable the buttons on either side of the mouse, if you choose to, also means that accidental button presses are no longer an issue in the heat of battle. On another note, the sensor on the mouse is really accurate, it’s a shame the DPI switch is on the underside. Especially in Battlefield 3 as you can’t tweak the DPI for those long range sniper shots.

Skyrim is a personal favourite of mine and its ability to draw you into long gaming sessions is perfect for testing the ergonomics of a mouse. After a few hours of gaming I found the long shape of the AM to be very comfortable, I often prefer a wider body to the mouse I use but didn’t find any comfort issues here regardless.

For general usage the AM really comes into its stride, it’s comfortable to use in both left and right hand configurations, travels well across a multitude of gaming surfaces and feels responsive at all times. This makes it perfect for long days of working in Photoshop, writing articles or just endlessly scrolling through Reddit and Facebook, the AM mouse managed many hours of those last two just fine.