Roccat Kova[+] Gaming Mouse

Feature

Roccat Kova[+] fixes most of the weaknesses of the original model and brings the mouse up-to-date with the handy Roccat EasyShift[+] function.

March 27th, 2011 by Marko Susimets�

Roccat Kone[+] - The Plus Generation

Roccat has been updating their existing selection of gaming mice to their new [+] generation. This basically means that all the mice are equipped with the new EasyShift[+] function, alongside other upgrades. At the time we reviewed the original Kone, we found it rather lacking in comparison to the Kova mouse, but as it was with Kova[+], Kone[+] is also an improvement over the original and worthy of closer inspection.

Specs

Unlike the (big brother) Kova mouse, Kone relies on an optic sensor instead of the nowadays more common laser. The optic sensor provides up to 3200 DPI, however, which is more than necessary for most gamers, although I ended up using it at max setting all the time. Roccat also increased the max acceleration for this update from the original 20G. Once again, the best feature of this mouse is that it is ambidextrous � making it one of the rare ergonomic choices for us left-handed gamers.

Max. DPI: 3200
Buttons: 7
Form factor: ambidextrous
Size in mm (lxwxh): 120 x 65 x 37 mm
Weight min/max: 90g
Price: c. 65.00�
Acceleration: 30G

Alongside the upgrades, some issues with the original have certainly been fixed: it is now possible to fix one colour to the mouse lighting and there's a proper driver software to customise all the settings (the original relied on you remembering button combinations to switch light effects and colours and other settings).

Ergonomics

In our review system, ergonomics denote the comfortability of the mouse when used, including its weight. Roccat Kova[+] is somewhat V-shaped and symmetric and therefore completely ambidextrous. It is also rather small, making full-palm grip almost impossible unless you have very small hands. Since I'm a fingertip-controller, this was not generally a problem for me, but the narrowness of the mouse may cause problems to those with wide palms.

Aside from the size issues, the ergonomics leave little to be desired � the buttons are very well positioned and easily found. Likewise, the non-slip rubber coating on the sides of the mouse feels very comfortable and is actually non-slip � my grip never slipped during the weeks I used the mouse. Overall, I get the feeling that this would be the perfect design for those gamers who are blessed with small hands.

Buttons and wheel

Like its predecessor, Roccat Kova[+] has 7 buttons, almost all of which are easy to reach (with the usual problems with the side buttons on the little-finger side). The thumb buttons are perhaps a little too flush with each other and the mouse, making them a bit difficult to tell apart by touch. They give soft, but detectable sound, but require a bit of force to click down � which is a good thing so you will not be clicking them by accident. The main buttons give a good response and the sound they emit is pleasantly soft.

Like the wheel of its predecessor, the wheel on Roccat Kova[+] is magnificent. It is large and has soft non-slip rubber coating and feel that makes it a pleasure to use. It is simply the best wheel that I've used, easily beating Razer's and Logitech's mice in this regard. However, the wheel does not include the very handy side scrolling feature familiar from some high-end gaming mice and the width of the wheel suggests that it would not be an easy addition to make.

Customisability and drivers

Roccat Kova[+] doesn't provide any physical means of customisation. All the customisation is up to the drivers. The EasyShift[+] is basically the highlight of Roccat's new mice, providing you with double functions to pretty much all of the mouse buttons and the wheel. For those unfamiliar with the system, it basically works like the Shift key on a keyboard: while you hold one button down, all the other buttons switch to their second function. You can assign either the left-hand or right-hand hindmost thumb button as the �Shift� button, so it is usable for both left-handed and right-handed users.

As far as DPI customisation and switching while playing is concerned, Kova[+] is somewhat restricted. You only have 4 predetermined DPI settings that you can switch between (400, 800, 1600 and 3200). There seems to be room for one more setting, but there's no way to activate it � it is probably there because the driver interface is a direct copy of the one with Kone[+] where there's more freedom of choice. You can assign a button to cycle through the DPI settings or assign two buttons for going up or down.

A definite upside is that the driver software allows you to create five different profiles and assign a button or buttons to switch between them like you do between DPI settings. This allows you to have MANY more functions assigned to the mouse buttons � if only you can keep track of them all.

Rating

The following ratings are naturally affected by personal preference. My hands are large and I use fingertip-control (aka claw grip), so smaller mice are not my thing. Someone with smaller hands might easily give the mouse a better score on ergonomics.

Ergonomics 7.5
Buttons 8.0
Wheel 9.0
Customisability N/A
Drivers 8.0
Total 8.0

Overall, the Roccat Kova[+] is a definite improvement over the original iteration, but it still retains one downside of the original: the above-mentioned small form factor. Anyone with big hands might be better off looking at Roccat Kone[+] instead. Roccat Kova[+] definitely looks great, but prospective buyers should consider their own preferences as it comes to customisation, measure their palm size and ponder about their preferred grip method before shelling out the cash for this mouse.