Alienware’s first pro-level mouse may not be flashy, but it’s packed with features under the hood aimed at giving you an advantage in just about any competitive game. Alienware focused on creating a mouse designed specifically for professionals, but is also excellent for those who want to take their competitive game to the next level by adding features like customizable high polling rates and advanced keyplates that ensure a fast, yet precise, click – all features normally found in the best gaming mice. The result is a mouse that ticks all the boxes: lightweight and easy to operate, ultra-fast polling speeds and long battery life.
Alienware Pro Wireless Mouse – Design and Features
At first glance, Alienware’s Pro Wireless Mouse is an unassuming, dare I say, pedestrian device. There’s no flashy RGB, no sharp edges, no plethora of extra buttons, just a simple, slightly bulbous mouse. Aside from the matte Alienware logo adorning the palm rest, you might not even know this is a gaming mouse. However, this is all by design.
Alienware prioritized function over form with the latest version, opting for a lightweight, streamlined design that feels comfortable to hold and use, without unnecessary features weighing down the device (literally). Since this mouse is aimed at professional players, it had to meet their specific needs.
One of the most important aspects of a competitive mouse is weight, and the Alienware Pro mouse weighs just under 60 grams. While there are certainly lighter mice on the market, this was the sweet spot based on surveys Alienware conducted among more than a hundred eSports players. Yet it’s still one of the lightest mice I own, and actually feels deceptively light when picked up, as it seems much heavier when sitting idly on a desk.
With an emphasis on performance, Alienware has increased the polling rate of the Pro Wireless Mouse from the industry standard 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz in wireless mode and a whopping 8000 Hz in wired mode. For the uninitiated, polling rates in mice are comparable to the refresh rates on a monitor. Basically, it’s how often your mouse reports the location of the cursor to your computer. While it’s debatable whether you can actually feel a difference at polling rates above 1000Hz, the latency difference is quantifiable on paper. When polling at 1000 Hz you can expect a latency of around 1 ms, while 4000 Hz is a quarter of that at 0.25 ms, and 8000 Hz is even lower at 0.125 ms. In general, higher polling rates mean smoother cursor movement and a technical reduction in latency, but at the expense of battery life.
Many professional mice have a 4000Hz option, but most professional players opt for a lower polling rate to significantly extend battery life. Alienware managed 32 hours of battery life with a 4000Hz polling rate, or a whopping 120 hours if you opt for the standard 1000Hz standard. Luckily, whichever option you choose, you can quickly charge the battery if necessary, as a quick five-minute charge will give you six hours of extra battery life.
Another important component to consider is how well a mouse moves over a given surface, which comes down via the mouse feet on the bottom, allowing it to glide smoothly across mousepads and desktops. Like many other professional mice on the market, Alienware has opted for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) feet which, besides being a mouthful to say out loud, are ideal for their non-stick coating and low friction. This is a great addition as it elevates this mouse above the vast majority of options available. Interestingly enough, the semi-translucent gray color of the feet is natural, as mice with slightly different colored feet use a different material or dye, both of which are less than ideal when it comes to performance.
The key plates, or left/right mouse buttons, use a patented magnetic system that allows the buttons to be clicked very quickly and returned to their original position thanks to two opposing magnets that literally force the mouse clicks in both directions. The result is a very smooth, satisfying and springy click that is unlike any other mouse I’ve used. Alienware also rates each mouse button for up to 70 million clicks, meaning this mouse is durable and will last a very long time.
The scroll wheel between the key plates has a rubber grip and a notched design that provides feedback when scrolling in either direction. It’s not as smooth as other mice, but it offers precise movements and can be clicked easily like the middle mouse button. There are two thumb buttons on the side that can also be adjusted – these buttons click in easily, but are positioned a bit higher and more forward than I am used to, which took some getting used to. The bottom of the mouse features a profile button that lets you cycle through five presets to instantly adjust DPI sensitivity, polling rate, and more. There’s also USB-C dongle storage built into the bottom of the mouse for easy storage while traveling.
In an effort to appeal to a broad audience, the Pro Wireless Mouse is designed for all grip types, including claw, palm, and fingertip grip styles. Because it can accommodate such a variety of grips, it has a very uniform shape which is a bit tall for my taste. The symmetrical design fits both left and right hands, and is slightly tapered in the middle on both sides to fit your little finger no matter your dexterity. While you can certainly buy a mouse specifically designed for your unique grip or hand preference, the jack-of-all-trades approach for this mouse is one of my sore points. I lean more toward a claw grip with the way I hold my mice, and I found the bulbous center section somewhat uncomfortable to maneuver during long sessions.
Alienware Pro Wireless Mouse – Software
Alienware Command Center isn’t necessarily required to use the Pro Wireless Mouse out of the box, but if you like to tinker with the settings a bit, you’ll want to download the app on PC. While it doesn’t have a ton of customization options, you can set keyboard shortcuts and macros, and adjust settings for the five built-in profiles. Within each profile you can adjust the DPI sensitivity from 0-26,000, in addition to changing the polling rate from 125 Hz to the advertised 4000 Hz in wireless mode. Additionally, you can extend battery life by automatically lowering the polling rate when the battery reaches a certain threshold, and enabling sleep mode when the mouse is inactive for a certain period of time. Finally, you can check the firmware of the mouse and dongle and update them if necessary.
Alienware Pro Wireless Mouse – Gaming and Performance
Gaming peripherals are often extremely flashy, have way too many buttons, or exude a level of ostentation that is far beyond my taste, but the Pro Wireless Mouse had the opposite effect. Maybe it’s the subdued gray tone and soft shape, but I felt strangely peaceful using this device. That’s not to say I wasn’t impressed with it, but it felt somewhat refreshing to use a competent peripheral that doesn’t scream “I’m a gamer!” to everyone who enters the room.
I spent most of my time with the Pro Wireless Mouse in competitive FPS games like Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, and the more casual, yet often demanding Destiny 2. The mouse felt very crisp and responsive, and I like really like the spiciness of the left and right mouse buttons. Firing weapons felt effortless, as my finger movement was reduced, while the opposing magnets helped guide the keyplates upward quickly.
I played at 1000 Hz quite a bit before manually enabling the 4000 Hz option in Alienware Command Center, but after switching between the two I honestly couldn’t see or feel any performance improvement. Maybe it’s just my untrained eye, but the 0.75 ms response time shave for my mouse was imperceptible. That said, I’m sure the vast majority of players won’t notice a difference either. The good news is that if you decide to stick with the default 1000Hz polling rate, you’ll get about 90 hours of extra battery life in wireless mode and probably won’t feel any performance degradation.
While the mouse is very light and glides effortlessly across the mouse pad, it never felt super comfortable to hold for me personally. Because it’s symmetrically shaped and intended for all types of grip and dexterity, it never quite fits my hand the way I’d like, as it’s a little wider in the middle than most lightweight mice I use. I’ve certainly used larger mice in the past, but because they’re designed for right-handed users there was more rest for my ring and pinky fingers, whereas here they just spill awkwardly over the side without support.