When it comes to quality gaming mice, looks aren’t everything. However, they do entice your eyes to linger. Unusual, eye-catching designs and modular beasts put an emphasis on an attractive external visage and usually complement it with speedy response times and customistable software to achieve a balance between style and substance. Generally speaking, Cougar’s minimalist peripherals don’t keep you lingering, but they should.
In our testing thus far, Cougar’s keyboards and gaming headsets have successfully demonstrated the company’s drive to satisfy gamers with quality products. It’s no surprise then that the Cougar Minos X5 and Revenger S gaming mice confidently deliver a superb FPS experience. Both these peripherals are in Cougar’s ergonomic range, pulling through in their promise of fine-tuned curvature for optimal comfort, not to mention flawless performance. A lightweight frame, minimal chic, and matching 16.8 million colour RGB LED make these two strong contenders for your next daily driver.
Cougar Minos X5 Gaming Mouse
Smallish, rounded, and effortlessly comfortable, the Cougar Minos X5 comes with a narrow arch that feels great to hold and doesn’t strain. Okay, it’s not as flat as Apple’s Magic Mouse, but coming in at 4.72 (L) X 2.55 (W) X 1.49 (H) inches, the slope is less steep than Kingston’s HyperX Pulsefire FPS which goes five inches high and spans greater length and width. The difference is quite noticeable, so if you’ve been blessed with smaller hands, the Minos X5 is just the ticket.
Supreme, rubber-powered comfort
And while the Cougar Minos X5 might be the largest of its ilk, it measures in at a svelte 88 grams. Its shape is the result of extensive research and on-field usage from seasoned eSports players, and we can vouch for its ergonomic design—the symmetrical set up places all the key buttons within very easy reach. A pleasant, inward curve lets your thumb, ring and pinky fingers nestle Topping things off are anti-slip rubber flanks (not just cosmetic grooves) that are extremely satisfying to grip onto compared to the usual cold plastic, and come with the unexpected benefit of keeping your fingers warm.
The cable meets the 1.8 metre standard, but unlike the braided variety, it’s composed of plastic. This lower level of insulation means you’ll have to be a bit more careful about wear and tear. Fortunately, the length gives freedom for quick, unrestricted movement—essential in any FPS. Utilising the PixArt PMW3360 optical sensor, the Minos X5 ensures your gaming performance and general usage never suffers from untimely jitters and unresponsiveness (I experienced no latency even when adjusted to higher DPI).
Competitive sensitivity, agile movement
Furthermore, switching up your DPI settings is a breeze. The centrally positioned button offers players access to the Minos X5‘s different resolutions, which range from 100-12000 DPI. Most of us won’t need the full 12K, but it’s useful for rapid movements and does accommodate both 4K and 8K computers. On the other hand, if elevated DPI benefits your gameplay, the Corsair Glave RGB goes up to 16K DPI.
Being able to program the Minos X5‘s six buttons is another bonus for players who like control. 512 KB on board memory lets you save four different DPI profiles plus select your ideal polling rate, which in the case of Minos X5 reaches heights of 2,000 Hz. That’s the apex of polling rates, and again, humans generally react within 215 ms so you may not discern the refresh rate so much as the improved smoother movements.
Last but not least, the Minos X5 boasts 16.8 million colour RGB lighting for the clickable scroll wheel and the Cougar logo beneath your palm, which also give you free reign with four individual profiles, plus the ability to cycle between illumination effects like breathing, flow, and steady.
Cougar Revenger S Gaming Mouse
In terms of speed (and almost every other feature) the Revenger S is advertised as being identical to the Minos X. However, several hours of testing indicated that the Cougar Revenger S seems to move quicker at maximum DPI settings.
A Palm-Grip Conoisseur
It comes in just slightly heavier than the Cougar Minos X at 94 grams, and barring the obvious logo differences, it most strongly resembles the HyperX Pulsefire FPS. Coincidentally, the HyperX Pulsefire is only a gram more than the Revenger S, however, that’s where the differences come to a halt.
Despite its winning speed, there is a trade off in comfort. Playing Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege was more comfortable in the long term with the Minos X. The Revenger S features a more angular front edge and is designed to fit a larger hand, but the bumpy arch keeps your hand raised and does take a bit of getting used to.
On the other hand, Its 5.11 (L) X 2.55 (W) X 1.69 (H) inch arrangement allows your palm and fingers to fully utilise its space in palm grip style. It’s taller, less symmetrical, and more suited to a right-hander because of the rounder, concave edge on the right hand side. The only way I can imagine improving the comfort levels of the Revenger S and Minos X5 is making them ambidextrous like the SteelSeries Sensei 310.
Between tweaking DPI settings on various profiles and adjusting the 16.8 million RGB LED lighting settings, customising the the Revenger S and the Minos X5 is the same. Some users have reported issues when updating the UIX software drivers, but this wasn’t the case in my experience.
Big open spaces
Something I found very refreshing about the design of the Revenger S is the gap separating the left and right click buttons; it’s a tiny adjustment, but most gaming mice tend to have a sealed bridge here. It does have a small practical impact in the sense your middle finger won’t be quietly clashing against plastic, and instead move freely through space in natural, fluid strokes.
Conclusion
The Minos X5 and Revenger S are an impressive duo in Cougar’s gaming mouse library, reaching the highest current polling rate while offering comfortable, ergonomic design that’s certifiable all-rounder material. Virtually identical in features and functionality, the ultimate distinguishing quality is size and shape. Both are worthy to reclaim the position of your daily driver, and at a respectable $49.99 USD each, they’re affordable to boot. You can check them out on Amazon.
Purchase the Cougar Minos X5 Gaming Mouse
Purchase the Cougar Revenger S Gaming Mouse
Disclosure: Samples were provided for review.
