SteelSeries Xai: comfortable, precise

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (LIN) - Precision and comfort are two things every gaming-grade mouse maker is striving to achieve. They want to make sure you can accomplish what you need to in the game, and be able to play that game for as long as you want to with their mouse. SteelSeries sent me a Xai Laser Mouse , and it delivers a feature-packed mouse with both precision and comfort.

Some quick SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse stats:

- Ambidextrous shape
- Best-in-class technology: 100-5001 CPI, 12,000 FPS & 150+ IPS
- High definition sensor sporting 10.8 MegaPixels Per Second
- Advanced on mouse menu system on built-in LCD display
- Use the same settings as pro gamers with gamer profiles
- Advanced macros through 8 programmable buttons, with the option of 10 total programmed macros

The Xai challenged my preconditioning to think I need a "right-handed" mouse to game effectively. Its ambidextrous shape still fits snuggly in my hand and after long gaming sessions playing the StarCraft 2 Beta (as an aside, the game is fantastic), I never had any discomfort. Some people (righties) may think they would rather game with a mouse specifically suited for them, but once I got my hands on the Xai it was very comfortable. The finish on the mouse adds to the comfort level. It had a soft feel to it and was very nice to grip for extended periods.

You'll also notice the sensor in the stats is a 10.8MP sensor. My most recent point-and-shoot camera only sports 10MP, so the fact that the Xai packs even more pixels in the shot is impressive.

If you're interested in gaming mice, you'll notice that SteelSeries tracks the precision of its mice in a different way than some of its main competitors. They list "CPI, FPS and IPS", while Razer and Logitech will list DPI. So what's the difference? The answer from the SteelSeries FAQ :

Q: Counts Per Inch? CPI? I haven't come across these expressions before, except for DPI (Dots Per Inch)?

A: DPI is an expression from the printing world and has nothing to do with mouse movement. DPI is meant to describe that for one inch of distance you move your mouse on any surface, the equivalent number of counts are sent to the PC - resulting in movement on your screen. CPI is the correct term for this as it actually is consistent with what you seek to describe with the abbreviation.

Regardless of what term is used to describe the mouse move, you can be sure that the higher the number is, the faster your mouse will move on the screen. With a higher CPI, the Xai can actually move your mouse faster and with dramatically more precise movements than if you were to crank the Windows Mouse Sensitivity Settings. SteelSeries actually recommends that you leave the Windows settings are the default (which is 6), so as to have the most precise movements possible.

One fantastic feature of the Xai is the sensitivity switch on the top of the mouse. The included software allows you to set two seperate sensitivity levels that you can swap between with the push of a button. This is great for playing class-based FPS games where there's a chance you'll switch between class types. In Team Fortress 2, for example, I'd rather have slower, more intentional movements when I'm playing the Sniper class. But if I were to switch to another class, I would rather have quicker movements so as to scan the environment faster. Adding a quick swap button allows you to make the switch tremendously faster than going into an options menu. There are two options available for the swap, I set mine at the max sensitivity and about half sensitivity. Some other mice offer more options for hot switching. The Razer Mamba that I currently use has five levels that you can cycle up and down through with two included buttons. I like having more than two options at my disposal, but with the Xai I just used my two favorite settings. On the Xai, I liked the LED that indicated which setting you were on.

The Xai also has some added features that are designed to further tweak your settings and help improve your gameplay: SteelSeries FreeMove, SteelSeries ExactSens, SteelSeries ExactRate and SteelSeries ExactAim.

FreeMove is listed in the FAQ as a feature for path correction. It essentially makes it easier for the user to draw straight lines. "SteelSeries FreeMove allows you to determine how much the mouse should 'help' with movements, and ultimately allows you to perform movements without any angle snapping and path correction." I generally left this setting at zero, because I didn't want any level of correction. The comparison between the settings can be pretty easily seen for adjustments. While checking out the different settings, I tried drawing straight lines in paint. I went from not so straight at zero, to perfectly straight at the maximum setting. It's nice to be able to have the option to adjust, but I didn't necessarily need it in my gameplay. (The feature could be particularly useful if you're a sniper staring at a level field of fire, scanning from