Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
In many ways, the Epomaker Nex Lite looks like most mice nowadays. Its standard shape is slanted towards right-handed use. However, the substantial difference is the light blue color that stands out. Better yet, if you do not like this color, you can also get the Nex Lite in pink, white, or black. It is unbranded, as you must flip the mouse over to find an Epomaker logo. The top has everything in standard placement, but there is a small 0.54" screen in between the two primary buttons to display information. The screen is covered by a translucent plastic shell. The rest of the mouse is free of any perforations for weight reduction. The surface is smooth and can be slippery. It does not have a rubber-like feel, and it makes sense why Epomaker included some grip tape to accomplish this. The surface, however, does not show handling marks, although this is also helped by the lighter color. I never recommend eating while using your computer or handling your peripherals, but the Nex Lite does at least try to keep this fact hidden. On the bottom edge at the back, there is a strip of translucent plastic to diffuse the RGB lighting underneath.
The Epomaker Nex Lite measures 122mm in length, 65mm in width, and 42mm in maximum height. This is like other mice I have tested, such as the be quiet! Dark Perk Ergo and the Epomaker Carbon X. It is slightly longer and taller than the Dark Perk Ergo. From the image above, you can see the highest part is in the middle of the body. The back curve is consistent to fit the user's hand, while the front slopes down to a lesser degree. In terms of mass, the Epomaker Nex Lite is 65g, which is light, but not necessarily comparable to the 55g Dark Perk Ergo or 45g Carbon X. I did notice the extra weight when comparing these mice, but it was not as drastic as the number may sound. The weight is balanced towards where the sensor sits, which is understandable. The shape of the Nex Lite is for right-handed users, as it curves out just a bit more on the right side to accommodate your pinky. It still can be used in your left hand, but the button placement of forward and back are also less than ideal. Build quality here is great with no creaking or rattling noises when squeezing or shaking the body. The ABS plastic shell holds up well, and there is little to no flex in the body.
From the left side, you can see majority of the buttons on the Epomaker Nex Lite. The primary left and right buttons are separated from each other and the rest of the body. They are both sloped towards the middle to ensure user's fingers rest in the middle. It is not clear what switches are used underneath the buttons, but they are rated for 20M operations, which is on the lower side. The buttons are decent to press, but they are a bit more clicky than I would like. They have good weighting, but lean slightly to the lighter side. The scroll wheel in between the two primary buttons is notched. Down the top, there is an OLED screen to provide useful information, including the current sensitivity, connectivity, polling rate, and battery life. Depending on your power savings settings, the screen and the lights may turn off while the mouse is in use. On the side, there are standard forward and back buttons in a place where users will not accidentally press them. It does have a slightly spongy travel and bottoming out, and clicks loudly like the rest of the buttons.
The last inputs of the Epomaker Nex Lite are found on the bottom of the mouse near the optical sensor. This includes a small button on the left side to change DPI settings on the fly. When you press it, the LED light on the back will change colors to align with preset levels, and these can be changed in the software. To the right of the sensor, there is a three-position switch to let users choose the operating mode of the 2.4GHz wireless hub, wired, or Bluetooth. At the front, there is a USB Type-C input for wired operation while charging. However, Epomaker also provides a hub for users to place the mouse in for charging. This is why there are two pads placed under the sensor. Otherwise, a white label is also here to provide product information and certification labels.
Other aspects on the bottom include three primary areas of PTFE feet to keep the mouse gliding on any surface. There is also a ring around the sensor to prevent the cutout from catching on your surface. The sensor in the middle is the PixArt PAW3311, a wallet-friendly sensor for wireless mice. We have yet to see another mouse with this sensor. The Epomaker Nex Lite offers a sensitivity range of 100 to 12000DPI in 100DPI increments. The sensor promises 300 inches per second tracking and acceleration of up to 35G. 1000Hz polling rate is standard when operating over wired or with the wireless dock, but this reduces to 125Hz over Bluetooth. There is no sensor or lens rattle with the Epomaker Nex Lite.
The primary accessory you will be using is the wireless dongle and dock combination. This color matching dock connects to your system with the USB Type-A to Type-C cable. The top of the dock is slanted with magnets inside, so users can rest the Nex Lite on top. There are extending pogo pins from the dock that connect to the pads at the bottom. Internally, a 500mAh battery keeps the Nex Lite powered. According to Epomaker's social media, this should power the mouse for up to 55 hours, but they do not note if this is with or without the lights on. On the side of the dock, there is a small OLED screen that also provides the same information as the mouse screen. Underneath, there is a translucent ring that glows when the dock is plugged in or when it is charging. Overall, the dock was helpful for charging and information, but I found it a bit tricky to line up the mouse on the pins, as the Nex Lite sits a bit higher than you may expect. Once mounted, the mouse stays in place, but getting there can be a bit more involved.
The Epomaker Nex Lite's driver is a web utility that is accessible with a Chromium-based browser, such as Chrome, Edge, or Opera. Once you go to the website, you can pair the mouse, and the menu will quickly load up. All modifications can be made on the left side with major landmarks to jump between. The first is Key Function, which is where you can reassign any of the buttons on the top. If you have at least one button assigned to the left click, you make any change. You can also set it to different Macros, which can be recorded and saved on another menu. Next, there is DPI Settings, where you can set up to six different settings and indicator colors, so users know which setting they are on. If you do not want all these distinct levels, you can disable each one.
Under Performance Settings, users can change the fire key duration and key debounce time. You can also modify the polling rate from 125Hz to 1000Hz. Next, there are some prediction and correction pieces such as reducing "wave patterns" at high sensitivity and line straightening. Both are smoothing and prediction, which is not desired for gaming situations. Surprisingly, there is no lift off distance adjustment, although it is a sensor limitation. For "Power Saving" settings, users can change how long it takes to sleep, as well as making lights only show on idle and changing the mouse to wake from motion after sleep. Finally, the Lighting section lets you choose between different lighting effects and colors. Overall, the Nex Lite driver is basic, but should be sufficient for majority of users.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
