Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
The ROCCAT Kone EMP has an unconventional look, with its left side angling up slightly, making it asymmetrical. This design choice means the mouse will only work for right handed users. The mouse is made out of plastic, with a pro-grip surface according to the manufacturer's website. It has some grip, but nothing exceptional. Along each side on the top. there are two lines running the entirety of the device. The plastic in this area has a glossy finish, and it houses the RGB LEDs. The entirety of the mouse has a black color, while the only color change is the silvery ROCCAT logo on the back. There is an indent on the left of the mouse for a comfortable fit for your thumb, while the right side also has a slight indent for your pinky finger to rest on. None of these areas carry a rubber grip; however, I did not find this to be an issue. By the thumb area there are two programmable buttons, as per usual, while the top of the mouse has the scroll wheel and two buttons behind it. These two buttons are to adjust the DPI either up or down, as indicated by a plus or minus sign on them. The buttons are not as smooth as the rest of the unit, and out of reach to not accidentally press them.
The dimensions of the ROCCAT Kone EMP come in at 77 mm in width, 42 mm in height, and 131 mm in length. These dimensions are slightly bigger than a normal gaming mouse. Such a large size makes this mouse best for a palm grip, especially with a slight bulge in the middle and toward the back. A palm grip is also more comfortable because of the weight, which comes in at 116 g. Unfortunately, the weights are not interchangeable, but I found the 116 g to actually hit a sweet spot for me. Overall, the larger size and heavier weight all work together for a palm grip to be the most comfortable.
From the picture above, it is much easier to see how the ROCCAT Kone EMP angles upward toward the right. The slope is actually quite extreme, but as I have previously discussed it is quite comfortable. There is no fancy design to the mouse buttons on the front; the mouse just angles slightly down. The scroll wheel is the 4D Titan wheel. The 4D is just that it can be moved in four different directions; the usual scrolling up and down, while it can also be clicked side to side. The side to side function is quite useful for Excel spreadsheets. Right behind the scroll wheel there are two more buttons; one with a plus and one with a minus on it. By default, these buttons control the pre-set DPI steps. The scroll wheel and the two buttons behind it sit on almost an island from the rest of the mouse, since there is a glossy finish surrounding them. The other part of the mouse with a glossy finish is where the LEDs sit, and they are almost symmetrically arranged. At first, I thought there are only two RGB LEDs, but each side houses two; one on the front and one along the back. Also, leading out of the front is a 1.8 m braided cable. This braided cable should be sturdy enough to last a long time.
The bottom of the mouse is fairly standard, but it does show us the non-traditional design of the mouse. There are two large Teflon feet located at each end of the mouse ensuring a smooth glide on many different surfaces. Around the middle of the mouse, the 12000 DPI Owl-Eye optical sensor is located. The Owl-Eye optical sensor is supposed to provide unrelenting precision for gaming. It is a modified version of the PixArt 3361, which is based of the 3360. Surrounding the sensor is a shiny sticker with the sensor name on it. Otherwise, there is a larger sticker containing some more specific information.
The software for the ROCCAT Kone EMP is the one used for almost all their products, ROCCAT Swarm. It is easy enough to find and install. After downloading and installing the software, I had to go through a couple more steps to install some specific updates for the Kone EMP, as well as a firmware update. These extra updates went smoothly, and I had no trouble completing the mouse set up. As for the software, it is a smooth experience. Everything is laid out clearly, and can easily be accessed. On the first page, we can see the DPI switcher, which allows for up to five different DPI settings per profile. To the right of the DPI switcher, we find the mouse pointer speed and the LED illumination settings. The LEDs can be illuminated in five different ways: Fully lit, blinking, breathing, heartbeat, and color flow. Along the top there are four different tabs; the pinned tab, settings, button assignment, and advanced settings. Each tab has plenty more settings, each of which can be pinned so that they can be found on the front page. The ROCCAT Kone EMP also features EasyShift, which allows you to assign two different functions to each button. EasyShift is activated through pressing the Caps Lock key, then both functions will happen when the button is pressed. Overall, I found the software to be logically placed, and the entire experience was smooth.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
