Roccat Kone Pure and Roccat Sense 2mm Camo Charge review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing3. Roccat Kone Pure Camo Charge4. Roccat Sense Camo Charge 2mm5. Testing6. Final Thoughts7. View All Pages

While gaming as a whole covers a broad spectrum of genres and styles, there is one common theme that exists throughout a large percentage of titles: that human beings love playing at war. Which is perhaps why Roccat went for this camouflage green colour scheme for its latest edition of the Roccat Kone Pure, combining a relatively modest 5,000 DPI optical sensor with its usual high-end background software for customising your mousing experience.

With such a range of gaming rodents for sale how does this one stand out among its Roccat contemporaries? Let's see if we can find out. 

Specifications

• Pro-Optic Sensor R4 with up to 5000dpi.
• 1000Hz polling rate.
• 1ms response time.
• 130ips max speed.
• 30G acceleration.
• 16-bit data channel.
• Adjustable lift-off distance.
• Adjustable angle snapping.
• Tracking & Distance Control Unit.
• 72MHz Turbo Core V2 32-bit Arm based MCU.
• 576kB on-board memory.
• Zero angle snapping/prediction.
• 1.8m braided USB cable.

The packaging for the Kone Pure Camo Charge is classic Roccat: high quality, matt cardboard, with the mouse's main features listed in easy to read tabs on the front and written out in more detail on the back in a number of different languages. 

Thanks to the power of magnets, you can open the box up at the front, which on the inside cover breaks down some of the interior hardware at work within the Kone, like its “Turbo Core V2 72MHz ARM MCU processor.”

The quick set up guide is pretty bare bones, as you would expect. It is a mouse after all, so beyond plugging it in and downloading the companion software, there is not a lot left to do. However, it does come with some diagrams explaining very clearly what the basic mappings for each button is, which is good for quickly seeing the benefits of Roccat's Easy-Shift feature, which allows for a quick switch to different key mappings on the fly.

The Roccat Kone Camo Charge has the typical Kone shape, as you might expect. The main thing differentiating it from the other Kone Pure mice though, is that this one features a camo-green paint job. The main body is a slightly lighter olive colour than the side panels, though there is little else to differentiate them.

The front section, between the two main mouse buttons, is framed in glossy black plastic, while all buttons are matt black with red muted red indicators. All buttons and the entire shell is coated in a comfortable plastic.

The left hand side features a pair of extra thumb buttons, the latter of which is the default Easyshift switch. Considering there are not very many other options for that function (should you wish to use it) chances are it will remain so too.

In contrast, the right hand side looks almost nude, featuring just a contoured finger grip, with no rests.

It is worth noting at this point, that while quite standard in design, the Roccat Kone Pure Camo Charge does feature one out of the ordinary piece of kit which Roccat is quite proud of: the “Titan Wheel.” This is a heavy duty scroll wheel that Roccat claims can handle over six million steps, with 24 steps per wheel cycle. It has a new encoder too, to make it more accurate. Unlike its bigger brother, the XTD however, the Pure in this case only has a “2D wheel,” so can only click down and scroll backwards and forwards.

That said, shifting the button to the right, seems to engage the main button. It is not really clear if that is a feature or a flaw, but the wheel does feel very sturdy and well built, much like the rest of the mouse.

The underside features only two teflon (or rather, the non-brand name of it) pads, one at the front and the other at the rear, with a centrally mounted optical sensor.

The cable has a high quality black and red braiding and a custom Roccat USB header with a nickel connector.
 

The Roccat Sense is a separate product altogether, but makes for a solid companion for the Kone Pure Camo Charge, since it too is styled in that fetching olive green.

The packaging is again, sturdy and professional looking, with the main features of the product featured on the side. The back has an endorsement from professional Starcraft 2 player Ko “HyuN” Seok Hyun, who claims that the mat's “friction reducing,” surface and low profile, means he can “respond rapidly” to threats during a game.

Roccat also informs us that the mat has been tested with mouse sensors up to an unheard of 16,800 DPI.

 

In a nice move, Roccat has included a pair of swatches of the mat's top and bottom material for you to touch, to give you an idea of what the full product is like.

The Roccat Sense Camo Charge mat itself, continues the green styling of its rodent cousin, with a grungy backdrop with either damaged electrical pylons or giant ants in the background, I am not really sure. You be the judge.

There's an obvious, large Roccat logo on one half of the mat and in the top left corner, a small kill tally of soldiers and helicopters. Apparently the mat's designer is almost as good at shooting guys that are crouched down as they are at shooting guys that are standing.

If you've ever used a cloth mat before, you'll be familiar with the backing material. Is that same sort of rubberised coating that appears on most mats, keeping them in place during even the most intense action. At least in theory.

Since the Roccat Sense and Roccat Kone Pure are both considered Camo Charge variants of their base versions, I decided to review them together, which meant testing them together (and apart) in a number of different usage scenarios, including general gaming in different genres and in day to day tasks like photo editing and web browsing. I also considered comfort and other factors throughout the tests, noting my results below.

Unlike some of the mice I have reviewed in the past, the Roccat Kone Pure Camo Charge feels like a mouse grounded in reality. It does not have a ridiculous DPI range (maxing out at 5,00o), nor is it festooned with gimmicks. It might have Roccat's strong software drivers to back it up, but this is a simple tool, executed incredibly well.

While your first thought when you put your hand on the Kone Pure may be that it feels a little small, this is something you quickly get used to – likewise the lack of finger rests on the right hand side. This feels like a mouse that almost takes its military theme seriously. It is a workman's tool. It is no piece of art, but it does exactly what you want it to, quickly and dependably.

Whether I played a fast paced shooter, or a relaxed sandbox builder where I am content to proceed at my own pace, I found the Roccat Kone Pure very capable indeed, even before I installed the drivers. While the Kone Pure Camo Charge works well out of the box, once you have installed the drivers – which were a bit of a pain to find, but they work flawlessly despite beta status – there is a whole host of options to play with.

Roccat uses a feature called “Easy Shift,” to give you a lot more buttons, without the need for them clogging up the mouse's streamlined physique. Pressing a pre-determined button (defaulted to left rear) works like a keyboard's shift key, suddenly transforming every other button on the mouse into something else. At default, the scroll wheel controls volume, the left and right click control forward and back in your browser. These can be fully customised in the second tab of the software, or the entire function can be turned off altogether if you do not use it.

There's also options for changing DPI (with five steps) and a very deep LED colour tweaker, which lets you make that rear logo glow whatever colour in the spectrum you can come up with.

If you really want to get into some true nerd levels of investment in your mouse, there are even Roccat “achievements,” (we use the word loosely) for clicks and scrolls, letting you earn trophies for certain numbers of either. Note that they are both only registered in tens.

Other software features include lift off distance adjustments, sound feedback when you do anything and what boils down to an an auto aim, which I did not find to make any difference. That might be the point to some extent, that it is unnoticeable, but I like to think one of the big advantages of PC gaming is not having to contend with or rely upon auto aim.

Comfort wise, the mouse was a delight to use and I happily gamed and used it for 10 hours+ at a time without issue. Some might lament the lack of finger rests on the right hand side, but it was not something I ever found myself missing.

The only downside to the Roccat Kone Pure Camo Charge really is that it is an optical mouse, which means it is about as useful as a paper weight when used on standard desk surface. You need a mat, which is why it was quite handy that I was sent along the Sense Camo Charge 2mm as well.

As far as mats go, I am definitely more of a cloth fan than anything else, as they don't get cold and are more comfortable in general since they are more supportive. The Sense did a great job and in-fact, I struggled to remember I was reviewing it at times, which while sounding like an insult, is about the best compliment I can give a mat. It is fast and fluid enough that I never felt encumbered by it and it complimented the teflon feet on the base of the Kone Pure Camo Charge very well.

I tested a few different mice on the Sense Camo Charge, including opticals and lasers (sorry retro fans, no rollerballs) and all performed equally well at a number of different DPI settings, ensuring whatever type of gamer you are, you will find the Sense backs you up nicely. It is also of a decent size, so if you like playing or operating at lower sensitivities, you should not ever run out of room. It also does not move around, no matter how hard you game, thanks to that rubberised rear of its.

If I had one complaint, it would be that I tend to prefer my mouse mats to be a little thicker. That is more personal preference than anything, but I feel a slightly thicker mat is more comfortable.

So after all that gaming and playing and shooting and strategising – honestly, this is a real job – how did I find both the Sense and the Kone Pure, both with their Camo Charge stylings? They are both solid peripherals which most gamers would be more than happy with.

I say most, because of course, unlike ambidextrous mice which are usable by both left and right handed gamers (as long as the buttons are re-mappable)  the Kone Pure Camo Charge is a right hand only mouse, sorry lefties.

That said, if you are right handed and you are a gamer on the look out for a reasonably priced (£57 at the time of writing) gaming mouse, this rodent does a great job. It is sensitive enough without it getting ridiculous, has solid accuracy and is stupendously comfortable.

It is also backed up by Roccat's robust back end software, which while pretty and easy to navigate as ever, also offers up some nice tweakable options for those that want to go deep into the bowels of their mouse to craft something truly personal to them.

The Roccat Epic Voice guy will also swing by to say hello every time you change the DPI. It would annoy me over time, but I am sure some will enjoy it.

When it comes to using the mouse, just remember you will need a mat, as that optical sensor dances all over the place when moving around on your desk surface. The Roccat Sense Camo Charge 2mm is a strong recommendation for that position as dedicated gaming surface.

Yes it is a bit thin for my taste and the kill counts in the top left corner feel a little juvenile, but for the most part it does an excellent job and styling wise it certainly blends in well with its Kone military partner.

All in all, the Roccat Kone Pure Camo Charge and Sense Camo Charge mouse mat are fine peripherals, that work well together or apart. They are not perfect, but few mice are. For what they will set you back, they should be a strong consideration, especially if you like the colour scheme.

The Roccat Kone Pure Camo Charge can be found for £57 on OCUK, with the Sense Camo Charge 2mm priced at £16 at the same location.

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Kone Pure Camo Charge

Pros

• Very comfortable
• Good sensitivity, accurate
• Excellent back end software, advanced features are high end
• Solid build quality
• Streamlined, simple design

Cons

• Right hand only
• Lacks sensitivity of some other mice
• Colour scheme is a bit dull

Sense Camo Charge 2mm

Pros

• Smooth, fast
• Comfortable
• Decent size
• Works with a variety of mice and sensors

Cons

• A bit thin for personal taste
• Top left kill count styling feels a bit juvenile

KitGuru Says: Both the Camo Charge peripherals from Roccat are solid performers in their own field. While a few personal preferences might put you off, you will struggle to find better for the same money.

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