Endgame Gear XM2 8K Review
Packaging
- 1x Endgame Gear XM2 8K gaming mouse
- 1x Extra set of PTFE skates
- 1x User manual
Specifications
Shape & Size
The Endgame Gear XM2 8K measures 122x66x39mm, making it a medium-sized mouse. It has a moderate back-hump, making it highly suitable for claw-grip. Claw-grip is usable for most people because of its medium size. Palm-gripping the mouse is also possible, but it will likely be hard if you have very large hands (above 21cm in hand length).
While the back-hump is this mouse’s main shape-related feature, another important factor in its shape is its aggressive inward curvature. Most mice have an inward side curvature too, but often a lot more subtle. The more aggressive curvatures of this mouse, in combination with its coating, make the mouse very easy to lift and move around with very little effort.
Coating
One area that many mice are now improving on is their coating, which helps in providing a good grip while using the mouse. While many are getting better at this, not many come close to what Endgame Gear has achieved throughout the years and features on this mouse.
The coating feels almost rubberized. By this I mean it does not feel like I am touching raw plastic when holding the mouse, which tends to be very slippery, especially when sweating. The coating on the XM2 8K is however a lot more grippy and is barely affected by sweat or moisture. In a lot of cases, the coating on this mouse is even better than what many grip tapes on other mice offer.
There are no included grip tapes with this mouse, which might be a downside for some people, but the coating on the XM2 8K is already extremely good, which is likely why Endgame Gear decided not to include it.
Build Quality
Another great area in which Endgame Gear has been consistently good at is their build quality and the same applies to the XM2 8K.
I am not able to make the mouse flex or creak even when applying large amounts of pressure to it on the sides, bottom, and top. There also is no rattling when shaking the mouse, which can be a problem with other products.
Weight & Feet/Skates
The weight of this mouse comes in at 52 grams. Comparing this to similarly sized mice, such as the LAMZU Atlantis lineup, the XM2 8K is slightly lighter than its competition, though it is also a wired mouse whereas most others are wireless.
There are lighter mice on the market, but most are either way smaller, have cutouts in their shells, or compromise in other areas, such as build quality. The XM2 8K however features a completely solid shell and is of a medium size, making the overall weight very appealing for what it offers.
The skates on the XM2 8K feel good right out of the box. They are not the best I’ve experienced but smooth out quite quickly and are a lot better than some other mice, even at a higher price point.
In addition to the pre-applied skates, there is an additional set of larger skates included.
Buttons & Scroll Wheel
The main buttons on the Endgame Gear XM2 8K use the Kailh GX switches. They feel incredible! There is no noticeable pre- or post-travel. Many mice are either good at one or the other when it comes to tactility and low click-actuation force but the XM2 8K are amazing at both. They are extremely tactile and remain very easy to spam click.
The side buttons use the Kailh GM2.0 switches. Again, these feel amazing. There is a very slight amount of post-travel similar to most mice but they have no noticeable pre-travel. Like the main buttons, these are not only very tactile but also very easy to actuate.
When I first tried the original XM1 in 2019, one of the main things that stood out to me apart from the shape and build quality, was the incredibly tactile scroll wheel. Since then, very few mice have come close to it. Thankfully the new XM2 8K also features an incredible scroll wheel. It uses the TTC Silver scroll wheel encoder and just like the buttons, using the scroll wheel is both tactile and requires very little force to use.
Sensor & Performance
The XM2 8K uses the PAW3395 sensor and is a wired mouse. This might make the mouse less appealing to some due to there being other mice with newer sensors and being wireless. One very important point to make is that having a better sensor does not automatically make a mouse better. How a sensor is implemented and tuned to a specific mouse can make a big difference in terms of performance.
While the newer PAW3950 sensor is technically better than what the XM2 8K offers, this mouse still performs exceptionally well and is capable of an 8KHz polling rate.
The main downside of this mouse is going to be the wired connection. Personally, I do not mind this as the cable is extremely soft, making the mouse feel just like a wireless mouse. In addition, the cable has a slight upward bend from the mouse itself, reducing overall drag.
Conclusion
Currently, the Endgame Gear XM2 8K costs $85 on Amazon. For the build quality and performance this mouse offers, this is a very good price, especially if wireless is not a must. With this mouse also having an amazing scroll wheel and buttons, I believe this mouse to be a good option for anyone, regardless of budget, especially if you want something suited for claw-grip.
