CM Storm Recon gaming mouse review

The gaming mouse industry has exploded in the last few years, which has led a lot of hardware manufacturers to try their hand at their own gaming peripherals.

Cooler Master is one such company, but can the newcomer hang with the likes of more established names, such as Razer and Logitech?

Design and build quality

Cooler Master has clearly chosen to design a mouse that can suit almost anyone. To start with, the Recon sports an ambidextrous figure-8 design; it’s entirely symmetrical, with even the dual thumb buttons featuring on both sides.

It also caters to both claw and palm grip gamers – the mouse is small enough to suit the claw style, but there’s a noticeable hump at the bottom to accommodate palm guys like myself. It’s possible that you may want to get something specifically tailored to your style, but Cooler Master has pulled off the dual-design pretty well.

The top of the mouse has been covered in a smooth black rubber, with the sides done in grey plastic. LED lighting illuminates the wheel, the DPI adjustment buttons, and a logo where your palm rests. I found the rubber surface holds-up well against long sessions and sweaty palms; overall it’s a comfortable mouse that’s easy to grip.

The mouse scroll is one of the chunkier ones I’ve seen, with a rubber coating and a good tactile response. The DPI adjustment buttons sit just below it; these are also large and easy to press, with a nice click.

The cable is a simple rubber cord, which is unfortunate. A lot of higher-end mice come with a braided cable, and I found the Recon’s cheap rubber option snagging a few times. On the upside, it does feature a gold-plated USB for a better connection, which is a nice touch.

Finally, the Teflon feet give it a really nice glide across the pad; it’s just a pity about those cable snags.

Features and Software

Cooler Master has elected to go with a tried and trusted Avago 3090 optical sensor for the Recon, which was the right decision. While some high-end mice opt for laser sensors, these have been shown to have tracking issues. The Avago 3090 optical, however, is one of the most consistent and reliable sensors on the market – so no gripes there.

The mouse isn’t exactly an MMO player’s dream, with only 2 side thumb buttons (4 if you count the other side due to the ambidextrous design), the standard two up front, and a clickable mouse wheel.

The firmware had to be downloaded separately, and the first version didn’t work. Luckily, Cooler Master has rectified this and the newest version ran without a hitch.

The software offers a pretty wide variety of options, considering the Recon isn’t in the highest tier of mouse pricing. As expected, you can program the buttons to different profiles and macros to suit you needs, but it also lets you select the polling rates, DPI levels, LED customisation, and most impressively, adjust Lift-Off Distance.

This is one of the most customisable mice I’ve ever used, a big plus for gamers who like things just so. Even the LED lights are separated into three zones, each of which can have its colours and brightness tweaked.

When I first used the mouse with its stock settings, I absolutely despised it due to the horrendous Lift-Off Distance, so the ability to change that was really a great feature for low-sensitivity gamers such as myself.

Conclusion

Cooler Master has issued an RRP for this mouse of R669, but a bit of poking around online reveals you should have no trouble finding this for a little over R500.

For that price, you’re getting a great deal. With the Recon’s excellent sensor and tracking, impressive amount of customisation, and “fits-all” design, you have a competitively priced mouse that should suit anybody.