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Introduction
VAXEE’s motto is ‘continual improvement’. And if we’re looking at their track record, that’s definitely something that they hold dearly. With every new release, VAXEE seems to be implementing changes based on feedback, causing their mice to get better and better. Recently, the brand released their very first ‘v2’ version of an existing mouse, bringing -among other things- 8000Hz polling rates to their mice. In our full VAXEE NP-01S V2 Wireless review, you’ll find out just how good the mouse is, and whether or not this second version is a worthy upgrade over its predecessor.
At A Glance
VAXEE ZYGEN NP-01S V2 Wireless
Used by 2 players ()-
hades
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MrFalin
The VAXEE NP-01S V2 is everything I expected from a refresh of this mouse. It’s (much) lighter, has better buttons, and can go up to 8000Hz. After fixing all of the (small) issues with the V1, it’s pretty much a flawless gaming mouse. If you like the shape, you shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
Pros
- Great clicks
- Good build quality
- Great gaming performances
- Amazing and unique shape
Cons
- Battery life could be better
- I’d love to see replacement feet in the box
Specs
| Sensor | PAW3950 |
|---|---|
| DPI | 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
| Polling Rate | 1000 / 2000 / 4000 Hz |
| Button Switches | Huano |
| Button Force | 65.7g |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Shape | Ambidextrous |
| Length | 11.8cm |
| Height | 3.7cm |
| Weight | 56g |
| Width | 5.7cm |
First Impressions
Packaging
VAXEE has changed their packaging. Gone is the very basic packaging. In is a newly designed box with contents that focus on presentation a bit more. I personally don’t really care too much about unboxing experiences (I appreciate it when brands make some effort on this front, but it’s not a necessity for me) but it’s nice to see that they’ve made some improvements here, especially since VAXEE mice are being sold at premium prices these days. As a consumer, the box and packaging is the first thing you interact with when you buy a product, after all.
Inside the newly designed box of the VAXEE NP-01S V2 Wireless, you will find:
- A 4K receiver
- The mouse itself
- A QR code leading to a manual
- A USB-C to USB-A charging cable
If you read my reviews regularly, you’ll know what I’m about to say: I would love to see an extra set of mouse feet in the box. I don’t knock off points when brands don’t include this (most don’t) but with these performance-focused products it’s definitely a handy little extra. Additionally, I would also like there to be an actual quickstart guide in the box. I don’t need a whole novel in there but I hate scanning QR codes and awkwardly zooming and panning on my phone. The fewer QR codes I need to deal with in my life, the better.
The Mouse
The first thing I noticed was the color. This is the second VAXEE mouse (after the E1) that comes in a deeper shade compared to VAXEE’s previous ‘washed out’ types of finishes. I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I am a big fan of these new colors. The blue version that I got looks rich and deep. In my opinion, this is a huge upgrade over the previous desaturated colors that they went with.
At the time of writing, the NP-01S V2 Wireless is available in blue (which I reviewed) and pink.
Changes Compared to the V1
Most of the changes between the V1 and the V2 have happened under the hood. The shape itself has remained unchanged, which is a good decision if you ask me.
The most notable changes between the V1 and the V2 are:
- The V2 is around 10 grams lighter
- The V2 has improved clicks and reduced button wobble
- The V2 has lower sensor latency and lower click latency
- The V2 can go up to 8000Hz polling rates
- The V2 will have a web-based driver earlier than the V1 (but the V1 will also get one)
If you’re a V1 owner and you’re wondering whether you should upgrade or not, I can be short. By far the most noticeable changes are the weight and the clicks. If either of those 2 bother you on your V1, I’d say an upgrade might be warranted. If you’re perfectly happy with your V1, you can probably sit this one out. The V2 performs better on paper, but VAXEE mice have been top performers for a long time now, so any performance gains will be very hard to notice ingame.
I’ll expand on all of these points further down in the review, but that’s the summarized version for V1 owners.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
My hands are 18×10.5cm and I use a regular claw grip that’s neither relaxed nor aggressive.
Shape
The NP-01(S) is one of the most interesting shapes in today’s gaming mouse landscape. It’s a bit of blend between a traditional ambidextrous mouse and a safe ergonomic mouse. On the left side, you have a thumb groove that goes quite deep. On the right side there’s also an indentation, but it’s more towards the front of the mouse (which has a slight overhang to help with picking it up). All of this gives the mouse an asymmetrical shape.
Moving further down the mouse, the back portion goes quite wide, leading it to feel rather locked-in. This widening is also asymmetrical; it’s more gradual on the right side, and more sudden on the thumb side. Combine that with a hump that’s pretty smooth and inoffensive and you’ve got a mouse that feels secure without offering a ton of palm contact.
It’s pretty hard to describe how this shape feels. It’s like someone shoved a regular symmetrical mouse in my hands and I got to squeeze it with my thumb. To me, this marriage between different design ideas (ambi + ergo) feels amazing. It’s one of my favorite shapes right now, even though the S version is a bit too small for my liking.
If you’re someone who often feels like ambi shapes aren’t ‘formed’ enough whereas ergo designs are too curvy and not nimble enough, this could be right up your alley. Just note that the S version is definitely on the smaller side. If you prefer a lot of mouse presence in your hand, this might not be it. Currently, there’s no word on a V2 of the regular version, which I reviewed as well.
Coating
VAXEE’s coatings feel great these days. The NP-01S V2 Wireless feels grippy under all circumstances, and the matte coating also doesn’t feel dirty after a couple of intense gaming sessions. I will say that fingerprints and smudges tend to show on this finish rather easily, but they don’t interfere with the way the mouse feels, so for me that’s not a big issue.
Mouse Feet
The skates on this NP-01S V2 Wireless offer a good blend between speed and control, and I like that. These feet feel a bit faster than what I’ve experienced on previous VAXEE mice, but that could also have something to do with the weight and size of the NP-01S V2 Wireless.
The feet feel smooth straight out of the box and require no break-in time, so I have absolutely no complaints on this front.
Recommended Grip Types
Based on my experiences, the NP-01S V2 Wireless is an ideal mouse for claw grip. Due to the lighter weight, fingertip grippers can also make good use of this mouse. However, I’d generally steer pure fingertip users towards more neutrally-shaped mice.
Palm grip seems less than ideal with this mouse, as it’s very small and has a hump that’s not focused towards filling up the palm area. If you like this shape and you use a palm grip, I’d steer you towards the regular NP-01.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
Buttons
In the past, I haven’t always been satisfied with VAXEE’s clicks. A lot of older models had some (mild) form of switch grinding or sideways movement, and those are two things that can make or break a button. The people at VAXEE have been working hard on this issue though, and since the release of the VAXEE XE-S Wireless I haven’t had any issues of this kind, so I’m inclined to say that this issue has been fixed.
The main buttons on the NP-01S V2 Wireless feel great. The switches feel crisp and responsive and -most importantly- there’s no unwanted travel on the buttons themselves. Both pre- and post travel are well within acceptable margins, and there’s no side movement to speak of. This is one of the most solid-feeling click sets I’ve seen for some time.
As far as the tensioning goes they’re on the lighter side, but I didn’t have any issues with accidental clicks like I did on the E1 so for me these are fine. I’d prefer slightly stiffer clicks if I could choose, but that’s a completely subjective thing.
Side Buttons
The side buttons are mushier when actuating than the main buttons, but that’s not a big deal to me. What’s far more important is how they are implemented in the shell, and that’s done nicely here. There’s a bit of post travel present, but nothing that ruins the experience. Furthermore, both buttons are very easy to tell apart (even in the heat of battle) and are conveniently located.
No remarks here: this is done really well.
Scroll Wheel
VAXEE’s scroll wheels are among the best in the business if you ask me. The individual steps of the wheel are easy to tell apart without becoming overly heavy to scroll through, and the wheel itself is easy to click without performing any accidental scrolls. The entire wheel is finished with a heavily textured rubber strip, giving you a firm grasp on the wheel at all times.
Again: I have absolutely no remarks on this front. It’s a great wheel that feels pleasant to use in all gaming scenarios.
Build Quality
Losing 10 grams compared to your predecessor is nothing to sneeze at, so I was very curious to see if VAXEE had made some structural compromises in order to achieve that weight.
After testing the mouse thoroughly, I can confirm that the V2 feels every bit as well-built as its heavier predecessor. There’s a very faint ticking sound near the scroll wheel when I shake the mouse vertically, but otherwise there’s nothing to be heard. Furthermore, the shell itself feels extremely rigid. To test this, I applied unrealistic amounts of pressure all across the mouse and I could not get the top shell to flex.
The bottom plate does feel a bit thinner than on the predecessor in the sense that, when pressure is applied, it can bend in some places. That’s a non-issue though. Bottom plates are never exposed to targeted pressure like that so if you use the mouse normally you won’t notice this at all.
All in all, it’s impressive to see how VAXEE has managed to lower the weight of this mouse quite drastically without making sacrifices to the build quality or implementing ‘cheese grater’ sections.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
Sensor
The latest VAXEE models have all been using the 3950 sensor, so the NP-01S V2 Wireless also has that one under the hood. In case you’re not into the mouse scene: that’s today’s current flagship sensor. Its most important feature is that it’s capable of polling rates up to 8000Hz.
It’s good to see brands that are asking for premium prices using the best offerings on the market, but sensors have been flawless for years now. By this I mean that any gains in sensor technology are going to be very difficult to notice for the vast majority of gamers. What matters most is how a sensor is implemented. The people at VAXEE have been doing a great job at that for years now, and they haven’t stopped.
I saw no signs of sensor issues in my testing, nor did I notice any hiccups when gaming or browsing. Everything works as advertised, and VAXEE mice remain among the most responsive and reliable mice out there as far as their raw performance goes.
To quickly touch on the topic of higher polling rates: this is not technology that will catapult you several ranks higher. The differences, to me, are mostly felt in tracking scenarios. Even then, they are small. Furthermore, you need a very beefy setup in order to even fully utilize the capabilities of high polling rates.
With that said: I think it’s good technology, and I like that higher polling rates are becoming the standard now. Despite the fact that it’s not groundbreaking for gameplay reasons, it’s always cool to see the bar being raised in consumer products.
Configuring the Mouse
With the announcement of the VAXEE NP-01S V2 Wireless, VAXEE also announced something that many fans have been waiting for: a web-based driver. This will allow users to finely tweak the settings of the mouse, but sadly this wasn’t live yet during my testing. As such, I cannot comment on how this software works or feels.
Luckily, users can also tweak the mouse the old way: by pressing buttons. On the bottom, you can use two buttons to change the DPI, LOD, polling rate, and so on. Rebinding buttons and recording macros is not possible at this time, but this might change in the near future as the web driver becomes available.
Battery Life
VAXEE mice can be set to two modes: Competitive Mode and Standard Mode. Competitive Mode is the default, and it basically means that the mouse devotes all of its available resources towards being the best and most responsive gaming mouse it can be, even if that comes at the cost of battery life. This is definitely what I’d recommend you to use should you get this mouse.
I’d only recommend changing to Standard Mode (which is 1000Hz only) in case you need to save battery, as there’s quite a big difference between the two modes.
In Standard Mode, you get a battery life of 110 hours. In Competitive Mode, this drops to 38 hours at 1000Hz. Go for 4000Hz and you can expect the battery to last around 30 ingame hours. Those are not impressive numbers, and while I don’t think anyone is buying mice like these for their battery life, it would be nice to see some improvements being made here.
With that said: there’s always Standard Mode. Should you, for example, use this mouse as a work + play mouse, you can always switch to Standard Mode at the start of your work day.
Alternatives
Given the unique shape, I’m not sure if there are any 1:1 alternatives to consider. If you want to go for something bigger, there’s the NP-01 Wireless but that doesn’t have a V2 version yet. This will mostly be noticed in the fact that it’s heavier (coming in at around 72 grams) and by the fact that the main mouse buttons can have side travel issues.
You might also find older wired version of this mouse available on the secondhand market, or you could try to find a used V1 if you want to save some money. Beyond that, I don’t know of any alternatives that offer the same sensation in-hand save for the Incott GHERO. I cannot personally vouch for that mouse though, as I don’t have any experience with that brand.
Conclusion
The VAXEE NP-01S V2 is everything I expected from a refresh of this mouse. It’s (much) lighter, has better buttons, and can go up to 8000Hz. After fixing all of the (small) issues with the V1, it’s pretty much a flawless gaming mouse. If you like the shape, you shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
With that said: VAXEE mice aim at a particular audience, and that’s hardcore competitive gamers who want a more ‘old school’ type of mouse with a focus on the ‘shape = king’ way of thinking. If you’re a more casual gamer, you’re looking for a budget mouse, or you want a super lightweight pointing device there are probably better options for you. But if you like this style of brand and design and you’re serious about your gaming, VAXEE is one of the best brands out there right now.
This mouse feels like a culmination of years of feedback on VAXEE mice, and it’s a fantastic product for it. It’s up-to-date with today’s market standards, it’s got a unique and interesting shape, and the execution is pretty much flawless. To me, this is VAXEE’s best release yet.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
