VAXEE is in the process of making their entire mouse lineup wireless, and in doing so they have been putting out banger after banger. The OUTSET AX is the latest VAXEE mouse to receive cord-cutting therapy, and in our full VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless review we’ll go over whether or not this mouse hits the mark as a competitive gaming mouse.
At A Glance
VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless
Used by 16 players ()-
ZywOo
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nzr
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nexa
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Magisk
There’s not a lot to be said about this mouse: it’s an extremely well-built gaming mouse that performs flawlessly, with an interesting tilted shape that has a lot of palm presence. Everything is done to a high standard and it’ll deliver reliable gaming performances for many years to come. If this kind of shape sounds like music to your ears, there’s really no need to hesitate.
Pros
- Great ergonomic shape
- Flawless wireless and gaming performance
- Great build quality
- 4KHz compatible since March 2024
Cons
- Slight wobble on mouse 2 when holding the button
- Mouse button 5 has too much post travel
Specs
| Sensor | PMW 3395 |
|---|---|
| DPI | 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
| Polling Rate | 1000 / 125 / 500 / 2000 / 4000 Hz |
| Button Switches | Huano |
| Button Force | 64g |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Shape | Ergonomic |
| Length | 11.63cm |
| Height | 4.27cm |
| Weight | 73g |
| Width | 5.94cm |
Usage Over Time In The Pro Scene
First Impressions
Packaging
Inside the box of the VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless, you get:
- The mouse
- USB-C charging cable
- Wireless receiver
- Wireless receiver extension dongle
- QR code with a link to the manual
I understand wanting to be minimal with the packaging (and I also applaud the lack of plastics) but I would still love to see a written out quickstart guide. I know that scanning a QR code isn’t exactly a labor-intensive process, but I personally dislike having to pull out my phone for pretty much everything nowadays.
The mouse
As is the case with all recent VAXEE mice, the OUTSET AX Wireless is available in many different colors. I got the blue version, but you can also get pink, orange, yellow, white, and black.
I think I’ve seen all of VAXEE’s current colorways in real life by this point, and I have to say that this blue one is my least favorite VAXEE color. It’s a very light blue that almost looks a little bit faded or desaturated, and personally I am not a big fan of this kind of baby blue color. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though, and this of course won’t influence my opinion on the product itself. What I do like is the minimal branding. There’s only the OUTSET logo on the front left side of the mouse, and that’s it.
The mouse weighs in at 73 grams. This is quite heavy by today’s standards, but I don’t mind that. The people at VAXEE are of the opinion that a lighter weight isn’t necessarily better at all times, and I agree with that. Not every company needs to be chasing the title of lightest gaming mouse out there. I think an ergonomic mouse that’s focused on stability can even feel better when the weight is a bit on the higher (compared to ultralight mice) side.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
Shape
The OUTSET AX has a unique shape. It’s not a clone of an existing design, and in true VAXEE fashion it’s a really interesting and well-done shape.
What you get here is a rather short and stocky mouse with a hump that’s concentrated towards the middle. This makes for a mouse that tends to almost completely fill out your entire hand. The main buttons also sit pretty high, which all leads to a mouse that doesn’t allow itself to disappear into your hand. Your hand is ‘on the mouse’, and it feels that way at all times. If you’re someone who likes minimal contact between a mouse and your hand, this won’t be it for you, but if you like that filled-out and very present feeling then this is great news.
The OUTSET AX Wireless also has a very tilted design. Again: that’s not a bad thing, but it is something you need to be aware of when you’re considering this mouse. A lot of ergo mice have a tilt to their design, but on the OUTSET AX it’s very pronounced and hard to ‘work around’ if you don’t want to tilt your hand when gaming.
The shape itself doesn’t force your fingers to be placed in specific sections so there is wiggle room, but the overall mouse experience does seem to be designed with one type of player in mind: a player who likes a lot of palm/mouse contact and tilt grips. For those types of players, this mouse is a gift from the heavens.
Coating
When it comes to performance, VAXEE’s coatings are among the best in the business. Despite the fact that I don’t like the chalkier feeling of the materials that they’ve used here (this is a subjective thing though) I have to say that the coating performs absolutely perfectly under all circumstances and is extremely grippy.
When it comes to handling fingerprints and other usage marks, some improvements can still be made if you ask me. The mouse shows sweat stains and other marks rather quickly. For me, that’s a bit of an annoyance, but this is a subjective thing. Generally speaking, the coating of the VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless is really good.
Mouse Feet
VAXEE’s mice have never been about ultra lightweight shells and insanely slick feet. As a player who likes a more controlling setup (I’m using a ZOWIE G-SR II for gaming right now) this is absolutely fine with me. The feet feel smooth on a variety of mousepads, and there are no issues with scratchiness. If you like very speedy skates you might want to think about replacing these, but I think these are great.
Recommended Grip Types
If you ask me, the OUTSET AX is a palm-dominant mouse that’s made for people who either use a full palm grip or a hybrid grip where the palm needs to be filled out. Do note that there’s quite a bit of tilt, and that’s it’s not really possible to ignore this tilt due to the design. Therefore, if you have a flat grip and/or you don’t want to use a tilt grip, you should skip this mouse entirely.
Due to the overall design I wouldn’t recommend this to fingertip grippers.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
Buttons
The VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless has noticeably lighter clicks than its wired predecessor, the VAXEE OUTSET AX. They’re not annoyingly light, but I definitely had to go through a period of adjustment when using the mouse and had some accidental clicks at first.
It’s the same as with the VAXEE XE Wireless: the clicks on the wireless model are about 10 grams lighter than on the wired one.
Is this an issue? No, not necessarily. It’ll depend on whether you like lighter clicks or heavier clicks. I like slightly heavier main buttons myself (especially on a robust ergo mouse) so I would’ve preferred it had they stayed with the heavier clicks of the wired OUTSET AX, but it is what it is.
Despite the fact that the clicks are definitely on the lighter side of the spectrum, they do fall within normal margins according to my testing. They’re not extraordinarily sensitive or anything like that, so if you like lighter clicks then these should be right up your alley.
The implementation of the main buttons is nearly perfect. Side-, post- and pre-travel is limited to acceptable margins, and the main clicks feel consistent no matter where you press them. The right button does have a bit of a grinding issue if you hold it down, though. This is only noticeable in certain situations, but it’s still something that could be cleaned up.
Scroll Wheel
VAXEE’s wheels on their more recent models are a joy to use if you ask me, and that hasn’t changed with the OUTSET AX Wireless. There’s a decent amount of tactile feedback present on this wheel and it’s rather quiet, so this is a big improvement over the wired version.
The wheel is easy to press and I had no problems with accidental scrolls when doing so.
Side Buttons
Both side buttons actuate with a pleasing tactile sensation, but mouse 4 does have a significant amount of post travel if you press it near the edge that’s closest to your hand. If that’s where you press the button with your grip style, it’ll feel mushy and noticeably less crisp than when you’re pressing it anywhere else. Mouse 5 also has this issue, but it’s much less pronounced.
Build Quality
The VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless is very robust, and the build quality on my review unit is flawless. I can tap the mouse, shake the mouse, or apply unrealistic amounts of pressure and it won’t budge. As I’ve come to expect from VAXEE product, this one feels like it’ll last for years and years without any issues.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
Sensor and Wireless Performance
All wireless VAXEE mice (so far) are using the 3395 sensor. This is, in case you didn’t know, the industry standard when it comes to sensors right now, and it’s flawlessly implemented. Every single move that you make on your mousepad will be translated to your PC with pixel-perfect precision. That, in combination with VAXEE’s fantastic wireless performance, makes this a mouse that can proudly stand next to today’s top performers in the gaming space.
There is of course the fact that the VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless only goes up to 1000Hz while many new mice are offering polling rates of up to 4000Hz. While this does make them better technically speaking, it’s also important to note that implementation of a sensor and a mouse’s technology can do a great deal as far as latency and ingame performance goes. It’s also good to note that VAXEE is working on their own 4K dongle, which will be available next year and will be compatible with all previous wireless releases.
Do I think that it’s good that VAXEE is working on their own 4000Hz technology? Yes, if they want to keep up with today’s mouse tech then they have to do that. With that said: I don’t think that using a VAXEE mouse at 1000Hz over an 8000Hz mouse is going to automatically handicap you. The advantages you get by going up in polling rate are very small. So small that I’m confident in saying that features such as shape and sensor implementation matter way more than polling rate. Specs are of course important, but they don’t tell the whole story at all.
Plug and Play
VAXEE mice are all plug and play. There’s no accompanying software that you can download, and any customization is done on the mouse itself. This means that there’s no way to create complicated macros, rebind the buttons, or use a custom DPI setting. This isn’t a concern for most competitive gamers, but it’s good to know regardless.
Battery Life
The VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless has a battery life of around 55 hours in competitive mode. This competitive mode is the default mode, where the mouse devotes more resources to performing at its very best. You can raise this battery life to 100 hours if you use standard mode, but since this is a mouse that’s designed for competitive gamers I don’t see why anyone would do that. If you game for longer than 50 hours you should take a nap anyway, and you can recharge the mouse during that time.
VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless Alternatives
The most obvious alternative to the VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless is the VAXEE OUTSET AX wired, as it has the exact same shape.
Other alternatives to try out are the ZOWIE EC line or the Fnatic x Lamzu Thorn, but those have different shapes so they’re not 1:1 replacements.
VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless Review – Conclusion
There’s not a lot to be said about this mouse: it’s an extremely well-built gaming mouse that performs flawlessly, with an interesting tilted shape that has a lot of palm presence. Everything is done to a high standard and it’ll deliver reliable gaming performances for many years to come. If this kind of shape sounds like music to your ears, there’s really no need to hesitate.
Technologically, it’s not revolutionary. It has a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz (though a 4KHz dongle will release next year), mechanical switches, and isn’t part of the whole race to the bottom when it comes to its weight. This will disqualify it for a certain subset of potential customers, but this is a mouse from a brand that goes its own way, and I respect that.
The VAXEE OUTSET AX performs fantastically as a gaming mouse, and if you’re looking for a dedicated gaming mouse for (tactical) shooter games then this is one of the very best options out there.
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.
