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Introduction
The VAXEE XE was a wired mouse that came out when a wireless connection had already pretty much become the standard in the gaming mouse scene, and due to the fact that it had a detachable cable many people (including our reviewer) speculated that the XE was supposed to be a wireless release in the first place that was delayed due to unforeseen issues. Whether or not that was the case is something we cannot tell you, but what we can tell you is that the XE is VAXEE’s first mouse to go wireless. Read our full VAXEE XE Wireless review to find out if the brand’s first wireless product is as successful and praiseworthy as their very first mouse release.
Update 27th of February 2023: VAXEE has reached out to us and told us that the XE had always been planned to release as a wired mouse first. That clears up some confusion regarding the release dates of the XE line of mice.
At A Glance
VAXEE XE Wireless
Used by 17 players ()VAXEE’s first wireless release doesn’t disappoint. I love the fact that this company is so focused on tryhard competitive gamers that they released a firmware update to make the mouse even snappier (at the expense of some features) after its release, and the sensor implementation and wireless technology that’s driving this mouse are fantastic.
Pros
- Flawless wireless connection and performance
- Extreme focus on competitive gamers with features like competitive mode
- Fantastic build quality
- Multi-device functionality (you need two receivers for this though)
- Fast charging battery
- 4KHz compatible since March 2024
Cons
- Coating can get sticky
- Some rubbing on the main buttons
- Might be too heavy for some
- Mouse feet are slightly scratchy
Specs
Sensor | PMW 3395 |
---|---|
DPI | 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
Polling Rate | 1000 / 250 / 500 / 2000 / 4000 Hz |
Button Switches | Huano |
Button Force | 94.5g |
Connection | Wireless |
Shape | Ambidextrous |
Length | 12.24cm |
Height | 3.83cm |
Weight | 76g |
Width | 6.12cm |
Usage Over Time In The Pro Scene
First Impressions
The VAXEE XE was the brand’s first mouse to answer to the increasing demand for lightweight mice with its weight of 68 grams, but this wireless version goes above the 70 grams mark once again. That’s not a big deal, at least not to me, but it is something that’s noticeable when you first pick it up if you’ve used the wired version for any length of time. I will speak more about the weight later on in the review, but since this is about first impressions I added it to this section.
Aside from the weight, there’s nothing that’s really noticeable about the XE Wireless at first glance. It released in multiple colors straight out of the gate so you’re very likely to get one that matches your personal preferences and setup, and from the outside it just simply looks very basic and to the point. The branding is kept to an absolute minimum (there’s a small debossing on the top button, but that’s only noticeable when you look at it from the correct angle) and if you don’t know about gaming mice there would be no way to tell that this is a VAXEE mouse, or even that it is a gaming mouse if you go for the more subtle colorways.
Packaging
- Mouse
- USB receiver
- USB receiver extension dongle
- USB-C charging cable
- Card with a QR code leading to the manual
I don’t mind minimal packaging since it’s better for the environment anyway, but I would’ve liked to see at least a quickstart guide with the DPI indicator colors on it and so on. I also always like it when brands include additional mouse feet with their products that are aimed at competitive gamers, and at this price point I would’ve liked to see those included.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
SHAPE
The VAXEE XE Wireless has the exact same shape as the VAXEE XE. It’s an ambidextrous mouse with a centralized hump that’s not too aggressive and a rather substantiated flare towards the back portion of the mouse. This leads to a shape that’s safe but provides more of a ‘locked in’ feeling when compared to more neutral ambidextrous shapes such as the G Pro X Superlight or the ZOWIE FK. It is on the larger side, so if you prefer small and nimble mice this won’t be it, but the stable and secure grip feeling that you’re getting here is something that I really like, and with the way I grip the mouse (I use an almost pure claw grip these days) there’s enough maneuverability to allow me to move the mouse down into my palm by applying pressure with my thumb for those moments where you need to adjust the mouse on the y-axis such as when spraying in CS:GO or VALORANT.
COATING
Even though it performs pretty much perfectly, I am still not a huge fan of VAXEE’s coatings. The coating on the XE Wireless is very grippy but it tends to feel sticky (in an ‘icky’ kind of way) pretty quickly if you have sweatier hands. I personally like coatings that feel a little bit less chalky and more textured, and there are mice out there with coating that both perform perfectly and feel better, so if you ask me VAXEE can still make some improvements on this front.
MOUSE FEET
The VAXEE XE Wireless has two large feet along with one sensor ring but I have the same issue that I had with the feet on the wired version, namely that they’re not the smoothest. Aside from their slower glide (which doesn’t have to be a problem in and of itself; there are people who like slower skates) they also feel a little scratchy on harder pads. Perhaps they’re too thin and it’s the frame of the mouse that I can feel dragging when I test the XE Wireless on a glass pad, but I do know that VAXEE used to deliver better results when it comes to the mouse feet.
Recommended Grip Types
The safe shape of the XE Wireless means that it can be used by all grip types, but if you like a lot of palm contact your hands can’t be too large if you want to go for the XE. Fingertip grippers can also get away with using this mouse, though I would generally recommend more specialized mice for most fingertip grippers.
Of course everyone is different. You may have certain preferences, and someone else with the exact same hand size and grip style might have a different set of boxes that a mouse needs to tick, so always take these grip sections in reviews with a grain of salt.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
BUTTONS
VAXEE mice mostly use heavier switches with a more substantial click feeling. That’s by design, as these mice are made for tactical competitive shooters where you don’t want to misfire. These buttons do feel a bit uncharacteristic in that regard. The right main button especially feels like it is tensioned in a way that makes it extremely easy to click, so much so that I had a bunch of accidental clicks when using the mouse. This might have something to do with my grip style, but seeing as I didn’t have this problem on the wired version I would say that I either received a faulty copy or that something has changed with VAXEE’s click implementation. I do know that I prefer their heavier clicks.
The clicks themselves feel good when they actuate, with minimal pre travel and a touch of post travel like VAXEE intends (this is another way of giving their clicks a more robust feeling) but there is quite some sideways movement on both main buttons. This isn’t noticeable when you’re just resting your fingers on the buttons but it does become rather apparent when holding the button when spraying or anything like that. It’s nothing performance-inhibiting, but I did notice it quite often during my playing sessions and it did annoy me. This was somewhat present on the wired version that I reviewed, but not to the extent that I noticed it ingame, so on my copies the buttons on the wireless version feel worse than those on the wired version.
The side buttons have some post travel if you press them near the edges but this wasn’t something that I noticed ingame. They actuate with a crispy click and overall these are perfectly fine side buttons.
SCROLL WHEEL
The scroll wheel on the VAXEE XE Wireless is a decently quiet wheel with a good amount of tactility between steps. It’s a massive step up from the loud and rattly wheels on their early performance models, and I can only hope that they use this wheel implementation on the planned wireless versions of their earlier models since it’s superior in pretty much every way if you ask me. The only point of criticism I’d make here is that pressing the wheel itself takes a bit too much force for me personally, and that has lead me to accidentally scroll when I wanted to click it once or twice.
Build Quality and Cable
BUILD QUALITY
My unit is built like a tank. There’s some light rattling when moving the mouse side to side but this isn’t bothersome or even noticeable when using it for gaming or browsing. Combine that with a shell that feels extremely solid and doesn’t flex when used normally (you can get the side button to actuate by applying a frankly ridiculous amount of pressure to the side of the mouse, but given the required pressure I don’t see this as a real-life issue at all) and you’ve got a mouse that feels like it will last you for years and years.
CABLE
The included charging cable is flexible, light, and has prongs on the sides to ensure a more secure connection should you need to use the mouse while charging. The connection cutout on the mouse itself isn’t very deep so you can use a variety of third party USB-C cables to charge the mouse. Cables have pretty much stopped being a concern with the fact that wireless mice have gone mainstream, but it’s always nice to see a charging cable that won’t actively bother you for those times where you accidentally forget to charge your mouse.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
SENSOR AND WIRELESS PERFORMANCE
The 3395 is what powers the VAXEE XE Wireless, and the implementation is pretty much spot on. VAXEE allows you to choose between three different modes: Standard Mode, High Speed Mode, and Competitive Mode. Competitive Mode is a new mode that was released via a firmware update after the original release of the mouse. VAXEE kept on tinkering with their mouse’s firmware even after release (which is a good thing, to be clear) and it was found that pro players preferred Competitive Mode in a blind test when compared to High Speed Mode so they released this as an optional firmware update.
Details on what this mode does differently are a little vague, but given that certain features (the ability to adjust LOD and change between Comp and Standard Mode) are turned off in Competitive Mode it probably has something do with turning off all ‘unnecessary’ (depending on who you’re asking) features in order to just let the mouse focus on what matters for gamers: performance. I tested the mouse in all modes, and I would honestly just use the Competitive mode all the time. It felt the snappiest to me, and the LOD in Competitive Mode is less than 1.2 millimeters, so unless you really want to change the LOD, there’s no real reason to use any other mode since you can still adjust the DPI, polling rate, and click debounce times in this mode.
The sensor tracks beautifully in my testing, and VAXEE wireless implementation is pretty much perfect in my testing. VAXEE’s first wireless mouse is a top performer straight out of the gate. As an added bones, you can also connect this mouse to up to two different PCs, though you do have to purchase an extra receiver for that.
BATTERY LIFE
In Standard Mode, the XE Wireless has a battery life of around 90 ingame hours, while that battery life halves if you’re using High Speed Mode (45 hours) or Competitive Mode (50 hours). I don’t know about you, but I never play for 50 hours straight, so I am perfectly fine with this battery life when using the more tryhard modes. If you’re someone who prefers a longer battery life you can always use the Standard Mode. Do note that you cannot use the mode button on top of the mouse if you’ve installed the Competitive Mode firmware. You will need to manually reinstall the older firmware in order to do that, so if you know that you’re going to want to switch between the higher battery life mode and the gaming mode you’re better off not installing the Competitive Firmware.
The mouse charges from 0% to 100% in less than two hours, so even if you forget to charge the mouse you can fill it up to appropriate levels in the time it takes to grab a quick lunch.
CONFIGURATION AND CUSTOMIZATION
VAXEE’s mice are plug and play, meaning that there’s no optional software to download and that every bit of customization is done on the mouse itself, either by pressing a combination of buttons or by using the dedicated buttons on the bottom of the mouse. All of the popular options are present, so unless you’re using an uncommon DPI setting or something like that you’re going to find what you need via the button combinations.
WEIGHT
Given the reception of this mouse when it was first announced, I wanted to mention the weight of it as well. Yes, the VAXEE XE Wireless comes in at 76 grams, which is pretty heavy for a wireless gaming mouse that’s released in 2023. Would I like to be slightly lighter? Personally, yes. For a shape like this, I would prefer a weight between 55 to 70 grams, but it’s not as if I felt like I was dragging a brick around during my testing. Weight preference is something personal (believe it or not: some people prefer heavier mice) and what weight you like depends on your game of choice, your playing style, and so on.
In short: I don’t believe that a lighter weight is objectively better in all cases, but I do feel like the XE Wireless could do with a bit of trimming. This is a minor nitpick though, as the mouse is very much comfortable to use, even for extended gaming sessions.
Alternatives
The VAXEE XE Wireless has an original shape, so there is no direct alternative other than the VAXEE XE Wired. If you want to have a similar shape experience in a different wireless mouse you can look towards the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, though that one feels boxier and less formed to me. As for wired mice, the ZOWIE FK line can also be seen as an alternative, though that feels flatter and longer to me.
Conclusion
VAXEE’s first wireless release doesn’t disappoint. I love the fact that this company is so focused on tryhard competitive gamers that they released a firmware update to make the mouse even snappier (at the expense of some features) after its release, and the sensor implementation and wireless technology that’s driving this mouse are fantastic. If you’re worried about the performance: don’t. The XE Wireless ticks all boxes that a top tier competitive gaming mouse has to tick.
There are some drawbacks, though. The weight could be a little lower (though this is by no means ‘a brick’ or something like that), the buttons rub after pressing them, and the feet feel like a step down from the usual VAXEE offerings. The coating also doesn’t really win the mouse any points with me personally due to how sticky it can feel for people with sweaty hands, but I realize that that’s a lot more subjective.
All in all, this is a fantastic mouse that’s made for competitive gaming, and if you can live with the aforementioned drawbacks then this could be your weapon of choice for years to come. This is a really impressive first wireless release by VAXEE. I expected nothing less from this brand, but it’s still nice to see my thoughts confirmed.
Just in case you’re wondering about their other models: wireless versions of those are coming. After seeing what VAXEE is capable of with wireless mice, I am doubly excited for the cordless versions of the OUTSET AX and the NP-01 since I mained both of those mice for some time. VAXEE continues to impress.
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.