The moment VAXEE started producing gaming peripherals, professional and competitive gamers have been flocking to the brand in rather large numbers. When it comes to gear uptake in the professional scene, VAXEE is definitely one of the most successful new brands that we’ve seen since this website has started, and that’s probably down to the fact that every single product that they make has the competitive audience in mind. In our VAXEE ZYGEN NP-01S Wireless review, we’re taking a look at their newest product to see if it lives up to the high standards that the company has set for itself. Read on to find out everything you want to know!
Read: VAXEE ZYGEN NP-01S (Wired) Review
At A Glance
VAXEE ZYGEN NP-01S Wireless Black
❝VAXEE has been churning out hit after hit, and the NP-01S Wireless is another one to add to that list. It’s a flawlessly performing gaming mouse backed by excellent wireless technology, packed into a unique shape that’s been designed with extreme attention to detail.❞
Pros
- Great, unique shape
- Fantastic build quality
- Flawless gaming and wireless performance
Cons
- Coating feels a little subpar
- Main buttons have some side travel
Specs
| Sensor | PMW 3395 |
|---|---|
| DPI | 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
| Polling Rate | 1000 Hz |
| Button Switches | Huano |
| Button Force | 82.1g |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Shape | Ambidextrous |
| Length | 11.8cm |
| Height | 3.7cm |
| Weight | 73g |
| Width | 5.7cm |
First Impressions
Packaging
VAXEE products aren’t known for being flashy or ostentatious. These are performance-focused products that focus on one thing: competitive gamers. This shows in their packaging as well. Inside the box, you’ll find:
- The mouse
- A USB-C charging cable
- An extension dongle for the USB receiver
- USB receiver
- QR code, leading to the manual and extra info
I don’t mind minimal packaging at all, but it would’ve been nice to at least see a quick start guide included with the product. I’m not a big fan of scanning QR codes and having to use my phone for almost everything nowadays, so I would’ve appreciated a small card with some of the basic settings on there.
Mouse feet are also something that I miss. With a product that’s focused on competitive tryhards, it’s always nice to see the inclusion of a spare set.
The mouse
VAXEE releases their mice in a bunch of different colors these days. I got the yellow version, but you can buy the NP-01S Wireless in orange, light blue, pink, white, and black.
As I’ve come to expect from VAXEE, the NP-01S Wireless feels extremely solid and reliable upon first inspection. When the mouse first came out, some people reported issues with the shell flexing, but I did not have any issues with this on my unit.
With a weight of 73 grams, it’s not one to add to the lightweight gaming mice hall of fame, but I feel like this is well within acceptable margins. Unless you’re someone who absolutely needs the lightest mouse out there in order to perform, you won’t have any issues with using a 73 gram mouse.
DISCLAIMER
VAXEE released a statement on the side flexing. If you experience this issue, VAXEE will replace your mouse free of charge. For more information, you can read VAXEE’s blog post on the topic: ‘Please check your ZYGEN NP-01S Wireless Mouse‘.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
Shape
VAXEE’s NP-01 line of mice is their most interesting one if you ask me. It’s a blend of an ambidextrous and an ergonomic shell, with a nice and deep thumb indentation towards the middle of the left side, with a right side that has its main curve located a little lower on the shell. I myself prefer the regular-sized NP-01 (that one sadly doesn’t have a wireless version yet) and even mained it for a while, but I still really love the shape of the NP-01S.
It’s an extremely natural-feeling mouse, and while it’s not as filling and contact-heavy as the regular NP-01, you still really do feel the effects of this unconventional design when aiming and gaming. For my grip type (claw, with 18×10.5 cm hands) it feels very comfy, if perhaps a little bit small.
All in all, this is quite simply a fantastic shape, and while it may not be for everyone (no shape works for everyone though) it’s without a doubt one of the most interesting and thought-out mouse designs to come out in the past couple of years. If you like ergo mice but you don’t want the curves to be too aggressive, you have to give this one a try. It’s a great marriage between a traditional, neutral ambi mouse and a safe ergo mouse.
Coating
VAXEE has come a long way with their coatings. In terms of performance, the VAXEE Zygen NP-01S Wireless performs perfectly if you ask me. The coating is grippy under all circumstances and I never had any issues with my hands or fingers slipping.
As per usual with VAXEE, the coating isn’t great at handling fingerprints and other ‘junk’, however, and it also doesn’t feel that great to me. On this yellow version you can’t really see prints and the likes until you look closely, but this almost chalky feeling that VAXEE mice have is still present here. This is of course a matter of preference, but as someone who gets sweaty rather quickly when gaming I prefer more textured coatings over coatings such as this one.
As I said, though: it performs absolutely flawlessly, so this is more of a subjective remark about the feeling of the mouse rather than its performance. It’s up to you to decide how much this will bother you.
Mouse Feet
The NP-01S Wireless has two large feet, along with one sensor ring. VAXEE’s feet aren’t the fastest on the block, but that’s fine with me. I like control over speed and swiftness, so I wouldn’t even think about replacing the feet if I were to main the NP-01S Wireless.
As far as the performance goes, they feel great. There’s no scratchiness, and the mouse performs as it should on all types of pads.
Recommended Grip Types
I see this mouse as an ideal claw grip mouse. It can be used for fingertip gripping, but if that’s your main grip I would steer you towards a more neutral mouse that’s perhaps a bit lighter, both when it comes to the overall weight as well as the button tensioning.
Palm grippers should probably skip this mouse altogether, unless you have very small hands. This mouse isn’t focused on that type of grip, and if you’re into this shape but like some more palm contact I would advise you to wait until the NP-01 Wireless releases.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
Buttons
VAXEE’s mice focus on providing a substantial and robust click feeling, so you’re not going to get hair-trigger style buttons on the NP-01S Wireless. For me, the click tensioning on the NP-01S is pretty much perfect. I am a tactical shooter kind of guy, so I have no need for extremely light and spammable buttons, and if you’re the same then you’ll love these.
Both main clicks feel extremely consistent (both when it comes to the amount of force required as well as their sound) and the pre- and post travel distances are well within acceptable tolerances, but there is some button grinding after pressing down the main buttons. It’s nothing outrageous, but I can definitely feel the buttons moving to the side when doing activities like spraying in CS2. This does get a bit annoying, but on my unit it’s not to the extent that it hinders my performance. Still, I would rather not have it at all of course. The fact that my NP-01S wired (see: VAXEE Zygen NP-01S Review) doesn’t have this issue also makes it a bit more difficult to swallow.
Scroll Wheel
One of the best big changes that VAXEE has made to their mice in recent times (aside from going wireless, of course) is the change to their scroll wheels. Gone is the overly loud wheel that was present on early VAXEE mice, and in is a much quieter, but still pleasantly tactile wheel.
When I reviewed the wired version of this mouse a little over two years ago, I said that I would love a wheel with less volume and a decent amount of tactility, and this is exactly that. Clicking the wheel also feels great: it requires just the right amount of force so that you don’t accidentally click it when scrolling, and it actuates with a pleasing and reassuring sensation.
All in all, this is a fantastic scroll wheel.
Side Buttons
Both side buttons have a tiny bit of post travel when you press hard, but this is not something that I noticed during normal gaming usage. They actuate with a crisp click and there’s no spongy or mushy feeling here. The buttons are easy to reach and easy to distinguish thanks to the rather large gap that VAXEE have left between them, so this is all good if you ask me.
These side buttons work exactly as they should.
Build Quality
VAXEE is known for their reliable and extremely robust mice, so I expected no issues here whatsoever, and that expectation became reality.
Tapping, shaking, squeezing: you name it. You can do anything you want to this mouse (within reason of course; don’t go and drop it from your roof) and it will not bend or make a sound. The build quality of the NP-01S Wireless is up there with the very best, and as such this is a very short section: I have no remarks whatsoever.
Do note that some early units had issues with shell flex. If you have this issue, contact VAXEE and they will replace your mouse.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
Sensor and Wireless Performance
The NP-01S Wireless uses the PMW3395 sensor, and that’s a flawless sensor. This means that, as long as it’s implemented correctly, it’ll translate every single move that you make on your mousepad with pixel perfect precision. VAXEE have done their homework here, and the performance is great. I found no anomalies or outliers during my testing.
You can turn on Motion Sync using a button combination on the mouse itself (all VAXEE products are plug-and-play, but more on that later) and you can also switch between Standard Mode and Competitive Mode. Competitive Mode is now the default mode that the mouse comes shipped with (or at least it was on my unit) and this is basically the ‘gamer mode’ since it means that the mouse diverts more resources to the sensor.
I mostly tested the mouse using the Competitive Mode since I see absolutely no reason to use the other mode, and I would suggest other users to do the same. The battery life in Competitive Mode sits at 55 ingame hours, which almost doubles to 100 hours in Standard Mode, but since this is a gaming product and I don’t know anyone who games for more than 55 hours at a time I consider Competitive Mode to be the default for this mouse. Charging the mouse takes less then two hours, so just plug it in after you’re done playing and you’re good to go.
VAXEE’s wireless tech works great and without any interruptions. The mouse is snappy and responsive, and the overall latency is kept to a minimum. Reliable wireless technology is a must for any mouse manufacturer worth its salt in 2023, so I fully expected a hassle-free experience here, and VAXEE delivered.
Battery Life
As mentioned, the NP-01S has a battery life of 55 ingame hours (on Competitive Mode) or 100 ingame hours (on Standard Mode). This doesn’t make it the best in the business, but it’s more than enough for me, especially since it charges from 0% to 100% in less than two hours.
Configuring and Customizing
All VAXEE mice are plug-and-play, so there are no (optional) drivers to download here. You customize the mouse with an array of buttons that can be found on the bottom. The basic functionalities like DPI, polling rate, and click latency have their own button, but you can also change the LOD (What is LOD?) and switch between modes by pressing a combination of buttons. All of this is clearly laid out in the (online) manual.
VAXEE ZYGEN NP-01S Wireless Alternatives
Given the fact that the NP-01S has a unique shape it’ll be impossible to find a 1:1 replacement unless you’re going for the wired version of this same mouse. The Xtrfy M42 Wireless (see our Xtrfy M42 Wireless Review) is something I would recommend to someone who absolutely can’t get a hold of this mouse, but if you’re even somewhat interested in this design and shape I would just go for the real thing.
VAXEE Zygen NP-01S Wireless Review – Conclusion
This is a rather short and to-the-point review, but that’s because there’s not a ton to speak about. This isn’t the most revolutionary mouse when it comes to specs, but it delivers on almost all fronts and doesn’t have any glaring issues.
VAXEE has been churning out hit after hit, and the NP-01S Wireless is another one to add to that list. It’s a flawlessly performing gaming mouse backed by excellent wireless technology, packed into a unique shape that’s been designed with extreme attention to detail.
VAXEE mice are made for a specific audience: competitive tactical shooter gamers, and they hit all the right marks on that front. Of course this doesn’t mean that you can’t use the NP-01S Wireless for other games, but VAXEE have found a niche and are doing pretty much perfect within that niche.
As the brand is getting closer and closer to making their full mouse lineup wireless, I personally can’t wait to try out my favorites: the NP-01 (regular) and the OUTSET AX. With the way VAXEE’s releases have turned out so far, there’s no doubt in my mind that those will be bangers as well.
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.
