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Introduction
Ever since ZOWIE debuted their first wireless line of mice in the form of the EC-C line, fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of their other wireless ‘legacy models’. Today, that day is finally here. With the DW line, ZOWIE’s entire mouse lineup went wireless. In our full ZOWIE ZA-13-DW review, we’ll take a look at how the brand did with their implementation of wireless tech and a 4000Hz sensor in one of their more unknown shapes.
Read our full review to find out everything you need to know about the mouse!
Note: currently, the ZA13 is the only mouse available in the wireless ZA line. The larger ZA11 and ZA12 have not been announced as of yet.
At A Glance
ZOWIE ZA13-DW
Used by 1 player ()-
chopper
The ZOWIE ZA13-DW is perhaps a cult mouse, but it is a really interesting option for people who like high-humped mice. Furthermore, it’s also ZOWIE’s return to form.
Pros
- Great build quality
- Unique and interesting shape
- Comes with extra skates and alternative skates
- Included enhanced receiver doubles as a charging dock, which is nice
- Good coating
Cons
- Battery life isn’t great
- Use of mechanical switches might disappoint some
Specs
| Sensor | PAW3950 |
|---|---|
| DPI | 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
| Polling Rate | 125 / 250 / 500 / 1000 / 2000 / 4000 Hz |
| Button Switches | Huano |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Shape | Ambidextrous |
| Length | 12.2cm |
| Height | 4.0cm |
| Weight | 65g |
| Width | 6.3cm |
First Impressions
Packaging
Inside the box of the ZOWIE ZA13-DW, you will find:
- The mouse itself
- Quickstart guide
- Enhanced receiver (doubling as a charging dock)
- Replacement speedy mouse skates
- Additional control mouse skates
- Regular 1000Hz dongle + dongle extender
- Warranty information and product documentation
- USB-C cable
I absolutely love what ZOWIE have done here. Not only did they include replacement mouse skates (something that many brands don’t even bother with) but they also added a set of additional control feet for people who like a slower experience when gliding. The dual receivers are also nice. This allows you to seamlessly use the mouse across two different devices.
The only thing I want to remark is the fact that the box itself feels less sturdy than it used to feel. I only noticed this because I mained the EC3-CW for a long time and used that box to carry around the mouse and other small things when I went to play outside of my house. I loved how sturdy and reliable that box felt. The new ones feel a bit flimsier in comparison. Obviously, that’s not a big deal, but it is something that I noticed right away.
The Mouse
The most noticeably changed aspect about the ZA13-DW (aside from the fact that it’s wireless) compared to its predecessors are the feet. All ZOWIE DW mice now come with ZOWIE’s speed skates, which can be recognized by the fact that they’re white instead of black. Inside the box you’ll also find control skates. I will talk more about the skates further down in the review, but this is a fantastic gesture if you ask me.
Previously, all ZOWIE mice came with their control skates, and speed skates needed to be purchased separately. The fact that users now have the freedom to try both without needing to pay any additional fees is amazing.
One other noteworthy aspect about the ZA13-DW is the enhanced receiver. This could initially be seen as a comically large piece of equipment for being just a receiver, but it serves a dual purpose. It’s a receiver meant to eliminate any interference from other wireless devices, and it’s also a charging dock.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
My hands are 18×10.5 cm and I use a normal (neither relaxed, nor aggressive) claw grip.
Shape
The ZA line of mice is a bit of a cult classic. The shape isn’t for everyone, but it definitely is an interesting design.
One thing that immediately stands out when you hold the mouse is the hump. This hump does a great job at filling in your palm while you hold the mouse. It’s formed in a way that makes the back section of the mouse feel almost like a ball. In addition to this, the button height is rather low, giving you a grip where your palm is up high and your fingers are quite close to the surface that you’re playing on.
I like the precise aim that this type of mouse setup gives me, but it’s important to note that the sides are rather flat. The grip width in general is on the thinner side so the mouse never feels bulky in the mid section, but personally I would’ve loved it to be a little curvier towards the middle like what we see with the ZOWIE U2. That’s quite simply because these days I like shapes that allow you to somewhat ‘dig in’ your thumb though. It’s not an objective criticism on the design.
Moving on, there’s a minor overhang near the front buttons to help with picking the mouse up, and the buttons themselves have some very subtle comfort grooves in them. As per usual with ZOWIE, everything flows incredibly naturally and there are no objectively questionable design elements to be found.
In general, I can definitely see why the ZA has such a dedicated following. The shape is unique and very well-designed, and not a lot of mice give you a similar holding sensation. You get a lot of lock-in due to the high hump making contact with your palm, while the low button height in combination with the thin grip width still gives you enough maneuverability for finer adjustments.
Shape vs Other ZOWIE Mice
ZOWIE focus on offering a variety of shapes with the same specs so that people simply need to pick the one that’s right for them without worrying about which one is ‘better’ on paper. In the ZOWIE lineup, the ZA situates itself as the rear-humped and palm-supporting ambidextrous mouse.
In the ambidextrous lineup, there’s also the S series (with a more centralized hump), the FK series (flatter with no big humps), and the U series (centralized hump with ‘pinched’/curved middle section).
Weight
With a weight of 65 grams, the ZA13-DW isn’t at the forefront of the lightweight revolution. For me, that’s absolutely no problem though.
When I reviewed ZOWIE’s first wireless mouse almost two years ago, I mentioned that I prefer my mice to be between 55 and 70 grams. While that range might’ve gone down to 50-65 grams in recent times, I would definitely consider the ZA13-DW to have a correct weight. In fact, I’ve spoken to multiple manufacturers now who have told me that pros prefer their mice to be around 60 grams right now.
Could that change in the future? Obviously, yes. We can’t predict how these things evolve. But for now, I’d say that the ZA13-DW’s weight is right where it should be. Naturally, this isn’t going to be it for you if you’re chasing the lightest mice available, but if you’re used to ‘mainstream weights’ of around 60 grams (for reference: the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 weighs 59 grams) then this is all fine.
More importantly, the weight balance is great. I can pick up the mouse pretty much anywhere near the middle without it tilting to any side.
Coating
Grip is absolutely no issue with the ZOWIE ZA13-DW’s coating. No matter if I was just getting started in a cold room or if I was hours-deep into a sweaty gaming session; I had no performance issues whatsoever.
Something that does still bother me somewhat is the fingerprint and oil resistance. The brand has come a long way on that front (as a sweaty-handed gamer I used to have to wipe down my ZOWIE mouse every two hours or so) but it’s still not the best. I’m pretty much seeing fingerprints and marks on the coating at all times.
Luckily, the feeling of the coating has improved over the years. That icky, oily type of buildup that I experienced on the B series many years ago is now gone, so any issues I have with the coating are purely cosmetical.
Mouse Feet
As I mentioned, the new ZOWIE mice come with their speed skates pre-installed. Seeing as many people in the community seem to prefer speedier skates, this is a good move. The great news is that, if you’re someone who loved the old ZOWIE stock feet, you can just pull those out of the box and install them. There are even little indentations near the feet for you to insert the tool you’re using to remove them.
I’ve tried both sets and they both feel great. They’re well-made and nicely rounded and there wasn’t a very obvious break-in period for me.
If you prefer a tiny bit more drag you can go for the control skates. The speed skates offer a slightly slicker (the difference isn’t massive) experience that’s more in line with what other modern mice are offering. Speed demons will probably still want to apply aftermarket skates since even the speed ZOWIE skates aren’t insanely fast, but with there now being two options to choose from I’d say that 99% of users will see no need to change these up and go aftermarket.
Recommended Grip Types
Due to the high hump, I would not recommend this mouse for fingertip grippers. Both palm- and claw grippers should be really happy with this mouse though. Do note that it is on the smaller side though. If you’ve got bigger hands it’ll probably feel a bit awkward to palm, and if you claw grip with larger hands you might find your fingers dragging over the mousepad due to the low button height.
One last point: you should only consider this mouse if you like a filled palm. The ZA was explicitly designed for that, so if you don’t want that you should look towards other (ZOWIE) mice.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
Buttons
Underneath the main buttons, you’ll find mechanical HUANO switches. ZOWIE haven’t made the transition to optical switches (yet?) but I don’t see that as a big issue. Even though I personally prefer well-tuned optical switches these days, I don’t consider mechanical switches to be a dealbreaker at all. The implementation of switches is far more important to me, and they have done it well here.
There is a slight amount of post-click travel present on both main buttons, but it’s not enough to bother me when playing. Pre travel is well within acceptable margins. Crucially, there’s no sideways travel or switch grinding present. All in all, the main buttons on the ZOWIE ZA13-DW feel consistent and pleasant to use.
It should be noted that ZOWIE’s clicks are on the firmer side. They’re not as heavy as they used to be, but they’re still not what I would call ‘light’. That’s by design, as it gives you a more secure-feeling click. As a result, these switches aren’t very spammable, which can be good to know if you play games where constantly spamming mouse buttons is of the essence.
With that said: I love ZOWIE’s clicks. I always have trouble with very light clicks and I gravitate towards medium-firm clicks, so these are right up my alley. I would love to see these clicks replicated with optical switches in future iterations, even if only to solve any possible latency debates.
Something I did mention in an earlier ZOWIE review is that their buttons can be a bit delayed in the normal response time setting, and that’s still the case here. I absolutely recommend you to go for the fast response time setting if you get this mouse. Using the fast response time setting, I had no issues with these buttons at all.
Scroll Wheel
ZOWIE’s wheels have always been rather loud and rigid, and that hasn’t changed. The volume has been turned down severely when compared to earlier ZA versions, which I’d say is objectively an upgrade, but I still wouldn’t call this wheel a silent scroll wheel.
In terms of feedback, the rigid steps aid with precise scrolling and stopping when you want, which is great for gaming. Furthermore, the tensioning of the wheel press is also excellent. I did not have any issues with accidental scrolls or clicks.
This section is rather short because there’s not much to say. This wheel is one of the better scroll wheels out there right now if you ask me.
Side Buttons
The side buttons are easy to distinguish by feel. They both actuate with a decently tactile click as well. There’s also no pre- or post travel making them feel mushy or inconsistent, so for me the side buttons are pretty much exactly how they should be.
Build Quality
Given their reputation for making mice that can endure years of LAN travel, ZOWIE owe it to themselves to continue creating mice that are built well. The build quality of the ZOWIE ZA13-DW is exemplary. When shaking and tapping the mouse I heard absolutely nothing. There is also no shell flex at any point.
I don’t know what it is about ZOWIE mice, but they just feel more solidly built than many competitors. That’s also the case here. I have no doubt that the ZA13-DW can survive multiple rough backpack trips to tournaments and events. No company is perfect with these kinds of things, but I do feel like ZOWIE has been on top of the game when it comes to build quality for a good while now.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
Sensor
Powering the ZA13-DW is the 3950. That’s today’s ‘it’ sensor, and it allows ZOWIE to finally implement 4000Hz polling rates in their mice. They implemented the sensor nicely, and I didn’t detect any issues that would hinder gameplay. With that said: sensors have been pretty much perfect for gaming for many years now. Any gains in sensor performance that are made today are nice in theory but not really noticeable in practice for most gamers.
Of course, it’s nice to see that ZOWIE is going for the best possible sensor. One of the most common criticisms of their earlier wireless mice was the fact that they didn’t use the top sensor for a top-priced product. Despite the fact that sensor performance differences of top sensors can’t really be felt ingame, I am happy to see that they went with today’s top offering. If you’re paying flagship prices for a product, you want flagship specs. ZOWIE delivered here.
As for the question of whether or not 4000Hz is something that improves your gameplay, the answer is ‘it depends’. You can read more in our in-depth article on it, but in short: the performance differences, if you even have a setup that allows you to notice them, are minimal. The same principle goes here, though: it’s good to see that ZOWIE is keeping up with the market. If you don’t want to use higher polling rates, you can simply set it to 1000Hz.
Configuring The Mouse
Like all ZOWIE mice, the ZA13-DW is plug-and-play. There’s no customization software for the mouse. I play at 1600 DPI and don’t use any macros or anything like that, so for me this is fine. If you’re someone who uses uncommon DPI steps or you simply like to rebind buttons and create macros, you should skip this one.
Personally, I like driverless mice. After testing and reviewing dozens of mice, it’s nice to just be able to plug in a mouse and know it’s gonna work exactly how I intend it to work without prompting me to download software or -much worse- changing its sensitivity based on whatever game I am playing or something like that.
Having said that, I don’t think anyone would object to some basic browser-based customization utility. Perhaps that’s something ZOWIE can consider for the future.
Battery Life
The battery life isn’t the best in the business. However, that comes with a huge ‘but’. Yes, 24 hours at 4000Hz and 80 hours at 1000Hz isn’t anything to write home about, but the included charging dock basically negates all of that in my opinion. I mained a ZOWIE EC3-CW for the better part of a year and I never once had any issues with its battery. That’s because I simply put it on the dock after I was done playing. I absolutely love the fact that ZOWIE includes this charging functionality in their mice.
The charging dock is not strictly necessary for competitive performance so I won’t bash any mice that don’t have this feature, but now that higher polling rate mice (which have a drastically lower battery life when used at higher polling rates) are becoming more common I would love to see more brands consider this. The charging dock is absolutely a plus for me.
Alternatives
Given the unique shape, I have not personally tested any mice that give a similar experience. I can only recommend other ZOWIE ZA versions if you’re after this kind of shape and you don’t want to go for the wireless version. The ZAx-C line of mice is a logical option in that case.
Conclusion
It’s finally here: a wireless ZOWIE ZA. I know that many hardcore fans of the shape have been waiting for this mouse for a long time, so this is no doubt a great day for many. The ZOWIE ZA13-DW is perhaps a cult mouse, but it is a really interesting option for people who like high-humped mice. Furthermore, it’s also ZOWIE’s return to form.
This time, they’ve included the current top sensor. They also allow you to play at higher polling rates. The weight is also in line with modern standards. On the specs side, that’s pretty much everything anyone has ever asked for from ZOWIE. Furthermore, it’s built like a tank, comes with everything you’ll need (including two sets of feet to try out and a charging dock) and has an amazing shape.
In the past, I (and others) have been critical of ZOWIE for lagging behind on certain technical innovations while still charging premium prices, so I’m really happy to see how their mice have evolved. With this ZA13-DW (and the entire DW line in general; the EC3-DW cannot come soon enough) you’re getting that renowned ZOWIE experience in a modern package.
All in all, this is a great release and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the mouse.
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.
