INTRODUCTION

   Although i never was much into online MMO games i have tried most of them (out of curiosity mostly) and one of the things that was immediately clear to me from day one was that compared to normal FPS, platform, RTS, simulators and other game types online MMO games require a lot more buttons/keys both on the keyboard and on the mouse. That's mainly because when playing online with dozens of people (or even with thousands in games like PlanetSide 2 one of the very few online games I do enjoy playing) you can't afford to have the same speed/efficiency like you would with a single player game when faced against computer controlled opponents. Now back then it did take some time for gaming peripherals manufacturers to see that gap in the market and start producing gaming keyboards and mice with more buttons on them than usual but now several years later we see more and more such MMO oriented products get introduced quite frequently. The VOLOS MMORPG Gaming Mouse is the latest product designed and manufactured by our friends over at Tt eSPORTS and after roughly one week of testing today we can finally upload our opinion about it.

   “Challenge is the game” highlights the philosophy to bring out gamers’ addiction in gaming and the ambition of reaching to the extreme. Tt eSPORTS, a gaming obsessed division from Thermaltake, is uniting gamers from all over the world in a unique & fascinating eSPORTS culture, inherited the spirits of Thermaltake, is an energetic, powerful, bold and intelligent challenger who never says “no” to the extreme competition. We do not only provide gamers the ultimate gaming gears but also fulfills the passion to achieve the ultimate success. Thermaltake has been a well-known brand in the gaming & DIY market for PC Chassis, Coolers and Power Supplies PSU for many years. The brand personality of unique, aggressive, vivid and stylish makes Thermaltake an expert in creating exciting things and fascinating environment for gamers and enthusiasts. Tt eSPORTS inherited the brand personality with unique and creative design by observing users’ behaviors and requirements. The fan cooling design on Tt eSPORTS Challenger keyboard demonstrate the brand spirit. It is the worldwide first keyboard with fan cooling function that could dry your hand sweats and blow tension away during cut-throat competition.

   When i first looked at some "beta" marketing material regarding the VOLOS many months ago i can't say that i really liked its design because it reminded me a lot of gaming console controllers and i don't really enjoy consoles in general. Still since at the end of the day our primary goal is to test products in order to see how they perform and not judge their appearance based on our personal opinion (or at least that's a secondary goal) when the VOLOS got officially announced we just had to take it for a spin. So at first glance you will see that the VOLOS MMO Gaming Mouse features a total of 14 programmable buttons and an adjustable weight system placed at the lower rear end. The really impressive part about the VOLOS however lies underneath the enclosure since Tt eSPORTS has given it a 8200DPI laser sensor (configurable via 5 levels), 16.8 million colors LED illumination and a total of 4MB of onboard memory onto which you can store up to 140 programmable buttons via 10 different profiles. Bottom line yes the VOLOS actually seems to be the perfect MMORPG gaming mouse at least in terms of specifications but is it really?

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The box is the typical one Tt eSPORTS has been using for quite some time now and so at the front we see a large product image, the main features listed directly beneath it and the company logo.

A product description is printed at the back in 15 languages and right above we see a screenshot of the control software.

Once again the box opens up like a book to reveal the VOLOS gaming mouse behind a clear plastic cover on one side and its features and specifications on the other.

The bundle is quite rich so aside the VOLOS MMO Gaming Mouse you are also getting an carrying pouch, quick installation guide, paper with instructions on how to download the drivers, warranty paper policy, product information paper and two Tt eSPORTS logo stickers.

THE VOLOS

The VOLOS MMO Gaming Mouse features a nice rubber coating over the top and is quite large measuring 129mm in length, 79mm in width and 43mm in height.

As you can see the entire left side is rubber coated and these 4 programmable side buttons are the reason why at first i didn't like the VOLOS (they do look nice however).

Two more buttons are placed further at the rear just over a small honeycomb rubber coated area.

The profile switch button allows you to choose one of the 10 available profiles and is placed right above the 4 side buttons.

Next to that we see the usual DPI selection buttons which are also programmable.

This circle placed over the primary button is also part of the units’ illumination and can be set to pulsate while gaming.

The Tt eSPORTS dragon is also part of the illumination system and is placed at the rear.

Three more buttons are placed on the right side which is also rubber coated like the left one.

The scroll wheel may not be the most inaudible ever but it's soft and it also gets illuminated.

Two very large Teflon feet are in place beneath the VOLOS for optimized gliding.

Tt eSPORTS has actually used the Avago ADNS-9800 laser sensor (8200 dots per inch/1000 polling rate/12000 frame rate/100-150 inch per second/30g acceleration) with the VOLOS one of the most advanced laser sensors in the market currently.

The lock switch placed next to the laser sensor disables all of the macro commands when used.

Further down we see a small cover which once removed reveals 7 removable weights (5 above and 2 beneath) each weighing 4.5g.

Designed with people who attend LAN events the USB is not only gold plated but also has a protective cap at the end.

CONTROL PANEL

Since the VOLOS doesn't come with a software CD you will need to download the latest drivers from the official Tt eSPORTS support or product pages.

Once you install the drivers and plug the mouse into the USB port all of the LEDs will light up red. Unfortunately the console like buttons on the left are not illuminated (i was hoping they were).

The mouse supports a total of 16.8m colors but red and blue are my favorite (perhaps green too).

The control panel offers the basic functionality we are all used to with most gaming mouse and so aside the ability to program all 14 buttons for each of the 10 available profiles you can also enable battle mode which changes the illumination according to the clicks you make, you can adjust the DPI/Polling Rate/Lift Off Control and tie them to one of the 5 available profiles, you can choose the illumination for all the LEDs or for all but the circle at the front and finally you can also create/edit macros.

CONCLUSION

   Although the VOLOS (available in black and white as you can see from the above picture) is obviously quite bulky and heavy compared to other MMO oriented gaming mice (with the weights attached) by using the lightning fast Avago ADNS-9800 laser sensor along with the industrial grade rubber coating and the very large Teflon feet Tt eSPORTS has not only managed to successfully overcome that issue but thanks to all of the above the VOLOS is really one of the most comfortable to use gaming mice we've ever used especially if you have medium to large hands like we do. Accuracy is also excellent, glide is extremely good, the lift-off setting works as it should, all buttons have good feedback (not very soft) and speed well if you play at 2560x1600 like we do (or more) you will be able to see exactly how fast the 8200DPI of the Avago laser sensor really are (although for us the most convenient setting is between 6000 and 7000DPI). Honestly after 6 days of using the VOLOS with a wide selection of games including PlanetSide 2, Batman Arkham Origins, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty Ghosts and X-COM Enemy Within i can't find a single thing wrong. The only thing i still don't like much are the console like side buttons since they obviously make me feel that I’m using a console but in the end that's just me so i don't expect most people to care about something like that.

   Tt eSPORTS and Thermaltake in general always like to follow an aggressive price policy in order to keep their products affordable and the VOLOS MMORPG Gaming Mouse is not an exception to that rule since it currently retails for USD67.92 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 65Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). True compared to regular gaming mice the VOLOS is not exactly cheap but compared to MMO/MMORPG oriented ones it's actually quite cheaper (5-15% overall) and features a laser sensor we don't see a lot along with an weight system and an industrial grade rubber coated exterior. Now I’m not saying that with the VOLOS Tt eSPORTS has introduced the best gaming mouse out there but for MMO/MMORPG players its grip, speed, accuracy and plenty of buttons make it one of the best available solutions currently and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Omron Switches)
- Industrial Grader Rubber Coating
- Lightning Fast High Grade Laser Sensor (8200CPI/12000FPS/150IPS/30G)
- 14 Fully Programmable Buttons
- 2 Zone 16.8m Color Illumination
- 140 Programmable Buttons In 10 Different Profiles (4MB Onboard Memory)
- Adjustable Weight System (7x4.5g=31.5g Extra)
- Macro Lock Button
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Size/Weight (For Some)