INTRODUCTION

   I don't know how many of you reading these lines had the chance to play the original UFO Enemy Unknown turn-based squad strategy game by MicroProse back in 1994 and its sequel X-COM Terror From The Deep in 1995 (again by MicroProse) but these are still two of my all-time classic games to ever hit the PC (right next to Wing Commander). Now the reason I’m even mentioning this is because by the time this review gets published online Firaxis Games should be less than a week away from launching their highly anticipated XCOM 2 game (sequel to their XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within games) and thus aside looking forward to spending a few days with it at launch is there a better way than to welcome it by throwing some of the latest gaming mice at it? So today on our test bench we have the latest gaming mouse to rollout from the OZONE factory wearing the OCELOT World colors the ARGON.

   OZONE Gaming Gear, is an European brand of gaming peripherals that revolves around the concept “It’s all about Evolution”. OZONE is a brand created by and for gamers, the evolution is part of our gaming life, we all want to improve and evolve into a better gaming contender. OZONE is committed to the development, engineering and evolution of innovative gaming peripherals with a unique style and the best performance, to allow gamers to exceed their limits and become the best. It’s all about evolution. In the recent years the gaming industry has developed into the ultra-competitive arena that we see today, and the gamers have also developed into a more demanding, sophisticated and exigent consumer. There is an ever increasing demand for better design, increase number of functions and higher performances. Due to the development of newer and better gaming peripherals, the market has suffered a transformation. New segments of high performance gaming accessories have grown to become more specialized and subdivided. But this change in the market has also come accompanied of an increase in the price levels of those products. OZONE provides customers a wide range of gaming peripherals. Everyone from the occasional user to the professional gamer is ensured to find a OZONE product at a reasonable price which will fit their requirements to enjoy their favorite games.

   The ARGON OCELOTE World laser gaming mouse by OZONE was designed to accompany their BLAST OCELOTE World gaming headset which we reviewed a while ago so naturally it also shares the same black and orange color theme we liked so much. Under the hood of the ARGON we once again see the very popular and award winning ADNS-9800 laser sensor by Pixart (8200DPI/12000FPS/150IPS/30G) along with Omron micro-switches for the primary buttons (those feature a lifecycle of up to 20 million clicks). The ARGON is also one of the very few ambidextrous models in the market and also features a total of 9 fully programmable buttons, 128Kb of onboard memory (used to store its 5 profiles), 1000Hz polling rate and a weight adjustment system (18g extra).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The black & orange box has a large product picture at the front placed just over the main product features.

On the left side of the box OZONE has placed a few words about the ARGON by Carlos "ocelote" Rodriguez.

The features list is printed at the rear in 8 languages right beneath a large product picture used to showcase them.

As you can all see the box opens by pulling the front upwards (unfortunately you can't do that to see the mouse prior to buying it cause the front is secured with a sticker).

Unfortunately the bundle is not exactly rich so aside the ARGON laser gaming mouse itself you'll also get a tiny carrying case with 4 small weights stored inside.

THE ARGON OCELOTE WORLD

The ARGON features a medium sized rubber coated enclosure that measures 124.6mm in length, 66.9mm in width and 40mm in height.

OZONE has placed the two typical programmable buttons on the left side right next to a large rubber coated area (improved grip).

Placed at the rear of the ARGON is the company logo.

The two DPI selection buttons are placed at the top of the mouse.

Two extra programmable buttons are placed on the right side of the mouse again right next to a rubber coated area (here it's also easier to see the clear plastic section which is part of the lighting system).

You can also program/remap the rubber coated clickable scroll wheel.

The ARGON sits ontop two large PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) feet.

Also present are the ADNS-9800 laser sensor and the weight compartment.

There's a round "cartridge" inside the weight compartment which you need to take out and fit it with the bundled weights.

The 1.8 meter long braided cable has a gold plated USB connector on its end.

CONTROL PANEL

To download the latest drivers for the ARGON you will need to visit the official product page (the control panel is included).

Just like the color theme of the mouse the control panel is also black and orange.

From the first screen you can adjust the sensitivity and available DPI options and program all 9 buttons (for both left and right hand use).

From within the system settings screen you can configure the double click, pointer and scroll wheel speeds and enhance the precision of the pointer.

You can adjust the polling rate of the mouse and the on-to-go speed (speed of repeat mouse functions) via the advanced setting tab.

Finally from the light setting screen you can enable/disable the lighting system and choose between the full light and pulsating effects.

This is the ARGON once you've plugged it into your system (orange is the only supported color - aside the frost blue in the scroll wheel area).

CONCLUSION

   I’ve lost count on the how many times we’ve tested a gaming mouse featuring the ADNS-9800 laser sensor and although it may not be the very best one out in the market currently (the PMW3310 is better in some aspects as is the Philips PLN2037 Twin Eye) still there’s no doubt that it’s among the fastest and most accurate ones (not to mention the most popular one). With that out of the way the Argon has something not many gaming mice have, a body shaped in such a way that it’s not just ambidextrous but it’s also very easy to get used to (it felt right at home from the moment I started using it) while the rubber coating and side grips do a very good job in keeping it right where it should be. I still don’t know why manufacturers don’t place more weights with gaming mice featuring weight adjustment systems (for example 30-40g extra) but even the 18g included with the Argon should be more than enough for most gamers. The control panel is quite easy to use but I do think it could be even easier with some small changes (for example all the performance options/settings on the initial tab).

   For some strange reason we were unable to located the Argon Ocelote World Laser Gaming Mouse in the USA currently (will ask OZONE for that) but it’s widely available in the EU for a price tag of 62Euros (Amazon.co.uk). That price tag places the Argon right between several similar models but certainly quite lower than other higher-end ones with more extras like aluminum bodies, extra buttons and RGB illumination. Overall however the Argon Ocelote World by OZONE is a very capable mouse which all gamers should consider having and because of that it’s well worth our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Accuracy/Grip (Rubber Coated & Large Rubber Grips)
- 9800DPI/150IPS (Pixart ADNS-9800 Laser Sensor)
- 128kb of Onboard Memory
- 9 Programmable Buttons
- 5 Profiles
- OMRON Switches
- Adjustable Weight
- Braided Cable with Gold Plated USB Connector

CONS

- Dual Color Lighting System
- Not Available In the USA?
- Bundle