INTRODUCTION

   I hardly ever find enough free time to sufficiently enjoy playing any PC game but every once in a while a title gets released which I’ve been waiting for many years and so i take that opportunity to test as many gaming peripherals as i can. For example once Bioware released the highly anticipated addition to the Mass Effect universe (Mass Effect Andromeda) i dropped almost every review i was working on in order to have enough time for it and although after finishing it i still prefer the original Trilogy (although i do look forward for the Quarian Ark DLC - unless they decide to cover that in a sequel) the roughly 70 hours i spend completing every single quest made it possible for me to test several gaming peripherals including keyboards, mice, headsets and even chairs. Among those gaming peripherals was the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse by Das Keyboard (Division Zero series) which we'll be covering in today’s review.

   Best in speed, precision, durability and design is our motto. With Das Keyboard Gaming, we create top performing premium products designed entirely for gamers to outlast the competition. Our products are designed for professionals tapping away for more than 10 hours each day, as well as gamers who just really want to have an amazing and durable product with an experience that will push the limits. Over the course of the countless phases that come with building a product, Das Keyboard Gaming became so much more than that. It became a great beast that somehow took on a life of its own. All of the hardware is equipped with metal detailing to increase the durability and provide everyone who touched it with an unmatched experience. Each piece of equipment has the Das Keyboard detailing and design that makes each piece work together and flow magnificently together. And although look is important, every detail was measured on its ability to take the gaming experience to the next level.

   Just like the X40 Pro Gaming Keyboard also by Das Keyboard (Division Zero) the housing of the M50 Pro is also made out of both aluminum and hard plastic making it one of the sturdiest gaming mice to ever pass from out test bench (not to mention one of the very few ambidextrous models). Inside that enclosure Das Keyboard has placed the Pixart / Avago ADNS-9800 laser gaming sensor which they tweaked to offer a resolution of up to 6400DPI (dots per inch - from the typical 8200DPI we've seen with many other gaming mice) with a speed of up to 150IPS (inches per second) and 30g acceleration. The M50 Pro also features a total of 9 programmable buttons (including an aluminum 4D scroll wheel) and although for the two primary buttons Das Keyboard has used OMRON switches (up to 20 million clicks - up to 300 clicks per minute) the 4 side ones have switches made by Kailh (unfortunately we don't know their endurance number). Other features include red LEDs, DPI LED indicator, 128kb of onboard memory (for storing of up to 6 profiles) and a 2.1 meter long braided cable with a gold plated USB plug.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The M50 Pro Gaming Mouse arrived inside a small red box with the product and company names at the front.

Some of the specifications are listed on the right side of the box while on the left we find in-depth descriptions of its main features.

The 9 programmable buttons are showcased at the rear of the box with the help of a product picture.

Typically the front of the box opens up like a book to reveal the mouse itself and once again its main features along with a product picture.

Not much in terms of bundle since along with the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse you're only getting a Division Zero sticker, warranty information paper and a quick start guide.

THE M50 PRO

The very first time i looked at the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse i thought that Das Keyboard probably wanted to combine "aggressive" with elegant design and i think they did just that.

I wasn't exaggerating when i said that we had many gaming mice to test with Mass Effect Andromeda (from the bottom we have the Fnatic GEAR Clutch G1, M50 Pro, Rival 700, V560, Level 10M Advanced and the RAT 1 – reviews will be released in that order).

The left side of the M50 Pro features a rubberized textured area and two programmable buttons.

The Division Zero logo is placed at the rear of the mouse right over a LED strip.

Two DPI selection buttons are placed at the top right next to the 4-stage DPI LED indicator.

The right side is identical to the left (this is an ambidextrous mouse after all) so again we see a rubberized textured area and two programmable buttons.

Das Keyboard used an aluminum 4D clickable scroll wheel which feels very smooth when used.

At the base of the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse we see 4 large Teflon feet and as you can see the largest part is made out of aluminum.

Although most manufacturers ship their ADNS-9800 based gaming mice with a maximum DPI of 8200DPI Das Keyboard feels 6400DPI is more than enough and we tend to agree with them.

The 2.1 meter long red braided cable ends on a gold plated USB plug.

CONTROL SOFTWARE

You don't need the control software in order to use the "basic" functions of the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse but if you want to use everything it can offer you can get it from the official Das Keyboard / Division Zero support page as seen above.

The software may feel a bit dull but it's actually very easy to use so from the button settings tab it allows you to program all 9 buttons, change the quick DPI settings, adjust the polling rate and launch the macro manager.

From the main settings tab you can control the sensitivity of the sensor on both axis, set the pointer speed, enhance pointer precision and you can also set the speed for double click and scroll.

Since the M50 Pro only features red backlight illumination you can only adjust the pulsation speed or turn the LEDs off completely.

RGB may be very popular nowadays but the red LEDs of the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse do a very good job as you can see from the above picture.

CONCLUSION

   Das Keyboard is one of a handful of keyboard manufacturers trusted by corporations and professionals all over the world so when they launched their very own Division Zero gaming line we didn't know if that was the right move. Well after testing the X40 Gaming Keyboard and the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse we think they are on the right path. The M50 Pro Gaming Mouse may lack RGB illumination (at least for now since Das Keyboard may update it soon or release a different model) and so it may disappoint some gamers but it has one of the sturdiest housings we've ever seen, it's well balanced largely thanks to the rear aluminum base plate and thanks to its ambidextrous design and the rubberized textured areas not only is grip almost excellent but it's also very easy to get used to. On top of all that add the very fast and accurate ADNS-9800 laser sensor which they "tweaked" and you've got of the best gaming mice in the market today. Now personally i would like to see a revamped control panel since this one is just too dull for my taste but that's not really what I’d call a serious drawback.

   So just how much does the Das Keyboard / Division Zero M50 Pro Gaming Mouse cost? Well after quite a few price cuts over the past year the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse currently retails for just USD51.15 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for around 70Euros inside the EU. With that price tag (USA pricing) you really can’t find many similarly priced gaming mice that can compete with the M50 Pro Gaming Mouse in terms of grip, quality and precision and I’m certain that’s what most people are looking for in a gaming mouse which is why it leaves with our Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Ergonomic / Ambidextrous Shape
- Excellent Grip
- Very Accurate & Fast (Pixart ADNS-9800 Laser Sensor)
- Extensive Red Backlight
- 2.1m Long Braided Cable With Gold Plated USB Plug
- Price (USA)

CONS

- No RGB Illumination
- Price (EU)
- Control Panel Design