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Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury
Score: 89%
Developer: Logitech
Device Type: Mouse


Function:

Some FPS players have unique needs when it comes to a gaming mouse. For example, one very important factor for FPS gamers is speed. In order to acquire targets faster, they need the ability to move and look around quickly. However, once they find a target, they need more control so they can "dial-in" the target, rather than over-shooting a target or hitting a non-vital part, instead of a vital target, such as the typically lethal headshot. The G402 Hyperion Fury addresses the needs of these gamers in some innovative ways.

Performance:

The first thing I noticed when I tried out this mouse is how lightweight it is. It took a little getting used to, but it definitely allows for quicker, more responsive and agile movement, having less inertia. The very smooth, slick surfaces that the mouse rests on help it to glide easily across your mousing surface, as well. The cord is a fairly standard issue rubberized cord, which surprised me, at first; I've come to expect mouses for serious gamers to have cords with braided covers for higher durability, but this cord is lighter than a fancier cord would be, and the G402 Hyperion Fury is all about speed, it seems. In extreme conditions, in fact, the G402's patented High-Speed Fusion Engine is designed to combine the input of a high-sensitivity optical sensor with an accelerometer to assist in keeping accurate track of movements to provide lag-free dead-on control. DPI sensitivity levels range from 240 to 4000 and you can set them manually if you know what DPIs you're comfortable with or you can simply set the number of DPI levels you want to use and use the default values - something that might be a good place to start if you haven't determined your sweet spots, yet. You can also set the mouse's polling rate to your choice of 125, 250, 500 or 1000 reports per second.

The accompanying Gaming Software (a free download) provides a visual interface to easily set the programmable buttons to your choice of standard mouse functions, DPI Adjustments, media controls, keystrokes or multi-key macros. You can also set a button to be the "G-Shift," which almost doubles the number of control possibilities, allowing the other 7 programmable buttons to have an alternative assignment that is accessible when the G-Shift is held down. This effectively takes you from 8 functions to 14.

The software even includes a meter that will allow you to turn the Fusion Engine on or off and measure the G402's response in either IPS or M/S. The meters keep track of the highest value, so you can even start the meter in the background, then play your game and see what your actual usage looks like during gameplay conditions. Sadly, this software only works with this mouse, so you would have to get your hands on a G402 before you could get any readings with it. However, if your friend has one and you're curious whether it would improve your game, you can try this out to see what kind of mouse movement speeds you're getting in-game. Try it with and without the Fusion Engine turned on and you'll see what normal gaming mouses are missing when you play.

I'm not a hardcore FPS player, but I've been known to dabble. I tried the G402 Hyperion Fury out with some Call of Duty II multiplayer and some Mechwarrior Online (not an FPS, but still in need of dialed-in aiming) and found the control to be unerring and the DPI On-The-Fly switch to be easy to use to tighten up my aim when lining up a shot. Did I miss shots? Sure, but I couldn't blame it on the mouse. While my speed readings on the meter weighed in under 26 IPS, even at these low values, there was a small discrepancy without the Fusion Engine, meaning my control wasn't as tight with the Fusion Engine turned off. Further, this meter gives me a tool to gauge my mousing speed, allowing me to set goals and work toward improving one aspect of my FPS gaming.

As for style and comfort, the G402 is lightweight, comfortable and sleek-looking, with a black-on-black-on-black appearance: satin finish top surfaces, rubberized thumb grip and shiny black accent down the center. It also features cool blue lighting accents, on the DPI indicator (near the thumb) and the G-Series logo on the face of the mouse. The brightness is adjustable in the software and the G-Series logo can also be set to have a "breathing" effect, where it pulses between dark and bright blue. If your color scheme on your gaming machine is black with blue light accents, then this will fit in nicely. I have an Alienware Aurora which features RGB accent lighting so I could change the settings to pulse between dark and light blue and the two would match nicely. The color of the lighting on the G402 isn't adjustable, however, so hopefully you like blue or you don't care about the color.

One nice feature is that the G402 Hyperion Fury can store control mapping profiles on-board. This means you can set it up in the comfort of your own home, then take your G402 with you and use it on another machine, such as at a LAN center or a friend's house or just your laptop when traveling and your settings are ready for you, because they're stored in the mouse, itself. This is a cool feature that is something I look for in a gaming mouse, but this particular mouse only stores a single profile in the on-board memory, which limits you to designating your G402 as a mouse devoted to a particular game if your profiles are a bit oddly mapped.

Additionally, the Gaming Software allows game profiles to be stored on your gaming rig and switched to automatically when the software detects that you've launched that game. This allows you to set up several different profiles and let the PC switch for you when you play your games.


Features:
  • Optical Gaming Sensor with Delta Zero Technology
  • High-Speed Fusion Engine for Up To 420 IPS
  • 8 Programmable Buttons
  • On-The-Fly Adjustable DPI Settings (Up To 5)
  • On-Board Memory Profile
  • Ultra Low-Friction Feet
  • Lightweight Construction
  • Streamlined, Comfortable Design
  • Blue Lighted Accents With Brightness and "Breathing Effect" Adjustments

Drawbacks & Problems::

I try to draw a line of delineation between actual problems with a product as it's presented and wishes and wants that fit into that would-have/ could-have category that may be nice features (that some people would appreciate), but that, ultimately, weren't actually part of the product as it was decided on by the designers. This mouse isn't available in your favorite color (unless your favorite color is black), a left-handed model or with RGB lighting, but those were the final decisions that the designers made, likely based on the left-handed mouse market share, the cost of RGB lighting versus the price point they were targeting, and the popularity of various colors versus a nice, sleek black. That having been said, I was a bit disappointed that the Gaming Software doesn't allow the main mouse buttons to be assigned to something other than left or right mouse buttons - even when utilizing the G-Shift feature. Given that the G-Shift is momentary, a player could opt to map those two buttons to some other use when the G-Shift is pressed, such as perhaps mapping a specific DPI setting to those buttons, which brings me to a secondary gripe: of the various things that can be assigned to a button, specifically setting a button to change the DPI to a specific value isn't supported. Of course, the Gaming Software is software, so a future update might include new features such as those. Either way, that "wish list" isn't affecting the score.

As for actual problems, I haven't had any problems with the G402 at all. The only drawback might be that it's targeted at a narrow market of FPS gamers who use very high-speed mousing movements - and that's mainly if someone is trying to pick one of these up as a gift for someone. Do you know the recipient well enough to know that they need this mouse? If so, great. If not - or if in doubt - it may be better to discuss it first; even if that's just pointing it out somewhere and asking what they think about it. Um, but I guess don't use this review, because this part would totally give it away. (Yes, Tim, she's totally getting this mouse for you; just act surprised.)


-Geck0, GameVortex Communications
AKA Robert Perkins
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