The best mice feel like an extension of ourselves. In the heat of battle, your focus should be on the skirmish as opposed to your setup. The ROG Strix Impact II focuses on the key features that every gamer needs, rather than extra bells and whistles that may end up slowing you down.

We started off with the same ambidextrous design as the original Strix Impact to ensure maximum comfort regardless of which hand you use. However, we wanted to go all-in on making it better, so we consulted a group of esports pros to see what features mattered the most to them. The end result is a mouse that’s bigger, more stylish, and easier to hold.

The Strix Impact II is slightly larger than its predecessor, which makes it more comfortable and easier to hold during extended gaming sessions. The rubber side grips have also been replaced with a lighter, textured plastic to prevent the buildup of sweat and grime that’s inevitable with rubberized materials. Despite its increased size, changes in construction and a new lightweight, more flexible USB cable have resulted in a mouse that’s lighter and easier to whip around the mat, so you can fend off enemies without getting weighed down or tangled up.

Of course, it wouldn’t be ROG without some decorative lighting, so in addition to the glowing ROG logo on the back, there are two new lighting zones to satisfy your RGB cravings. You’ll find two headlights on the front of the mouse as well as a new illuminated scroll wheel. All three of these lighting zones are controlled by Aura Sync, which allows you to match the lighting on your other Aura-enabled devices and create unique lighting effects. To round out the new aesthetic, the entire shell of the mouse is constructed from a semi-translucent material, giving you the slightest peek inside.

A few new tricks up its sleeve

One of the most significant upgrades for the Strix Impact II is the addition of two action buttons on the left side. These buttons have become such a staple in PC gaming that we consider them to be a necessity. You can assign almost any action to them, whether it’s a hotkey for your sidearm or your ultimate ability, allowing you to quickly activate them without reaching for a designated key on your keyboard. When you’re in the middle of an intense firefight, that can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Just like the original Strix Impact, both buttons are independent of each other, which allows for more responsive clicks than you’ll find on cheaper mice that use one piece of plastic for both. However, the pivoted button mechanism takes things a step further and ensures each button is always primed and ready to be clicked. Each hinged button features a spring that gently pulls down on the mechanism, so it actuates with less pressure. You can customize the feel of each click by swapping out the included Omron switches. The included switches are rated for 50 million clicks, so you don't need to worry about wearing out the stock switches if you like how the included set feels.

At the heart of every mouse is the sensor that tracks its movements and sends them to your PC. For the Strix Impact II, the optical sensor provides true 1:1 tracking and high precision. You can set the sensitivity as high as 6200 DPI, and the dedicated DPI switch found on the bottom of the mouse will let you cycle through four different sensitivity settings depending on your current needs. Each of the four DPI settings is tied to a specific color that will light up the bottom of the mouse to indicate which of them is currently active.

A classic, redesigned

A solid mouse is crucial to great performance in-game, and the ROG Strix Impact II takes everything you loved about the original and improves upon the existing design with help from the pros. The result is a gaming mouse that focuses on the features you need, while still making room for a few extras like durable Omron switches and plenty of RGB lighting that complement a lighter overall design. You’ll be able to find it in stores this summer. Contact your local ROG representative for information on pricing and availability in your region.

We announced a lot of hot new tech at Computex 2019. You can find all of the latest gear from ASUS and ROG in this article.