Tt eSPORTS VOLOS Gaming Mouse Review

In the MMORPG/MOBA gaming world, access to a vast array of buttons, whether on a mouse or keyboard, is a must. The Thermaltake VOLOS gaming mouse is no exception to this trend supporting a whopping 14 independently configurable buttons. This combined with the host of other gaming-themed features, should give the VOLOS a tactical advantage in the world of online gaming.

In this review we will be looking at the black VOLOS (MO-VLS-WDLOBK-01). At a glance, Tt did a swell job packing as many features as they could into the single unit. Besides the vast array of configurable buttons, the VOLOS sports an 8200 DPI Avago laser sensor, with on-the-fly sensitivity switching. The LEDs inside the center scroll wheel, left-click button, and palm logo can also be customized to any color you want. On paper, this seems like a pretty solid mouse! Continue on for a more detailed look at this mouse’s specs.

Features and Specifications

The VOLOS by Tt eSPORTS falls into the high-end gaming mouse category designed for MMORPG or MOBA games. Below are a list of detailed features and specifications found on the tT eSPORTS website.

• 16.8 MILLION CUSTOMIZABLE COLORS.

• 4 MB ONBOARD MEMORY.

• BALANCED & WEIGHTED BODY

• ON-THE-FLY DPI ADJUSTMENT.

All-in-all, not a bad list of features! It’s easy to see how the VOLOS would appeal to the RPG crowd. With 14 customizable buttons which can be set to 140 different macros, and on top of that 10 different profiles, this amount of customization should bring a smile to any hardcore MMORPG gamer’s face.

Now that we know a little more about what we are dealing with, let’s take a close look!

A Closer Look

The VOLOS came packaged nicely in its custom form-fitting box. The outside of the box was well designed and provided lots of detailed info and specs as to what you just bought. The front of the case flips open to reveal the mouse along with even more details about the mouse. From what I could tell from the packaging, it would be extremely difficult for the mouse to become damaged due to packaging or shipping mishaps.

Upon opening the package we see the rest of the included items packaged jut behind the mouse. These items include a travel or storage case, manual, Tt eSPORTS battle dragon stickers, warranty packet, and information on where to download the drivers and software.

Finally, out of its packaging is the VOLOS in all its glory. The overall look definetely screams “gamer” due to the gaming-like macro buttons on its left side. The overall feel if the mouse is sturdy and weighted. It’s construction is solid, giving off a sense of quality due to the multi-texture surface. The braided cable is a nice added touch, increasing the quality-factor by a few more notches.

Moving onto the underside of the VOLOS. On the left side of the image below, Thermaltake included a lock switch which prevents accidental macro switching via the VOLOS’s profile switching thumb button. Just below that is a removable cover which houses the removable weights. These can be added or removed for optimal user comfort.

Software and Testing

Tt eSPORT’s included software directly controls mouse functionality, enabling all of the VOLOS’s many features. In this portion of the review we will walk you through the software page by page.

The below image is the home or landing page. It is what you see when you first execute the software. Here, starting from the top, is where you can manually select your profile. Each profile is capable of storing unique configuration and macros. The profile. Below the profile selection tabs, there is the Normal or Battle mode. This changes the behavior of the built in LEDs based on clicking frequency. Below that is the interactive map of the mouse. Simply click on a button you want to configure, and the select its function off to the right. Here is where you can apply a mouse function, program execution, or saved macro to the selected button. To the right of the mapping tool, is the profile customization window which lets you change settings such as its name. You can also delete, copy, export and import saved profiles.

Next we have the performance section. This is where each DPI level can be adjusted as well as the lift-off detection control, and the polling rate. Each level is customizable, so all you need to do is drag the slider to the desired DPI and hit Apply.

The Light Option window is pretty self explanatory. It basically lets you control the color of each built in LED. You only have 16.8 million colors to chose from so chose carefully.

Last up we have the macro settings. Within this window custom macros are created which can be selected and applied to each desired mouse button on the main window.

Testing

When testing a mouse, it’s hard not to incorporate biases due to the fact that everyone’s comfort level, and gaming needs are different. With an open mind, I tried several genres of games just to see how this mouse performed.

I normally don’t play MOBA games, but for the sake of the review, I gave it a shot. I selected Heros of Newerth and endured a few rounds of getting owned. Overall with this type of game, I was very pleased with how well this mouse handled small quick actions. Actions were natural and responsive, and I was even able to setup and test a few useful macros. My only gripe was the awkwardness of trying to use the right-side macro buttons. My hands naturally don’t like pressing buttons that far to the right inward towards the center of the mouse.

For FPS games, this mouse also did incredibly well. Though, this mouse wasn’t designed with FPS games in mind, the MOBA inspired features only helped the FPS gaming experience. The on-the-fly DPI sensing was especially nice when using a sniper scope, and the macro buttons came in handy for quick actions such as using a knife.

Overall, I believe that although this mouse was designed with MMORPT/MOBA gamins in mind, no matter what kind of games you play, the VOLOS will perform well.

Conclusion

As a universal gaming mouse, the VOLOS by Tt eSPORTS really pulled through during our tests. Upgrading to a highly customizable gaming mouse will only enhance your overall gaming experience. Actions were smooth and accurate, and the customizable macro buttons really shined during our MOBA gaming test. Not only did it perform well, the VOLOS felt nice in my palm and really gave off a sense of durability.

The only gripe I had was with the awkwardness of the right-side buttons. After hours of gaming, I still was unable to get use to them without straining my fingers. Others may not have this issue, but for me, I would just avoid them.

The Breakdown:

Appearance 18/20 – Overall the VOLOS’s appearance is great. With all of the added maco buttons and lights, it just screams “gaming mouse.”
Construction 19/20 – Yet another strong point for the VOLOS. The mouse was very firm and didn’t feel like layered plastic as we see with some other mice. The buttons were also free of wobble and didn’t click awkwardly when pressed.
Performance 18/20 – In all of the games we tested, this mouse only improved our gaming experience. It was an all around performer in all gaming genres.
Functionality 17/20 – As it stands, for a gaming mouse, the VOLOS lived up to its function. As we mentioned previously, our main concern was the awkwardness of the right macro buttons. Three buttons was also too many. I think two would be more optimal.
Value 18/20 – Currently, the VOLOS retails for $69.99. Considering the features built into this mouse, and the quality of construction, I believe this price is right on point.

Overall: 90/100