Microsoft’s Intellimouse brand has been around a really long time. For much of its life, the Intellimouse has been found at the cheaper end of the hardware scale, the kind of mouse your dad would buy when purchasing a $450 laptop on Boxing Day. Knowing that this was likely the target audience for their device, and given how Microsoft have repositioned much of their consumer grade tech products to the prestige and prosumer end of the market, it makes sense that the old Intellimouse would go with them.
The Pro Intellimouse is positioned as Microsoft’s catch-all mouse solution. It’s got a plain enough look that it won’t stand be garish in a professional environment, and it’ll also look smart on your cluttered desk at home. It’s quite large and moulded to fit all but the most giant hands. In terms of features, it’s a fairly straightforward piece of kit — your standard two-button arrangement on top, with a clickable mousewheel and two extra thumb buttons on the left-hand side. There’s a customisable LED at the bottom of the mouse near to the heel of your palm and features a strong, braided cable with a standard USB 3.0 connector. Its sensor is an upgraded PixArt PAW33390PRO, providing a nice smooth, high DPI experience. Its stat sheet boasts over 1000 per second, with a tracking speed of up to 10,160 mm per second. And … that’s really it. This is not a complicated mouse, nor is it trying to be.
Which is why its so strange that, rather than being content with a strong professional-grade product, Microsoft have also positioned the Pro Intellimouse as a mid-tier gaming mouse.
It’s an weird leap, a ruse that anyone in the market for a gaming mouse will see through in a heartbeat. While I found its response times compatible with the games I play, it simply doesn’t boast the kinds of features that PC gamers look for. It’s got very little flash and despite being fairly light, there are actual gaming mice out there that will let you physically customise their weight to suit your style. There are no game-specific remaps. Button binds are limited due to its five-button total (only three of which are customisable) which may be an issue for those who prefer a lot of mouse-binds.
All this to say: you could use the Pro Intellimouse as a gaming peripheral if you wanted, but I don’t know why you would. I’d genuinely like to see Microsoft release a prestige, Xbox-branded gaming mouse of their own — this is not that, its raising an otherwise top-tier business mouse above its station. For any professional purpose, the Pro Intellimouse presents a robust, comfortable, well-built professional package under $100 AUD, just make sure you manage your expectations as you peruse the spec sheet.
THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Smooth design; High DPI; Lightweight and comfortable
Lowlights: Consider other options for gaming
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Price: $89.95 AUD
Website: Microsoft.com
Available: Now
Review conducted using a loaned retail unit provided by the manufacturer.
