While many of us will probably get a mouse and use it for years and years until it dies on us, the life of a gaming journo is different. I have a box of mice next to my desk, retiring them as each new model comes in for review and occasionally going back to an old favorite.
For the last few months I have been rocking the D2 from Glorious, a super light-weight mouse that I really like.
When Alogic reached out to see if we wanted to check out its new Apex Bluetooth USB-C Rechargeable 7 Keys Programmable Mouse I said yes, not because I was desperate to try yet another mouse, but because it at least wasn’t just another hollow-shelled gaming mouse.
Alogic, are perhaps better known for a line of great monitors so I will admit to never having tried one of its peripherals before, but, spoiler alert, I will definitely be looking at anything it releases in the future.
The Apex
Arriving in a white and yellow box the packaging looks smart and functional, not really giving much away as to the treat within. Open it up and you are greeted with the white Apex, bedecked with its two scrollwheels and a nice braided USB C cable to match.
At this point though I didn’t realise how much I was going to enjoy using the Apex quite so much as I (still) do, so I popped everything out the of box to examine it.
The mouse’s undercarriage contains a 2.4 Ghz USB A dongle but you can also use Bluetooth and cable as well which opens up all your options.
The manual is just a folded flap of multi-lingual paper which contains some of the smallest text I have ever seen. I have zero chance of making out the description of what switch does what, but thankfully it’s not too difficult to work out.
By this point though you will probably have had the mouse in your hand and it’s now you will realize how beautifully weighted it is. Considerably heavier than the mice I have been using recently the ergonomics fit my (right) hand perfectly and all the controls are millimetres away from my digits.
Slipping the dongle into my PC the connection was immediate and I really like the way the mouse goes to sleep when you stop using it. I was forever having to recharge my last mouse when I forgot to turn it off, but I have been using this one since before Christmas and only charged it once, and even then I didn’t need too, I just felt I probably should.
The Software
The Apex can be controlled via some downloaded software that just runs as an .exe file on Windows, or equivalent Mac version. Changes you make here are sent to the mouse wirelessly and it all works seamlessly. It was more trouble than it should be to actually get the software in the first place as I couldn’t see it anywhere obvious on the website and, while the manual has a QR code to scan to take you to the download, this is useless on my phone and I don’t have QR scanning software on my desktop. I had to Googled the name of the software and found it immediately from there.
Within the software you can change the seven buttons so do as you please. For example the secondary scroll wheel by your thumb is default set to raise and lower volume, which is fine, but if you aren’t going to use that you can just change it.
DPI settings are also controlled here and you can set profiles to switch between. It all works well enough. Maybe it’s a little odd it doesn’t install into your system but that is no terrible thing.
In use
It is in use where the Apex really shines though, it glides across my desk and just feels really nice in the hand. At $70ish, although there is a launch sale on at the moment, it’s a bit of a bargain when you consider how much a gaming mouse can set you back – and obviously I use the Apex daily for gaming, because that’s my job.
I like the feel of the plastic which feels premium and the weight is just right. I am no longer going to kid myself that a featherlight mouse makes me any better at games. I will be playing Apex with the Apex for sure.
Conclusion
There’s so many mice to choose from and you never really get the chance to try them out before you buy them so are always reliant on reviews such as this one and I can’t be more complimentary about the Apex so hopefully that helps you make your mind up. Yes, it’s ‘just’ a mouse but it is supremely comfortable and customizable. It looks good and the battery lasts for ever.
It’s staying on my desk for the foreseeable as my daily workmouse.
