NZXT’s newElite Gaming Gearall compliments each other. This is the entire setup that any potential gamer/streamer would need to be immediately competitive. The compliment to theNZXT Function Elite MiniTKL Gaming Keyboardis the latest Lift Mouse, which is theNZXT Lift Elite Wireless Gaming Mouse. Whereas the keyboard was extremely heavy, the Lift Elite Wireless counters that with going the route of an ultra lightweight gaming mouse.Coming in at 57 grams, NZXT continues to show that it’s serious about offering premium, competition-level PC peripherals.Available in both black and white to match a setup, there are options here within NZXT CAM software to get the most out of the Lift Elite.
Ultra Lightweight Design That Looks Like a Mouse
Ultra lightweight gaming mice have always had outside-of-the-box designs to trim as much weight as possible. Honeycomb shells were a popular aspect for a moment, but these aren’t always the prettiest things to look at. The Lift Elite does look like an actual mouse, but the underbelly features some major openings to help keep the weight down, but at least this isn’t on the top of the mouse. This does leave concern for buildup inside of the unit over time such as dust or pet hair. Two sections feature 100% PTFE Feet for smooth movement and frictionless gliding to further assist in providing lightweight movement.
The Lift Elite does look like an actual mouse, but the underbelly features some major openings to help keep the weight down, but at least this isn’t on the top of the mouse.
The design shell on the Lift Elite offers a textured body with double-injected rubber sides. All of this allows for a secure feeling, which is a major bonus on an ultra lightweight mouse since if grip is lost, this can go flying. NZXT includes optional grip tape for even more stability and just a better feeling than the matte plastic that the shell is comprised of. Two extra buttons line the inner left hand side of the mouse and are oversized on purpose. Players will clearly know these buttons are there during the heat of battle. It took a while to discover the DPI button, however, as it’s housed underneath the mouse as purple button.DPI buttons have appeared on the bottom of mice before and it still remains a preference this should be on top of the mouse.The scrolling wheel features clear resistance and requires some force to change it. Those looking for something more freewheeling will not find it on this mouse.
A Lot of Horsepower in a Small Shell
The ways to shore up the lightweight design are one thing, but the performance that is put inside the mouse makes the difference. The Lift Elite offers both wired and wireless usage with an attachable dongle available for placement. There’s a stark difference in performance with the wireless on this, but it’s not a slouch in wireless mode. The polling rate for the Lift Elite comes in at 8K, much like the Function Elite MiniTKL keyboard. This can only be handled with a wired connection, however, which is understandable.Using wireless, the polling rate can peak at 4K which is still pretty astounding given that it’s not plugged in.This polling rate provides faster input signal than many peripherals out there that only measure at 1K, but the number of performance peripherals with this polling rate are increasing.
8K polling also requires a bit of processing power on the CPU side, so there are minimum requirements to be met. Powering the mouse is a PAW3395 Optical Sensor, which is an eSports-grade 26K DPI sensor and 650 IPS tracking that allows for fast speed and accuracy. Optical Switches allow for rapid 0.2 ms response time with no double-clicking, pre-travel or debounce delay. These switches offer a 100-million click lifespan. Battery life is rated up to seventy hours of playtime on a single charge with fast-charging capabilities to get players up and going in fifteen minutes. In my personal experience, the battery life didn’t come close to this. In a week, this had to be recharged twice to full.At 74% currently, NZXT CAM is stating only 21 hours remain of charge, so 70 hours clearly is not the case and the battery life on this isn’t fantastic.There’s no RGB on this mouse, either. The mouse is set at 4,000 Hz and NZXT is stating that the 70 hours is at 1,000 Hz, but this provides an idea of the real world testing.
NZXT CAM Software Performance Options
The NZXT CAM software offers straightforward options that don’t get lost in the UI and explains what all of these options do. There aren’t many, but what’s here is important to cater to a player’s gaming style. Mouse buttons can be remapped, but only the alternative buttons and not the main two buttons. The DPI button and the two inside buttons can be mapped as a separate key. There are no profiles or game-specific profiles that can be set other than the global profiles for the software, so nothing specifically for the mouse, much like the Function Elite keyboard. Polling rates can be adjusted in here, along with lift-off height which continues to track up to a certain point, and Motion Sync, which syncs up the polling rate and the mouse sensor. Five DPI settings can be set and players can easily view battery life and setup timeouts and the low battery warning. Macros can also be created, much like the keyboard.
Real World Experience for Lift Elite Mouse
With an ultra lightweight mouse, durability will always be a concern. This mouse has been dropped a few times onto hardwood and has sustained just fine. Adding the rubber pads to the buttons and the grippy feeling on the sides have provided ample comfort for usage on this. As a daily mouse, with the two big buttons on the interior, it’s rather pleasant to use. Users will need to drop the polling rate to maximize battery life or just use it wired. The DPI button the bottom is annoying as there’s a place under the scroll wheel for a small button. One should be aware that squishing this in a bookbag might not bode well in the end.
NZXT Going Elite With New Gaming Gear
The Elite Gaming Gear will feature four different peripherals as the company continues to dive deeper into this market.
As for gaming, having played Path of Exile II,Marvel Rivals,Call of Duty, Gray Zone Warfare, Delta Force and APEX: Legends, the light nature of this mouse is beneficial, but can be a bit overkill in certain situations. It almost seemed too light for Path of Exile II, but for shooters, toning down the DPI settings and being able to aim almost while snapping the gun to an area was excellent. This did require an adjustment period due to how light this was.The input latency did garner some higher scores in Marvel Rivals and Call of Duty, but Call of Duty benefits more from this technology.The ultra lightweight mice fee; geared towards more advanced users, but does offer its advantages.
Although not worth their own review, another part of NZXT’s Elite Gaming Gear release are the Zone and Zone Elite Mouse Pads. Available in Large, XL and XXL along with either black or white, these completely compliment the setup at the bare minimum. The Zone is a soft mouse pad with mildly-textured micro-weave cloth that provides balance for speed and control. The Zone Elite offers an ultra-smooth nano-kit fabrice surface for fast and precise movements. In all honesty, this could be the driving force behind the learning curve for the acceleration and control of the mouse. The retail pricing is below for the Zone Mouse Pads.
NZXT Zone Mousepad
NZXT Zone Elite Mousepad
Closing Comments:
The NZXT Lift Elite Gaming Mouse isn’t flashy and doesn’t have any RGB lighting, but offers a clean look and a ton of advantages for competitive gaming. The 57 g weight allows for fast movement and acceleration while the 8000 Hz polling rate provides the fastest input rates currently available. Wireless polling rate caps at 4000 Hz and the battery life using the highest setting is drastically cut. The DPI button took a minute to find as it’s hidden in plain sight, but still having this not easily accessible during gameplay can be annoying. The presets for DPI are a good touch in theNZXTCAM software, but adding game-specific profiles or device-specific profiles are needed for deeper customization. The retail price coming in at $79.99 undercuts some of the more premier competition, but is higher than some of the legacy mainstays on the market. The Lift Elite simply does more in terms of performance and actually looks like a mouse and not something that’s transparent to cut the weight.
NZXT Lift Elite Wireless Mouse
