INTRODUCTION
The mouse is perhaps the only PC peripheral that has changed a virtually countless number of times since its introduction almost 50 years ago. Sure the basic concept has remained the same even after 50 years but the technology and design have not and although most of us grew up using the rather old PS/2 ball mice we now have both optical and laser USB/wireless mice which are many times faster, can be used on most surfaces and usually have more than just two primary buttons. Gaming mice are even more advanced with better precision/accuracy, increased speeds, many buttons (usually with high quality switches) and several features that can help gamers dominate the battlefield with ease. The G600 MMO Gaming Mouse by Logitech which we have here with us today was designed and manufactured specifically for gamers who play Massive Multiplayer Online games and thus require more buttons than normal single player games to use as shortcuts in order to effectively improve their response times (naturally since you are going up against countless enemies controlled by real people).
Focused on innovation and quality, Logitech designs personal peripherals to help people enjoy a better experience with the digital world. We started in 1981 with mice, which (new at the time) provided a more intuitive way of interacting with a personal computer. We became the worldwide leader in computer mice, and have reinvented the mouse in dozens of ways to match the evolving needs of PC and laptop users. Since those early days, we have expanded our expertise in product design beyond the computer mouse, with a broad portfolio of interface devices that are the “last inch” between you and your computer or your console game, digital music or home-entertainment system. With products sold in almost every country in the world, Logitech’s leadership in innovation now encompasses a wide variety of personal peripherals (both cordless and corded), with special emphasis on products for PC navigation, gaming, Internet communications, digital music and home-entertainment control. For each of our product categories, we study how our customers use their digital devices, and then our designers and engineers set their sights on how we can create a better experience with those devices – richer, more comfortable, more fun, more productive, more convenient, and more delightful.
The G line of products by Logitech has been around for many years and is quite popular especially amongst gamers since that line includes several best-selling input devices like the G15/19 gaming keyboards, the G25/27 racing wheels and the G500/700 gaming mice. However unlike Razer and their quite famous Naga/Naga Hex MMO gaming mice to date Logitech never actually focused in creating a gaming mice with MMO players in mind and that's where G600 comes in. The G600 MMO gaming mouse features a lightning fast 8200DPI laser sensor, a total of 20 buttons (12 thumb buttons/two primary buttons/G-shift button/scroll wheel/two top DPI selection buttons) and enough onboard memory to store up to three profiles. Now what's really somewhat impressive is that by using the G-Shift button you can map each of the 12 thumb buttons twice resulting in a total of 24 different functions accessible from your thumb. Is that enough however for the G600 to go up against other gaming mice in the market and more specifically the Razer Naga? Well that's why we spend the past 2 weeks testing it with every game we could think of.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
A product picture, the Logitech logo and the main selling feature are placed at the front.
A few words about the product are placed on the left side in two languages.
The product specifications are listed on the left side in 3 languages.
At the rear of the box we see 5 product pictures showcasing the main features of the G600 which in turn are printed in 6 languages.
You can take a look at the G600 by opening the front as seen above.
Other than the G600 the bundle only includes the setup guide and the warranty information booklet.
THE G600 MMO GAMING MOUSE
The ergonomic G600 features a nice powder coating, is available in black and white and measures 118mm in length, 75mm in width and 41mm in height with a weight of 133g.
To see just how large it is we placed it right next to the ROCCAT KONE XTD, the TteSports LEVEL 10M and the LEETGION Hellion gaming mice.
The 12 thumb buttons are tagged (G9 through G20) and feature a nice rubber coating.
As usual the company logo is placed at the rear end of the Mouse. Also as you can see the powder coating of the G600 attracts dust like a magnet (something that is not good especially when taking pictures).
Beneath the Logitech logo we see the product name.
At the top we see the two DPI selection buttons (G7-G8).
The third primary button (G-Shift) can be used to switch between primary and secondary mode for the buttons.
The L/R clickable scroll wheel is very soft and inaudible when used.
Logitech has equipped the G600 with a 2m braided cable and a typical USB connector (not gold plated).
Turning the G600 over we see the polished base and also two large feet both of which should help in improving the glide of the mouse.
Equipped with a lightning fast 8200DPI laser sensor the G600 can work on just about any surface aside glass.
LOGITECH GAMING SOFTWARE
Since the G600 comes without a software CD you should first download the latest version of the gaming software from the official Logitech support page.
The Logitech Game Software has a very user friendly and colorful GUI. From within the game software you can switch between the onboard profiles or the ones stored on the computer, map the 20 available buttons (both normal/G-Shift modes), configure game profiles (each game can have up to three different ones), set macro commands, set the DPI sensitivity levels (up to 5 different ones), set the polling rate, enable/disable advanced functions and finally set the button backlight color from one of the 16 million available (steady color, pulse, cycle).
You can also adjust several less important settings and check the current firmware version (although according to the software it's not upgradable) from the settings tab.
Only the 12 thumb buttons feature backlight and you can pick from a total of 16 million colors available.
CONCLUSION
When i first started using the G600 MMO gaming mouse i have to say that it felt quite bulky and frankly it is but thanks to its ergonomic design and the 12 thumb buttons it doesn't take long to get past that. So for the past 12 days we tested the G600 with several games including Planetside 2, Warframe, Tomb Raider, Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite and the latest Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC. As you can see none of us here is much into RTS games right now (because there haven't been any good ones lately, aside the expansion for StarCraft II) so i thought that the G600 would be at a disadvantage when playing fast passed 1st/3rd person shooters. Well at first the G600 did feel weird under my hand but like the others after me agreed you don't need much time to get used to it, at least not for all of us who happen to have medium sized hands (people with large hands may have an issue with the design and size of the G600). Also the 12 thumb buttons require a good amount of power to press so you don't have to worry about using one or more accidentally while playing (unlike other gaming mice). Gliding was also excellent while the 8200DPI laser sensor is extremely accurate so even hardcore gamers should feel right at home with it. My sole issue is with the powder coating of the G600 which not only attracts dust like a magnet but also gets scratched quite easily. Perhaps the white version is different but since we received the black one we can't really say.
When you are out to buy a gaming mouse designed for MMO games featuring 12 thumb buttons (20 in total) and a lightning fast 8200DPI precision laser sensor you know that it will cost quite a bit but luckily the G600 MMO gaming mouse has a rather balanced price tag since you can currently find it for USD61.38 inside the USA (Purchase Directly From Amazon.com) and for 70Euros inside the EU (Purchase Directly From Amazon.co.uk). Of course that price tag puts it right beneath the Razer Naga Hex so it all comes down to personal preference. The Naga Hex is a bit longer and looks quite better but offers less buttons (11 vs 20) and is not as fast as the G600 (5600DPI vs 8200DPI). In the end however we all place performance and features first when testing a gaming mouse and that's why the G600 MMO Gaming Mouse gets our Golden Award.
PROS
- Build Quality (Overall)
- Ergonomic Design
- Lightning Fast/Accurate Laser Sensor (8200DPI)
- 12 Thumb Buttons
- 20 Buttons
- G-Shift Button Allows You To Map Each Button Twice
- 3 Onboard Profiles
- Thumb Button Backlight (16 Million Colors)
- Braided Cable
- Gaming Software
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- Powder Coating Gets Scratched Easily
- Bulky Size Needs Getting Used to
- Plain USB Connector