ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse Review

Introduction & Specification

So this time I have a somewhat unusual gaming mouse from ASUS: The ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse. The mouse features Aura Sync RGB lighting to sync with all your Aura Compatible RGB lighting. The Evolve also features changeable top covers to enable four different ergonomic styles hence the Evolve name and is also perfect for those ambidextrous users. So join me on this RGB powered review! The main features of the ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse are listed below closely followed by the specifications from ASUS:

Specification

• Connectivity Technology:
  Wired
• Tracking:
  Optical
• OS Support:
  Windows® 10
  Windows® 8.1
  Windows® 7
• Dimensions:
  L 125 x W 65 x H 41 mm
• Weight:
  100 g without cable
• Resolution:
  7200dpi
• Interface available:
  Mouse: USB
• Contents:
  2 x ROG logo stickers
  2 x top cover sets
  User Documentation

The Closer Look

Now to my favourite bit of any review: getting the goodies out of the box for a good look at what I’ll have my hands on this time. In this case, you probably already know it’s a STRIX mouse from Asus’ Republic Of Gamers division. The box itself is different and it has, what I’ll say is, a door for peeping at the mouse which is quite cool so you can see a little preview of this cool and unusual mouse set up. You get to see the additional mouse parts, that allows for the best ergonomic fit for those gamers who are left handed, right handed or even ambidextrous!

Finally getting the box open, this is where it all gets good and I get my first feel of the really top notch build quality and materials used on this really premium-feeling mouse. Again as seems to be the trend, the ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse features the potentially design standard braided cable in a nice plain black material but the bit that makes this mouse cable different is the small Velcro cable tidy loop attached which proves quite handy to keep cabling tidy round the back of desktops or the back of desks.

I really am a fan of the rubber material below the side buttons, it’s got a really nice grip to it and the texture feels really comfortable for those long gaming sessions which is always great in my eyes. The body of the mouse where the removable portions come into the mix has a super nice matte gun metal finish and a smooth texture to it as well. The rubber pattern also follows across to the scroll wheel, it may not be an obvious thing to some folks but I really appreciate the little touches like that for looks alone, plus it adds a tad of grip to what can sometimes be a slippy bit on most average mice.

As I have previously mentioned, the main party feature of this mouse is the interchangeable top covers that allow the whole left, right and ambidextrous set ups for those who aren’t necessarily right handed or even those who prefer a high profile mouse. One feature I have admittedly only teased is the new lighting, that RGB colour for that little bit of flair which is pleasant, and it breaks up what could be a grey and dull mouse with a rainbow of colour. I currently have my ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse set up with the high profile top cover on the right as for me it’s a spot on fit but with things like this your mileage may end up different.

Software and Performance

Right then let us get to the real grit of this review, the software that covers programmability and, of course, the performance because after all this is a gaming mouse! The software controls, aka ROG Armoury, for the ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse are actually super detailed which is new to me and I have to say I’m super impressed. I used the Evolve in my current go to game for blowing off steam, Empyrion Galactic Survival, and this is a game that isn’t the most demanding but after mapping some macros on the mouse it made playing so much more enjoyable. The DPI was just right for moving the camera view quick but not so fast that it got confusing and the aforementioned macros meant I had one hand on the keyboard and one on the mouse which was great.

As you can see above you get all the expected customisation options for buttons and you can select the left and right sides of the mouse as there are 2 buttons to each side. It means you can get those in game macros just right for your play style be it a weapon swap in a first person shooter or a spell in an MOBA game, for me I have some in game macros for Empyrion set up on the left and right side buttons for ease of playing.

Here you can see the polling rates and angle snapping can be tweaked which can be a god send for some folks, I haven’t dabbled with these as I dread to think how much of a mess I could make of it but these may be features you can tweak for the ideal response times. The performance tab is also where the two DPI settings can be changed and this ranges from 50DPI all the way to a maximum 7200DPI so that should allow for just the right speed for games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive for those quick snaps to shoot the bad guys!

The lighting tab is potentially both the simplest and least feature filled tab on the ROG Armoury it’s just straight up light settings. Static gives you a single colour choice from a plethora of colours to take your fancy. The nicest thing about the RGB is it is powered using LED lights which give a nicer crisp lighting too. Breathing also uses a single colour choice but slowly fades in and out and is quite relaxing to watch as well. There’s also the choice of reactive which flashes your chosen colour every time you use one of the buttons on the mouse and again this colour is chosen from the wheel of colour. Finally, my favourite RGB setting is the Colour Cycle which is pretty much what it says on the tin and cycles through a random selection of colours and its super nice. One downside is that you are limited to the four different settings mentioned above. It could be improved by adding a custom setting or two for breathing so there could be a use all the colours instead of a solid colour such as colour cycling does but that’s not a major issue just a suggested improvement on an awesome RGB mouse.

The final tab in the armoury is calibration, which I haven’t seen in a mouse control software before and it allows you to get just the right calibration for the gaming surface you use. For me, I have a thick cloth pad and it isn’t necessarily noticeable but it’s impressive to see surfaces that the mouse can be set up to use on and also helps with responsiveness for pixel-perfect precision on different surface planes.

Conclusion

So we’ve made it this far and that’s good! This is the bit where I give my summary on the ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse and I’ve really got to say this, I have been pretty damn impressed with the build quality, the look and feel as well the ease to use the mouse as a daily driver for the review and I predict for some time in the future quite happily. The most impressive feature, for me, is the interchangeable top covers which cater for everyone from the left handed to right handed user and those in between with its ambidextrous profiles.

I really like the RGB lighting, it’s nice and crisp as well as bright but isn’t garishly so. I’m also a fan of the texture on the ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse which is finished in matte on the top covers which give a subtle texture, and the rubberised side portions just feel right in the hand along side the rubber in the centre of the scroll wheel.

So after all that I would recommend this mouse for folks who want a comfortable fitting mouse but is also pretty apt for gaming as well. The ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse is currently available for around £50-£60 from various online retailers at the time of writing. I’m awarding the ASUS ROG Evolve Gaming Mouse a Gold award mainly for how great it is to use and the fact it caters for ambidexterity which isn’t common place for a lot of mice on the market currently. So hopefully this mouse fits the bill for you and let us know whether you decided to go for one and how you get on!