Features
Price: $79.99 / £89.99
Form factor: Right-handed
Buttons: 5 + 4 (digital joystick mode)
DPI: 16,000
IPS: Up to 400
Switches: Omron
Connectivity: Wired
Weight: 3.4oz 𒀰- 3.9oz (97g - 111g) with adjustable weights
The thumbstick is obviously the main attraction here, and it’s largely unchanged from the previous iteration. To recap, it’s a flat sliding ‘nub’ that can be used for analogue stick-style input or as four extra buttons using directional digital input. It comes with an alternative hea🅠d should you wish to adjust the size, as well as a plastic cap cove🐻r that effectively removes it from the mouse.
Another returning feature here is the push-socket switch housing under the two main mouse buttons, ꧅which allows you to easily remove and replace the switches should they becoཧme damaged (or if you want to install custom switches of your own).
The optical sensor in the Chakram Core is a powerful PixArt gaming sensor, with up to 16,000 DPI and a max acceleration of 40g. There’s no change in baseline performance here from the original model though, despite the signi𝓰ficant price difference.
The key aspect of the first Chakram that isn’t making a return in the Core is tri-mode connectivity. While the original mouse could connect over USB cable, Bluetooth, or 2.4GHz dongle, the Chakram Core is wired-only via a non-detachable USB-A cable. This cable is braided and feels high-quality, however, and🦩 Asus have wisel🍌y used the dongle storage space in the original design for a removable 13.6g weight that alters the handling of the mouse somewhat.
Design
The ROG Chakram Core is a bit muted compared to its predecessor, rem𝔉oving the RGB lighting strip beneath the front buttons but keeping the light-up scroll wheel and ROG logo. It has the same translucent plastic shell and comfortable thumb rest as well, with a textured finish for better grip during those Heated Gamer Moments.
The casing can be quite easily pu🎃lled apart for maintenance, cleaning, or simple curiosity. Most of the outer case is held in place magnetically, but there’s little to no risk of any parts coming loose during use. The shell and button covers snap back into place quite satisfyingly, and the overall construction feels very durable, on par with the original Chakram despite the lower price.
While there is a dedicated button for switching between DPI profiles, it’s located on the underside of the mouse, making it inaccessible during regular use. It’s a bit of a shame, but isꦚn’t going to be a huge issue for most users.
Performance
The Chakram Core feels great to use, its ergonomic ওdesign really shining in periods of extended use. The thumb rest works great as well, and even if you don’t cover up the thumbstick with the little 🅘plastic panel, it’s too small to be intrusive.
The sensitivity feels nice and snappy, mea✤nwhile, and the braided cable ensures minimal ‘stick’ when moving over a variety of desk surface♊s. The cable does make this mouse a little heavier than the original Chakram, but the added weight isn’t that noticeable.
Our concern with the ROG Chakram Core is the same, though; the analog thumbstick is a somewhat limited and very niche addition to a generally solid gaming mouse. While it can be useful in certain genres (like spaceflight sims) and is arguably the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming mouse for t🎐hat sort of thing, it’s diffi🔯cult to use practically in the vast majority of games. The digital mode allows it to function as four buttons instead using quad-directional inputs, but we’d rather just have the extra buttons.
Overall - should you buy it?
If you liked the sound of the orig🔯inal Chakram, get the ROG Chakram Core. It’s essentially the same product, only a lot cheaper and a tad less flashy. If you already bought yourself a Chakram, there’s nothing new to see here—go enjoy your wireless connectivity.
In essenc♓e, this is a good all-rounder gaming mouse with a fun gimmick slapped on the side. The thumbstick will like🍰ly prove invaluable to a very small handful of gamers, but it’s such a niche feature that we can’t really see it taking off. It’s also utterly useless to anyone who uses their mouse left-handed, too. But that doesn’t matter; we really like the ROG Chakram Core, even if it is the weirdo of our gaming mouse collection.