OCZ Eclipse Gaming Mouse Review

[nextpage title=”Introduction”]OCZ presents the follow up to the previously tested Behemoth, a mouse geared towards big-handed users, with a smaller-sized companion, the Eclipse. Don’t let the size fool you, however; the peripheral has everything a gaming-grade mouse requires: adjustable weight, function buttons, individual profiles, and high precision. With up to 2,400 dpi of resolution, it’s behind the Behemoth itself (3,200 dpi) and the also tested Mamba from Razer (5,600 dpi), but that didn’t detract from the experience, as we will see later on in this test.

Figure 1: The Eclipse.

Made for right-handed users, the wedge-shaped Eclipse has grooves for the pinkie and thumb, two traditional lateral buttons and a scroll wheel that lights up to indicate the current user profile. Below the scroll wheel there’s the dpi switching button and four blue LEDs to show the current dpi setting. The rubberized body is very comfortable and can be used of hours without being tiring. Different from the competition, the Eclipse weight system isn’t located below the mouse, which houses the laser cannon and the profile button, but instead on the upper body itself. You just have to pop the lid, pull the little latch and release the set of four weights, totally 18 grams (0.64 oz). They make the total weight go up to 137 grams (4.8 oz).

Figure 2: The weight system.

[nextpage title=”Configuring the Eclipse”]Just like the Behemoth, the executable software runs from a mini CD and doesn’t require installation. The configurations are stored on the mouse’s internal memory, so you switch computers and keep the choices you made. The user can tell which profile is on at a certain time by checking the light on the scroll wheel (unlit, red, green or yellow lights).

Figure 3: Configuration menu.

The configuration software is the same as the Behemoth’s, which we found very confusing and unfriendly when we tested that particular model. It has some cool features like the “Keepshot,” an auto-fire setting that you can use to shoot in fast, medium or slow bursts, but the interface is a hard nut to crack. The user can configure up to six different functions and store three different profiles. If you want to create more profiles, you can save them in your computer and transfer/switch up to three to the Eclipse. We plunged through the unwieldy interface and configured the mouse to our liking, assigning simple commands like copy+paste for word processing usage and record macros to help playing complex games like RPGs and strategy titles. We created a work-related profile (you can’t earn a living just playing videogames) and two dedicated to our most played games, TeamFortress2 and World of Warcraft. You can set four sensitivity stages raging from 200 to 2,400 dpi as you please. For the test, we tried a combination of 600, 1,200, 1,800 and 2,400 dpi; as usual, the lower value worked best at the moments requiring great precision, and the upper values were used in high-octane action.[nextpage title=”Playing with the Eclipse”]Even without giving in to the competitor’s race for the upper levels of sensitivity, the Eclipse handled more than adequately in two weeks of intense usage, both as a work mouse and a gamig-grade device, over a tabletop surface and a mousepad. The smaller body felt good in the hand that rested comfortably over the rubberized body. Our only gripe was the hard to press thumb finger that had also a very, very loud click. The lack of pre-sets of dpi settings was a good thing, since it gives the user the freedom to choose each individual dpi setting to match his gaming style.In final analysis, the Eclipse offers everything a gamer looks for in a gaming-grade mouse at a reasonable price. It’s a recommended acquisition all the way.[nextpage title=”Specifications”]The OCZ Eclipse main specifications are:

• Right-handed gaming-grade laser mouse.
• Assignable functions: 6
• Onboard memory
• Tracking Resolution: from 200 to 2,400 dpi (user selectable in 4 stages)
• Acceleration: 50 G
• Approximate size: 4.8" x 2.8" x 1.7" (122,43 mm x 70,64 mm x 43,79 mm)
• Weight adjustable up to 137g
• More information: https://www.ocztechnology.com
• Average price in the US*: USD 19.00

* Researched at https://www.shopping.com on the day we published this review.