Microsoft Sidewinder X8 review by Gary

My overall rating

Available from Amazon at 20% off

The Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse is a feature heavy gaming mouse that is designed for the serious gamer. It is one of the best gaming mouse and is right up there with the Razer Mamba. It features the latest technology, ergonomic design and a very attractive price for a gaming mouse of this calibre.

The Sidewinder X8 is put on the market as a direct competitor to the high end Razer laser gaming mouse, and like the Razer Mamba it also has a dual wireless / wired functionality. This means that you get the best of both worlds.

The design of this mouse should be familiar to fans of Microsoft’s gaming peripheral products. With the Sidewinder X8 however they have toned down the hard angles and have put in some curves. The result is a sleek looking mouse with contours that help your hand fall into a natural grip.

If you would like to buy the Sidewinder X8, I recommend you get it from Amazon because they are the cheapest online.

The Sidewinder X8’s point of difference is in its proprietary BlueTrack sensor. This technology provides great sensitivity and performance than other gaming mouse. This improved sensitivity enables the user to use the mouse on a variety surfaces, from wood and marble to carpet and fabric. The only thing it has problem with is glass or mirrored surfaces.

The Sidewinder X8 offers a range of sensitivity selection, from 250 dpi to 4000 dpi, that are changeable by the user. Although not as high as the 5600 dpi of the Razer Mamba, it should satisfy the need of most serious gamers. Three buttons run down the middle of the mouse and that let you select the sensitivity that you want.

Buy it from Amazon

Another great feature is the on-the-fly macro recording function. You can customize commands just by clicking a few buttons. You can also create macros for a particular game or program as well.

The poll rate of the Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse is 500Mhz, which is adequate for most game. However at higher sensitivity the mouse can feel unresponsive and even lag. So perhaps that is why it comes with a plug for the wired alternative.

Lets have a look at the features of this mouse:

• Play and Charge – Up to 30 hours of active gaming on a single charge, or use the play-and charge cable for non-stop action.
• BlueTrack Technology – World¿s most advanced tracking technology for gaming with image processing of 13,000 frames per second.
• 2.4 GHz Wireless – Built for lag-free play.
• DPI Switching – Instantly switch sensitivity between high, medium, and low with one click.
• 7 Programmable Buttons – Customize 5 programmable main buttons, plus left/right tilt, to your preference.
• You can buy the Sidewinder X8 for 20% off at Amazon

Both the Sidewinder X8 and the Razer Mamba share the wired / wireless concept, but they do have different designs. The Sidewinder X8 has the Bluetrack technology and on-the-fly macro while the Razer Mamba has higher sensitivity and wireless compability, and a few better mouse buttons designs.

Apart from some great features, another good thing about the Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse is its price. It is almost $50 cheaper on Amazon than the Razer Mamba. This makes it a great buy in its own right, without having to compare it to the Mamba. If you want a decent high end gaming mouse at a great price, then the Sidewinder X8 is for you.

Lets see what some owners are saying about the Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse:

Jeffrey Green

“There are so may other features that I have not even bothered with as of yet. Yes, this is a Microsoft product, but forget that. The X8 mouse not only looks good, but is comfortable and performs flawlessly with evey feature a mouse can possess. I hope the sturdy feel of the mouse holds up over time, but I am quite pleased with not only the X6 Sidewinder keyboard, but just as pleased with the X8 Sidewinder mouse. At this point I give the X8 Sidewinder Mouse the highest rating.”

Review paraphrased for size, read full review here.

Gabriel Siqueira

“The scroll is very accurate. Not only up and down, but left and right too. The sensibility goes from 250dpi to 4000dpi. A very good range. It has 3 dpi switching buttons, on-the-fly. Well, now the best part. Wireless and batteries ! Microsoft had me on this feature. The battery is very good, I played for a week without problems, but the best about the mouse is that you never have to change batteries or stop playing to charge. You just have to conect it to the wire (magnetic, really cool) and you have a wired mouse AND you are charging the battery. You never have to stop. About the Blue Track technology, it really works in almost all surfaces and really well.”

Review paraphrased for size, read full review here.

Buy the Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse on Amazon (The cheapest online)

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