ROCCAT Kone[+] Gaming Mouse & Isku Gaming Keyboard Review

[PAGETITLE=Introduction][Top Ad] Whether you're a casual gamer who just wants to kill time and have some fun, a pro who's at the top of the rankings after each round or one of the douchebags we laugh at on YouTube for throwing a hissy fit, we're all looking for an edge. A leg up on the competition. A trick that will help us bag that elusive quindecaple-super-mega-death-kill that has so far eluded us. To some, KDR or DoT are just a bunch of letters, while to others they're something that they eat, sleep and breathe. Whatever type of gamer you are, we have the gear that might just give you the advantage you're looking for. Today we take a look at a pair of peripherals from ROCCAT that promise tons of substance with some style mixed in for good measure; the Kone+ "max configurization" gaming mouse and Isku illuminated gaming keyboard. The Kone+ is a refresh of the well-received original and has retained the overall right-handed look and feel, but there have been some improvements. It sports a 6000 DPI Pro-Aim laser sensor, 1000Hz polling rate, 1ms response time, 576kb of onboard memory and all of that cool stuff. We've all read specs before so let's see if the mouse can back up some impressive numbers with functionality. Most of the Kone+ is covered with a soft-touch rubber material broken up by the ROCCAT logo towards the back and two translucent strips that run front to back, which can show off just about any combination of colours. There is a 4D scroll wheel (up, down and side to side), standard +/- buttons above the wheel to make DPI changes and another small button in front that opens the Start Menu by default in Windows 7. The left side of the Kone+ features forward and back buttons for browsing and a good-sized recess where the thumb can rest. Sadly there is no similar area on the right side for the ring and pinky finger meaning they'll likely drag on the mouse pad. With the mouse turned upside down we see the meaty bits in the form of the Pro-Aim laser in the center. Around the perimeter are the feet that allow the Kone+ to easily slide over surfaces and towards the back is the locking cover where the included weights can be added for those who want just the right feel. The four, five gram weights come in a small case where they can be stored when not in use. Just rotate the cover on the bottom of the Kone+ to the unlocked position, remove it, add the weights and put the cover back on. Nothing fancy here. Moving onto the Isku keyboard, I have to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed. There's a lot going on compared to a very basic gaming keyboard that I've been using. The Isku features blue illumination for all keys, on-the-fly macro recording, programmable dual function keys, up to five different profiles and the same polling rate and response time of the Kone+. One of the coolest features is called ROCCAT Talk, which allows a single key press to provide a secondary function to any of the mouse buttons. Let's have a look. The keys are the standard membrane type and provide a small amount of tactile feedback allowing them to travel quite quickly. Replacing the CAPS Lock above the left shift key is the EasyShift+ key. When held down this little beauty allows for any key in the EasyZone (1 to 4, Q to R, A to F, Z to V) to be assigned a secondary function. As mentioned earlier it even allows each button on the mouse to have a secondary function. Also tied into the EasyShift+ key are the vertical macro keys to the left labeled M1 through M5. Located below the spacebar is what ROCCAT calls the Thumbster keys. These keys, which are labeled T1 through T3 give users a few extra buttons that can be accessed easily in the heat of battle. Want more options? These are also tied into the EasyShift+ key meaning there are tons of possibilities to tailor the Isku to suit just about any user's tastes. Above the Escape and F-keys is the profile indicator that shows which profile is currently active, the recording indicator that shows on-the-fly macro recording is active and the record button that triggers the function. Further over are the media keys and just out of the shot is a button that allows users to cycle through five illumination presets meaning less time is spent messing with this setting in the software and more time can be spent gaming. Under the keyboard are rubber pads in each corner to keep it in place when laid flat, rubber-tipped fold out feet to raise it up while performing the same function as the pads, and channels that allow the cable to be routed to either side or out the front. Included with both peripherals in a black fold out sleeve are the manual, driver CD and a numbered card that can be used to register the product with ROCCAT. Now you know there's going to be software to go with toys like these, and it's something that shouldn't be overlooked since it could make or break a peripheral. We'll have a peek at that next. [PAGEBREAK][PAGETITLE=Software] Both drivers feature the same overall look and layout with tabs being the go to way of navigating between sections. Starting off with the Main Control tab of the Kone+, users can change how the mouse behaves by modifying sensitivity, speed and customizing the different DPI settings if the pre-programmed values aren't to their liking. Across the bottom on all tabs is where users can create, load, save and edit up to five different profiles. The Button Assignment tab is just that. Users can assign different functions to the various buttons including any macros they have made as well as what function each will play when the Easy-Shift+ is pressed. Moving on, the Color Control tab does just what you'd think. Any of the 33 colors can be assigned to the four LEDs along with various effects. On the Advanced Control tab things like the tracking and distance control can be modified to adjust tracking performance and how high the mouse needs to be lifted up before the movement no longer registers. The polling rate can also be changed and if needed the driver can be reset to the factory defaults. Finally there is the Update/Support tab that shows the current driver and firmware versions, allows driver updates to be downloaded and launches the support section of the ROCCAT website. Compared to the Kone+, the interface for the Isku could be a terrifying ordeal to a novice gamer due to the number of options available. The Main Control tab allows the various keys to be assigned primary and secondary functions much like the interface for the Kone+ does. Up to five profiles are also supported across all tabs. EasyZone Control is where the magic happens. Here users can assign a secondary function to any of the keys in the EasyZone when the EasyShift+ key is pressed. No surprises on the Media Keys/F-Keys tab as these can be configured here, however they cannot be used in conjunction with the EasyShift+ key. The Advanced Control tab is much like the one found on the Kone+ and changes how the keyboard will behave in general. Key illumination can be modified here and this driver can also be set to factory defaults if needed. I'll save you a look at the Update/Support tab since the same information is present here as on the Kone+ so let's move onto my final thoughts on this gamer-oriented combo after I had the chance to bang away on them for a week. [PAGEBREAK][PAGETITLE=Final Thoughts][Top Ad] While writing this review and during some heavy Battlefield 3 action, the pair performed great, even if I didn't. The Kone+ tracked extremely well and sat very comfortable in my large hand. This mouse is on the larger end of the scale so those with smaller hands may find it a bit awkward. The biggest issue that I had was with the placement of the button in front of the scroll wheel. It felt too far forward and required me to reposition my hand to reach it, which resulted in the buttons on the left side now being out of reach. Maybe my grip style is unorthodox and others will have more luck, but I ended up not assigning the forward center button any function. I was using a Cooler Master mouse up until now and found that it performs on par with the Kone+, but the ROCCAT offering moves across the mouse pad smoother even though it feels heavier in my hand without any weights installed. This extra weight makes the Kone+ a very sturdy mouse that should be able to stand up to some heavy abuse. The Isku however is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand you have on-the-fly macro recording, a ton of possibilities for assigning different functions to keys and the ability to store profiles. All very cool features and from a feature standpoint I found no problems since they all worked beautifully. Even the EasyShift+ key worked flawlessly to change the functions of my mouse buttons while knee deep in bullet casings. I also found no problems from a performance standpoint. Subjecting the keyboard to typical and non-typical keystroke combinations resulted in the correct input with no blocked commands. What I do have a problem with is the cheap feeling wrist rest. As soon as you begin typing you can tell how flimsy it is and a gentle press causes the plastic to flex. There's very little chance of the Isku wrist rest breaking without some serious force but the feel certainly doesn't fall in line with the rest of the keyboard and could turn some people off. The other, and in my opinion larger problem is with the illumination, which is done with electroluminescent disks. Many of the keys do not light up completely unless viewed from directly above, which is far from ideal. If the keys were lit by individual LEDs this wouldn't be an issue but the price tag would likely be higher. Speaking of price, this pair will set you back a fair bit. The Kone+ is currently retailing for about $80 US while the Isku will set you back another $90. While I feel that this is a bit too high there's no denying that I love the fact that I can switch between primary and secondary functions on the fly thanks to EasyShift+ on both...

ROCCAT Kone[+] Gaming Mouse & Isku Gaming Keyboard Review

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