Gaming mice have evolved considerably over the years. There was a period when the trend favored adding as many buttons as possible, aiming for maximum functionality in a single device. Recently, however, this approach seems to have shifted towards simplicity, with a prime example of this modern design philosophy being the Chillblast Aero Ultimate X—an excellent example of what a modern-day gaming mouse looks like.
Priced at nearly £100, it's in stiff competition with some of the best gaming mice on the market, and that means it's going to have to deliver a lot to justify that relatively expensive price tag (although there are plenty of more premium mice out there). Thankfully, I reviewed the slightly more budget-friendly Chillblast Aero V2 last year, so I'm in a good position to assess just how much of an upgrade the Aero Ultimate X is. I'm by no means an expert, but I have just enough gaming experience to put this Chillblast device to the test. Let's get into it...
Table of Contents
Design
Before discussing the mouse itself, I must praise the packaging. It's sleek and thoughtfully designed, instantly sparking excitement to test the mouse as I opened the book-style box.
Using the mouse for the first time was a similarly excellent experience. Its ergonomic design felt comfortable in my hand, and the wireless feature provided a sense of freedom during use. However, I did notice that it was slightly heavier than the Chillblast Aero V2. It weighs about 85 grams, according to my scales. While this weight is manageable, there are other mice in the same price range that are lighter, if weight is a crucial factor for you. Personally, I enjoyed the sturdy feel of the mouse, although I recognize that many gamers prefer something lighter.
Design-wise, it features the usual left and right mouse buttons, a grippy scroll wheel in the middle, a button just below it to cycle through the DPI settings (more on that later), two buttons along the side, and a honeycomb-esque shell that exposes the Chillblast branding lit up inside it. This light is always on as it acts as the indicator to tell you what DPI mode you're in, unlike the RGB lighting below which can be turned off using a switch underneath. However, you can cover this light with the alternative shell plate that is easy to swap from the default "holey" one that I know from past experiences can just accumulate dust over time.
This is one of the biggest upsides to this mouse—the customization. Alongside the alternative shell, you get two different kinds of switches and a tool to swap them yourself (also more on these later), plus three ways to connect it to your PC, including via Bluetooth, a wireless USB receiver, and a fabric and very flexible USB cable. All of these methods were easy to set the mouse up, with the only slight difficulty one might have being the USB receiver is quite well hidden inside the mouse, so it might not be immediately obvious to some. Once you've figured that out though, you can crack on with using it.
Performance
When it came to using the Chillblast Aero Ultimate X, I would say it performed pretty well across the board when playing everything from Golf with Your Friends to Counter Strike 2. It felt responsive, accurate, and smoother than the aforementioned Aero V2, which comes down to its Pixart 3395 sensor. It boasts a few different DPI settings too, ranging from an agonizingly slow 800 to a staggeringly fast 26,000. I sat somewhere in the middle (either 1,600 or 3200) during my time with it, however, having the option to push it up to 26,000 DPI is nice if you can handle it.
Moving on to the switches, it comes pre-installed with black Huano switches, but you also get clear Kailh switches and red Huano switches. After testing, I preferred the red Huano switches, which were softer and quieter with a medium to short rebound time. They also slightly edged out the others in speed when I measured my clicks per second, though it was primarily their tactile feel that impressed me. In contrast, the clear Kailh switches were louder and less comfortable to use. However, they do stand out for their durability, boasting a minimum lifespan of 80 million cycles upon further research. Unsurprisingly, the default black Huano switches seemed to offer a balanced performance and sound, positioning themselves nicely between the other two types.
One thing I would say about the switches is they were a bit fiddly to swap out. The Huano switches were fairly easy once I figured out how to get underneath the buttons, and the provided tool for swapping them made it less fiddly than it could have been. However, the Kalih switches were very stubborn, not wanting to fit into the three holes for the prongs, nor wanting to leave when I wanted to change them. Getting them out took a few attempts, which did put me off wanting to use them. It would seem the compatibility between the mouse and these particular switches just isn't there in the same way as the Huano ones, unfortunately.
The battery life of the Chillblast Aero Ultimate X was also fairly impressive. While Chillblast doesn't specify the expected battery duration, my personal experience indicates it's quite long-lasting. After a full day's work with the RGB lights disabled, the battery only decreased by 12%. Based on this, I would guess the device could last approximately 60 hours on a single charge, although it's worth saying some competitors in the same price range offer longer battery lives. A particularly useful feature is its automatic sleep mode though, which activates after five minutes of inactivity—this was a great convenience for me as I often forgot to manually power it down.
Another key feature is the scroll wheel, which, as previously highlighted, offers excellent grip due to its pronounced spikes. Additionally, the two thumb buttons are conveniently placed for quick access to frequently used controls in games, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
Software
Now, this is a tricky category to talk about as I couldn't find any software built for the mouse yet. I did try the drivers currently available to download from Chillblast, but none of them seemed to recognize the device.
This is a bit of a shame because the Aero V2 software was a highlight for that mouse, with almost every aspect of it customizable from the downloadable program. It would have been nice to adjust the RGB lighting and the effects from my PC, and maybe even switch the assignments for the two side buttons too. Alas, this didn't appear possible, or at least the software's not easy to find if it is. Switching the DPI setting was easy thanks to the central button though; but yet again, I would have liked the option of switching this via software on my PC.
Chillblast Aero Ultimate X - Verdict
Overall, I'd say the Chillblast Aero Ultimate X has a lot of great qualities, with its design and number of customization options helping it stand out. Its accuracy and responsiveness were also two impressive characteristics seeing as I did notice a difference compared to the cheaper Chillblast Aero V2.
That is one slight issue I have with it though—its price. Okay, there are plenty of more expensive mice, but you can also find mice that offer similar specs for less. That said, the cheaper alternatives I found don't match it 'pound for pound' let's say, as a lot of the time they're either not wireless, don't have as high a DPI, or don't have the number of customizable parts this Chillblast mouse has.
Not having software to customize it from your PC isn't ideal either, but it's also not the end of the world. Ultimately, when I ask myself if I enjoyed using the Chillblast Aero Ultimate X, the answer is yes. I think that's a pretty good indicator that this mouse is well worth checking out if you ask me.
Where to buy the Chillblast Aero Ultimate X:
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