Tt eSports Black Gaming Mouse Review

Tt eSports Black

Manufacturer: Tt eSports
UK Price (as reviewed): £27.99 (inc VAT)
US Price (as reviewed): $44.99 (ex tax)

The last product we saw from Tt eSports - the Challenger keyboard - failed to impress; its onboard fan was gimmicky and it lacked the flair and features we expect to see from a gaming keyboard. As a result, we were intrigued by the Black Gaming Mouse - would it redeem Tt eSports or fall into the same traps as the Challenger?

Thankfully, our first impressions of the Black were good. The mouse is solidly built and covered in a pleasant rubberised finish that makes the mouse feel pleasingly rugged. We liked the humpbacked shape of the mouse too, as it fits snugly in the palm of your hand, although gamers who employ a claw-style grip could find this uncomfortable

Also of note is the sheer length of the mouse. The hump where the centre of your palm will rest is located quite far back compared to other mice, such as the CM Storm Inferno, and this has the effect of making the mouse feel quite large. Those on the bit-tech staff with smaller hands felt they were having to stretch their fingers uncomfortably to reach the main buttons. If, however, you have large hands and find the tips of your fingers often dangle over the front of normal-sized mice, the shape of the Black could be ideal.


The Black also has a reassuring weight to it, which lends the mouse a sense of solidity and quality. However, if you like your mice a little lighter, you can remove the 25 grammes of ballast that the Black hides away in its base.

Beyond the weights, though, the Black is surprisingly lacking in the blingy ‘gaming’ features we’re used to seeing with gaming mice. Of course, it has the seemingly mandatory on-the-fly sensitivity switching, but other features such as macro buttons, elaborate software interfaces or onboard memory are all missing.

Whether this is good or bad largely depends on how you use your mouse, but we found this stripped back approach refreshing. It was great not to have to install an over-the-top piece of software just to get the best from the Black, although you do of course miss out on the settings such a program can offer.

The Black performed well throughout our testing, and felt at home both navigating the body-strewn battlefields of Bad Company 2 and browsing the web. One major issue, though, was the positioning of the Black's solitary thumb button. We’re used to having our thumb rest on the button but on the Black it’s located above where your thumb sits. This makes it harder to hit the thin button quickly. The lack of a second thumb button also makes quick switching, be it back and forth between web pages or in-game weapons, a no-go.

Conclusion

The Black is a pleasing mouse to use, as it’s both well-built and accurate, and there's a clear feeling that Tt eSports has got the basics right. Unfortunately, though, it really only offers the basics; the mouse lacks most of the features that we’ve got used to seeing on gaming mice.

This makes the Black feel very focused, but it also means it doesn't offer great comparative value. The CM Storm Inferno can be had for only £1 more and comes with more buttons, macro capability and onboard memory for taking your settings with you. Basically, only those with large hands who find normal mice uncomfortable need to consider the Black.

• Design
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• 8/10

• Features
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• 6/10

• Value
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• 7/10

• Overall
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• 7/10

Specifications

• Connection wired (braided)
  
• Material Plastic
  
• Buttons 4, scroll wheel
  
• Sensitivity 400-4,000dpi
  
• Extras Adjustable weights, travel pouch