2024-01-19 13:16:26
Alienware’s MO is to do things differently. Did those iconic tower computers of the 90s need quite a lot of shiny plastic, or those jigger-like vents? Absolutely not, but Area 51 did it anyway and we all loved it. Flash forward a few decades, and the Dell subsidiary is still releasing amazing sci-fi designs on gamer style, this time with the $79 AW160M Wired/Wireless Gaming Mouse.
Looks unusual, doesn’t it? And no, it’s not a docking station on the bottom, it’s all part of the mouse itself. It’s fair to say this isn’t one of those ‘co-designed with the pros’ models that have been stripped down to the bare essentials for maximum eSports performance. Instead, the AW160M is all about comfort, luxury and striking looks.
I enjoyed all three of these aspects, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best option for everyone. Read on and in my Alienware AW160M review I’ll break down who will love this oddity in space, and which gamers should look elsewhere.
Alienware AW610M: design and comfort
You’re unlikely to feel ambivalent about what this mouse looks like. From the top to about two-thirds of its body, it’s a pretty standard shape – finished to a very high standard in a non-slip rubber material. It’s elegantly minimal, symmetrical, typical Alienware. Then your eyes fall on this triple grip.
It’s more comfortable than it looks, actually, but only if you use it in a handheld or hybrid grip. Personally, it suits me perfectly. However, I found when I tried nail grips I couldn’t place my thumbs exactly where I wanted them because of those flared decorations on the base. It’s a shame we don’t tend to buy more in stores because this is a great example of “try before you buy”.
There are five customizable buttons in total, with two more for DPI adjustment. That’s enough for most players, and a special mention should go to the thumb buttons that click satisfactorily. MMO or MOBA players might want a few more buttons at their fingertips and should look to the likes of the Razer Naga V2 Hyperspeed or Corsair’s Scimitar RGB Elite (both of which have a ridiculous 12 thumb buttons to be honest).
The finish is certainly worthy of the Alienware name and speaks to the high pricing, and is nicely characterized by four customizable lighting zones.
Alienware AW610M: Gaming Performance
Unlike many modern gaming mice, the AW160M has no ‘thing’. This is not the super light mouse. It’s not designed by Shroud and it’s not genre specific. On the contrary, in fact – it is something of a generalist.
Nowhere is this more evident than in its wired and wireless connection types, the latter offering up to 350 hours of charging time, and according to this tester’s keen eye-hand feel, there’s no detectable input lag or dropout issues. It turns itself off after a few minutes of inactivity, so you don’t have to stress about manually managing your battery life either. Let’s be honest, it’s rare to find a wireless model that actually has any of these historical issues in 2024, but it’s still worth noting.
In wired mode you get up to 400 IPS speed detection, which is much lower than my favorite Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed’s 750 IPS. It’s probably not this specific figure in the spec sheet that makes this mouse feel a bit stately and slow, but a combination of factors.
Mainly the weight of 117 grams, the PTFE feet and the larger design. They all conspire to make this mouse feel a little too crazy for super-shaking games like PUBG or my eternal flame, Quake Champions. Honestly, some people actually still play it.
Of course, all train guns and no game makes any gamer pretty boring, and in reality none of us play just one game or genre. I had a ton of fun using this mouse during a replay of Mafia: Definitive Edition, felt adequate distance during my ongoing Starfield rescue, and it even did well in the excellent (and rather annoying) Amid Evil boomer shootouts.
It’s just not a fully competitive gaming mouse, and at an MSRP of $79 it’s up against mice that can make that claim, and also perform well as a general styrofoam. The bottom line is, you have to like the way it looks and appreciate the wired and wireless connectivity options for it to make sense as a purchase.
Alienware AW610M: Customization
Ah, software from peripheral equipment manufacturers. Everyone’s Favorite Thing – Up there with ‘going back’ on onerous work assignments in January after happily conquering them during the second half of December. At best, they are functional and unobtrusive. At worst, they’re a hard drive-shaking gauntlet of poor user interface.
Alienware Command Center is not the last. As you’d expect from a brand that values ​​aesthetics so much, some serious design expense has gone into the customization app and it makes it easy to dial in your preferred button mapping, DPI levels and lighting.
There’s a bonus: you can customize the feel of the AW160M’s mouse wheel without even delving into the command center. Just press the button on the bottom of the mouse and you can cycle between 12 and 24 slots on the wheel. A welcome feature. Personally, I’m a 24-year-old guy.
Alienware AW610M: Verdict
It’s hard to beat a gaming mouse that doesn’t do anything wrong, and provides multiple outstanding features that feel welcome, like the adjustable wheel, massive battery life, and a variety of connections. It’s also a really bold visual design, which after a bit of frowning, I decided I really like.
But it’s a cutthroat market, and the combination of its shape, relatively slow IPS speed and a bit of stiff side scrolling means it’s not ideally suited to the faster, more competitive games, and there are other options at this price that do.
It’s a great mouse, and I will continue to use it for almost all of my PC gaming. But the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed still comes out when I need to get serious about online shooters and battle royale, and it only takes a glimmer of the brilliance of this stellar mouse.
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