In PC gaming, having a high-performing rig is vital to success. How fast your system is, how swift your keystrokes are capable of being, and even the clarity/size of your monitor can all come into play at some point. What’s equally as important to achieving ultimate victory is having a gaming mouse that’s comfortable, reliable, and precise.
The ROCCAT Kain 200 AIMO Wireless Gaming Mouse features all of these attributes, while having the added advantage of being unshackled from your PC. Here is our review.
Precision and Control Reign Supreme
Full disclosure, I love gaming mice. They’re just such a fascinating product, to me. Their sizes often range from unassuming and sleek to unnecessarily gaudy, with more buttons than is ever needed. In the case of the ROCCAT Kain 200 AIMO Wireless Gaming Mouse, it features a bevy of impressive tech, without the cumbersome body. The result of this combination is a gaming mouse that’s wonderfully precise and easy to handle.
I began my test of the ROCCAT Kain 200 AIMO like I do with most of my product reviews, out of game. Outside of its smooth, ergonomic design (of which I talk more about below), the first few things I noticed were the Titan Wheel 2.0, Titan Click, and noticeable square in between that said DPI.
When you first plug in the Kain 200, the mouse is set to the lowest DPI (Dot Per Inch), which means it’s kind of a struggle bus to move. Although, it’s a setting that’s really nice for executing precise lines or sniping from afar. Without downloading any software, the DPI button allows you to increase the DPI up to 3000. Downloading the ROCCAT Swarm app unlocks the full potential of the ROCCAT Owl-Eye optical sensor to achieve a DPI of 16000. Of course, by that point a gentle breeze will cause the cursor to move across the screen. 16000dpi is best for horde situations when you need to move at frantic speeds, something like DOOM Eternal comes to mind. It’s incredibly difficult to control, so use 16000dpi at your own risk. I found 3000dpi more than enough.
As for the two Titan features, the Titan Wheel 2.0 delivered in look, feel, and overall scrolling control. The movement of the wheel was so smooth and exact. Additionally, the two LED lights on both sides were a delightful presence.
With the Titan Click, it has an incredibly light, yet precise feel to it. The benefit of the Titan Click is the unhinged buttons and low-tolerance spring that serve to cushion each click. It was a noticeable difference, but a welcome one. Although, I’d understand the full benefit of this design in actual gameplay.
As I was testing both the ROCCAT Vulcan 122 AIMO Gaming Keyboard and the Kain 120 AIMO Wired Gaming Mouse, I stuck to the same three video games for all my testing, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Team Fortress 2. The product I tested the Kain 200 AIMO against was the SteelSeries Rival 310 gaming mouse.
What I found from my tests was that the Titan Click actually does improve gameplay in several ways. First of which, is the aforementioned Titan Click technology. Without much distance to travel, because of the elevated design of the buttons, I was able to hit targets faster and more precise. Moreover, the swift dpi switching and extremely responsive tracking of the Owl-Eye optical sensor granted me unfathomable perception. Headshots and precision strikes became so much more simple to perform. Lining up shots was so smooth and the Titan Click made firing so fast. I upped my game from decent to twitchy-fast within the blink of an eye.
Alternatively, the SteelSeries mouse did a fine job of keeping up, but the tracking wasn’t nearly as smooth. Furthermore, the absence of the Titan Click was noticeable, as my ability to fire successive rounds with non-automatic weapons was both not as fast or precise. I also found myself missing the smoother feel of the Kain 200 AIMO.
What I also find increasingly interesting about gaming mice is how the general public doesn’t view them as an essential purchase. Often, they write them off as being something exclusive to the PC Master Race of the gaming world. In reality, a proper high-functioning gaming mouse can make your everyday PC usage, whether at work or home, become an all-around smoother experience. Fortunately, my testing of the Kain 200 AIMO allowed me to see how a gaming mouse, the caliber of the Kain 200, could impact the PC experience of someone in the general public, my wife.
My wife is a teacher and due to the impact of the global pandemic, she’s been required to teach her students online more. For the first few weeks, she was using a generic computer mouse the school provided for her, of which her writing, highlighting, and drawing skills suffered exponentially. Lines were often all over the place and any words written looked more like hieroglyphs than anything readable.
For my test, I switched her underperforming mouse with the Kain 200 AIMO and the results were quite profound. After setting her appropriate DPI, she was able to have firmer control over what she wrote and drew for her students. Words became legible and highlights weren’t all over the place. The mouse actually created straight lines. Her overall experience teaching her students online became a much simpler, more enjoyable experience, thanks in large part to the ROCCAT wireless mouse.
Strong, Ergonomic Body Leads to Lasting Comfort
While I appreciate all the tech that increases the Kain 200 AIMO’s performance, I absolutely love how ergonomic and smooth the body of the mouse is. The mouse has a rather large curvature in the middle that I initially thought would be uncomfortable for long-term gaming. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
The enlarged design actually serves as a buffer for the area between the fingers and the palm. While that part of your hand rests comfortably, the palm falls neatly over the ROCCAT symbol, while the fingers assume the position. The design leads to instant game-readiness and comfortability for long-term sessions.
Furthermore, the Kain 200 AIMO has a grippy, durable anti-wear coating that gives the mouse a smooth finish. When I first saw how smooth the mouse was, I was a bit hesitant about how durable the coating would actually be. After all, I’ve used mice that feature the same smooth matte finish the Kain 200 AIMO has. Continued exposure to oils and palm sweat end up causing those mice to have a rubbed look and become unappealing.
Now, obviously, I haven’t put years of testing into the Kain 200 AIMO to know if that same wear and tear is possible. However, I can tell you in the countless hours of use and play, with a few instances of clumsiness that saw it fall to the ground, it still looks the same as it did when I opened the box.
As I said before, part of my test was comparing it to the SteelSeries Rival 310. I’ve used that mouse for almost 3 years now, so I got used to the rubber grip on the sides and the overall feel of that mouse. I thought I’d miss the grip, but I really didn’t. The Kain 200 AIMO outshines the Elite 310 by leaps and bounds, as a far more comfortable mouse.
Inaccurate Battery Life Percentages and Touchy Range
Obviously the difference between a wired mouse and a wireless mouse is…well…the wire. With a wired mouse, you never have to worry about battery life or range as both are attached to the computer. Wireless mice are a different story.
Most wireless mice have a relatively inconsistent battery life and a range that’s only within a few feet of the receiver. In terms of range, I found that the Kain 200 AIMO has a range of about 8ft. However, verticality does apply, which I found remarkable. At 8ft, the mouse worked fine on a high surface. However, if I brought the mouse down to a surface more level to the receiver, the computer wouldn’t pick up the mouse at all. Realistically, though, 8ft is more than enough range. More likely than not, owners will simply use the mouse next to the device, but it’s nice to know how far away you can be for those times you just don’t feel like getting up from the couch.
Testing the battery life was the longest part of my test. The Kain 200 AIMO is promoted as having a 50 hour battery life, but it’s more like 35 hours if the illumination is on. I can say with complete confidence, those promoted battery lives are 100% true.
When I first opened the box, downloaded and connected the Kain 200 AIMO to the ROCCAT Swarm app, I found that the mouse was charged at 100%. The Swarm app is the only way to check the battery life, but it’s not reliable. I spent the next week trying to drain the battery and watched it slowly fall like molasses. However, what I found was the numbers weren’t an exact representation of the battery life. The percentages change by the 20s. So, even if you’re at 80% there is a chance you’re actually considerably less than that. Furthermore, they give you a time for how much longer you have with the mouse before it dies. It’s also unreliable, as I was at 6 hours left with 20% battery life for about 3 hours before it eventually shut off. It made for testing and even usage somewhat maddening, at times.
That said, charging is rather simple and only takes roughly 3 hours. The Kain 200 AIMO comes with a cord to directly connect to the computer to charge and update. While charging, the mouse is still usable in every way. It just doesn’t have the same freedom as before.
Should You Buy It?
If you’re in the market for a new mouse for either your gaming rig, home office, or cubicle, the Kain 200 AIMO can do wonders for all your computing activities. The amount of sophisticated tech within the sleek, comfortable body offers more control and precision than your run-of-the-mill generic mice.
After my testing, I spent a few days with the SteelSeries Rival 310 and a generic office mouse. I found myself missing the comfortability of the Kain 200. It may seem strange but I missed the Titan Wheel probably the most. It just has the perfect amount of resistance for precise scrolling.
The downside of the mouse, outside of the inaccurate battery meter, is that it costs $99.99. That price is mainly due to the wireless aspect of the Kain 200 AIMO. If you have that in your budget, then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the ROCCAT mouse. It has become an extension of my hand since the moment I began testing it. However, if that’s not something you can afford, it’s wired counterpart, the Kain 120 AIMO is just as good and cheaper at $69.99.
Regardless of which one you choose to go with, my opinion is that a proper gaming mouse can do wonders for your gaming, career, or everyday computing activities. For my money, both the Kain 200 AIMO or its wired twin, the Kain 120, are solid products, capable of helping you achieve whatever your computing goals are.
Read about the Vulcan 122 AIMO and Kain 120 AIMO here. All three products are available now on the ROCCAT official website.
