Roccat Leadr Mouse Review: Leader in Gaming Efficiency

A bit heavy on the price, with its comfortable design and ease of use, this all-rounder mouse tries to guarantee the sublime gaming experience. And it is German quality too.

Versatility and Functionality, Gaming Mouse Re-Defined

Prior to the debut of Leadr, Roccat promised to roll out a mouse that outshines all wireless devices currently in existence. Unparalleled performance, stunning accuracy, zero latency and innovative sensor technology were also among the features that would justify Roccat Leadr price tag. Well, Leadr’s release date has arrived and last week I found myself holding the latest gaming peripheral produced by Roccat.

I have to admit that I was curious to find out whether the Leadr delivers as promised and rigorously tested it in various games including Heroes of the Storm, the Witcher 3, and Overwatch

Whenever you need a whole lot of buttons to manage your spells or special attacks in some MMO, you can count on the Leadr. Likewise, if you are into FPS, you can use only a few buttons. The Leadr is an unobtrusive mouse, not to mention you can simply disable the buttons you don’t need.

If you are impatient to find out more about its strengths and weaknesses, let’s jump to the pros and cons and then proceed to the in-depth Roccat Leadr review.

If you want to find out more details about the Roccat Leadr Gaming Mouse before buying it, read the review below.

Leadr FPS and MMO Approved 

Leadr is not a big departure from Tyon, a previous model of Roccat. As a matter of fact, the Leadr possesses all Tyon’s strengths- great ergonomics, plenty of advanced features and decent size, to name a few. The mouse comes with 14 programmable buttons including an EasyShift Plus thumb button, an X-Celerator thumb switch, and the “Hamburger”. Obviously, the Roccat is a true follower of the rule the more the better.

The Leadr is an all-purpose gaming mouse that performs impeccably in any game or mission. The device is equipped with an Owl-Eye optical sensor. The latter transforms each motion to the screen with 1:1 accuracy.

The Leadr gives you a complete freedom of movement and that freedom does not come at the expense of poor performance. The well-though-out button placement allows you to have a better control over the device.

The debut of the Leadr definitely put the new standard for the development of wireless gaming mice. Owning the Leadr means you will no longer have to explain to your prejudiced friends that wireless mice work just as fine as corded ones. All you have to say is that you use Roccat Leadr and let the brand speak for itself.

The Leadr offers 1000Hz polling rate that translates into 1ms response rate. The 2.4GHz data transmission and the Owl-Eye sensor optimized for wireless makes it a lethal gaming weapon. It is true that weapon’s performance depends on warrior’s in-game capabilities. However, using the Leadr will give you an edge over the competition even if you are yet to polish your skills.

The battery is designed to get you through a 20-hour gaming marathon. When the battery is drained simply plug in the top-up cable and carry on gaming.

The Leadr features the latest industry trend you must have already heard of – the RGB lighting illumination system. What’s more, you can adjust the color pattern of the scroll wheel independently from the other buttons.

It would be excessive to say that the Leadr is the first gaming mouse of this kind. After all, SteelSeries, Logitech, and Razer have some pretty good devices with similar characteristics.

In terms of design, it is not the most distinctive mouse, either (especially if you have seen Mad Catz RAT 9 and especially the Pro X). Still, if you have a soft spot for Roccat’s products, the Leadr will not disappoint.

To cut the long story short, the Leadr is a dream come true for those who want to invest in a sturdy, all-rounder device that can meet the technical specs each gaming genre requires.

Leadr – Lethal Weapon for Right-Handed Palm Grippers 

Unfortunately, the Leadr is not an ambidextrous mouse, but I hope right-handed palm grippers prevail. Yes, the mouse is suitable mainly for palm grippers although if you employ a claw grip you will not regret the purchase either.

Size

The Leadr is neither too big and heavy, nor too small and lightweight. The exact dimensions are 3.1×1.8×5 inches (WHL). It weighs 4.7oz. or 134 grams.

Roccat Leadr Button Placement 

The Leadr features 14 fully programmable buttons as well as a 2D Titan Wheel. The X-Celerator single-axis is an analog of a thumb paddle. The availability of a Fin Switch further enhances your control over the mouse.

Other than that, the Leadr comes with right and left clickers and a clickable scroll wheel. The left side houses two buttons for adjusting the DPI on-the-fly. The two buttons for changing profiles are on the right.

Below the scroll wheel, you will find a paddle that moves right and left. The other paddle located near the thumb moves up and down.

The button that activates the Easy-Shift[+] mode is located below the thumb groove. When you activate it, you are given access to as many as 28 commands. In other words, you can assign a double function to each of the 14 buttons the Leadr possesses. I bet World of Warcraft and Minecraft will totally appreciate that awesome feature. Dawn of War 3 addicts will also like it.

Wired or Wireless Mode?

Roccat Leadr may be a relatively compact peripheral, but that’s not valid for the charging dock. As a matter of fact, the receiver is pretty much a huge rectangle you can plug into the PC via a micro USB. In other words, make sure you have enough space on your desk.

The battery can pull you through 20 hours of playing and even more if you use it for standard office tasks. You can either charge the mouse by hanging it on the receiver, or plug in the USB and charge it while you play. Simple as that.

You can also take your mouse up to 10 feet away from the receiver and enjoy a stable connection. 

Roccat Leadr Sensor and Responsiveness 

The Leadr is equipped with ROCCAT Owl- Eye optical sensor optimized for wireless. What’s the difference between the Owl-Eye and the other sensors?” you may ask. The truth is that this is the well-known Pixart 3361 sensor that has been modified to ensure optimal performance in the most common DPI range – 400 to 3000 DPI. While the other wireless mice count on a power saving mode, the Owl-Eye uses full power at all times thus making you feel as if you use a corded mouse. The only difference is the lack of cables.

This is not the first Roccat-branded mouse that uses the Owl-Eye sensor, though. The same is available in the Kone Pure and Kone EMP models.

Another aspect in which the Leadr outshines similar models is the separate lift-off sensor. You can configure the mouse to lose contact immediately after you lift it off the surface. If you are a fan of FPS where razor sharp accuracy is a top priority, you will find that feature particularly useful.

The Leadr is arguably the first wireless mouse I have tested that actually feels like a corded one. I mean, I was really impressed by the non-lag signal transmission and the mouse consistency.

Roccat Swarm Software

To make the most out of your Leadr, you need to fine-tune it via the Swarm software. The latter allows you to sync all Roccat-branded peripherals you use. I can firmly state that the software has undergone a significant improvement over the last few years. Now, it is more user-friendly, not to mention it allows you a greater freedom when it comes to customization.

The Swarm software enables you to reprogram each button of the Leadr and keep all essential functions near at hand. Also, you can create profiles for different games, alter the DPI, and the polling rate, and set a preferred RGB backlighting scheme.

Wrap Up

Keeping in mind the advanced features and design, I find it difficult to name a gaming genre the Leadr would be unsuitable for. Still, I want to recommend giving some thought to the following.

If you are a pro gamer who wants a sturdy device to use in tournaments, the Leadr is the ultimate weapon for you. However, if you are a casual player who has used streamlined, basic mice, you may consider the plethora of customization features an overkill.

Apart from the huge receiver, I have nothing negative to say about the Roccat Leadr. It comes with quite a hefty price tag, though. You will find it at vendor’s website for $139.99, but the good news is that you can always explore the available options at Amazon. If you have experienced the truthfulness of the phrase “Buy cheap, buy twice”, you will totally consider the Leadr as the next asset in your gaming arsenal.

Petya is a grammar fanatic and a cat lover. She has been playing mainly RPG and now, her attention is completely captured by the Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen and The Elder Scrolls Online. Her favorite hero is Sheogorath, the Prince of Madness. The main reason why she finds video games fascinating is the gameplay, the atmosphere and the fantastic worlds that serve her as an inspiration for drawing sketches.

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