PC gaming has got a lot to offer, but massively multiplayer online (MMO) games have been around for a long time. If you haven’t heard of World of Warcraft, then you must have just emerged from the same doomsday cult as Kimmy Schmidt. There are plenty of other games, though. I preferred Everquest back in the day.

And for gamers who enjoy MMO games, there is an understood pain in quickly accessing hotkeys. Maybe you need to quickly cast a buff, a healing spell, or an area of effect (AoE) attack. Or you need to use some potions. Or any other of the myriad actions that are integral to many of the MMO games out there. Regardless of what you’re doing, it’s certain that you’ll be doing something. And likely you’ll be wanting to do a lot of somethings. As quickly as possible.

Enter MMO gaming mice. They’ve been around for a while and now Kaliber Gaming is leaping into the fray with the MMOMENTUM Pro MMO Gaming Mouse, which is a little bit of a mouthful, but gaming peripherals never promised to be easy to say. Just easy to use, when they’re made well.

Dedicated MMO mice feature customizable side buttons for gamers to create hotkeys in reach of nimble thumbs and fingers. But the hotkeys are only part of it. It’s also about the shape of the mouse, the quality of the build, and all of the other little features in between.

Let’s investigate what you’ll get from the Kaliber Gaming line and what to expect when using this MMO gaming mouse.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

All you’re getting is a mouse. There’s not much else you should require. I mean, there’s the quick start guide and the warranty card, but there’s only a minority of people that even glance at those before brazenly plugging in the mouse and getting to business—or play, I guess.

The GME680 (technical jargon) is a corded mouse with a nylon braided cord, a matte black plastic design, and enough features to satisfy a gamer who’s wanting to start playing rather than get lost in all of the review hunting, website browsing, and general research.

The corded cable is the standard USB 2.0 connection and it’s compatible with Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, as well as Mac OS X 10.3+1. It should be noted that the UI software is not compatible with Mac OS.

AESTHETICS AND BUILD QUALITY

It looks comparable with other gaming mice that I’ve seen and used. It doesn’t sport as many programmable buttons on the side as some other mice I’ve researched before. Instead of 12 hotkey buttons on the side, it only has four. That may frustrate some gamers, but there are at least 12 programmable buttons in total. Though that includes your left- and right-click, as well as the scroller wheel.

The ergonomic design is comfortable, however. I never tired of using the mouse during my time with it, and there are adjustable weight settings if you have such a sensitivity to weight that you feel the need to tinker with those.

Overall, I like the look of the MMOMENTUM. It’s got a combination of matte black plastic, glossy black buttons, and translucent plastic where the RGB LED illumination pulses through and lights up the gaming space.

There are eleven different lighting modes, as well, so you can customize that look for a more personalized gaming experience. It reminded me of HVER PRO X RGB Optical-Mechanical Keyboard that I reviewed from Kaliber Gaming a while back.

For $59.95, there are some gaps filled by other, more expensive gaming mice—some also designed for MMO games—but it’s a good start and a very suitable pick for anyone who has a ceiling to their gaming budget.

GAMEPLAY

The MMOMENTUM Pro MMO Gaming Mouse is designed with MMO/MOBA gamers in mind. World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and others are all ready for your agile hands and deft fingers. 12 programmable buttons await you and your macros.

Custom keybinding is essential in PC gaming for players that want to optimize their playstyle between the mouse and the keyboard. Unnecessary movements can be eliminated by finding the right configuration between all of the shortcut keys and buttons available. I felt that the latest hardware from Kaliber Gaming had enough to get the job done, but it lacked the volume of options available at similar or higher price points depending on the gaming mouse. Corsair, Razer, and Logitech all have some choices that are heftier with regards to the suite of features that comes packaged with the mouse.

The RGB backlighting is an aesthetic element for me. There’s not much gameplay value derived from having a kaleidoscope of lights bouncing around my darkened office, though it is worth mentioning that it’s also easy to see in the dark. Maybe that’s the most valuable advantage with pulsing colors: not fumbling around in the pitch black trying to remember where the mouse is.

Button presses and clicks were precise with the MMOMENTUM. It’s equipped with an adjustable 16,000 dpi ultra-responsive optical chipset. There were some times when I encountered barely-discernible moments of lag between the mouse and the response on the computer, on both the Mac and the PC that I tested it on, but I’m unsure if those are specific to my laptops rather than the mouse. It’s something that I’d keep an eye on if you’re considering the gaming mouse. I don’t have a custom-built gaming desktop or a fully spec’d out laptop, so it’s possible the issue was not with the MMOMENTUM.

For all the time I used the mouse, it never became uncomfortable. It was a relaxed grip for all five of my fingers, with my thumb resting on the side, ready to use any of the hotkey buttons there. Gamers could reasonably expect prolonged use without much discomfort. I’m not a daily MMO gamer, though, so it’s possible that excessive thumb movements toward buttons might get ache-y over time. That criticism can’t really be leveled at the MMOMENTUM, however. That’s likely to occur with any MMO gaming mouse.

Again, I enjoyed my time with it. The wide rest on the right side for my ring finger and pinky felt good. And if I got really into it, I might take out some of the weights for longer play sessions.

The last big thing to mention is the Kaliber Gaming user interface software. You can set up user profiles—for work and play—and the gaming mouse has the programmability needed to set up the right configuration for each player. I like that you can program it to be useful in other ways than just gaming. Involved projects like Photoshop, AutoCAD, or Solidworks are all doable with this mouse.

SPECS

If you want a more detailed look at the specs, they’re listed below:

• USB 2.0 eSports professional optical gaming mouse

• 12 programmable buttons with custom programming software

• Non-slip rubber coated click wheel and thumb rest

• Up to 16,000dpi with shift-on-the-fly adjustment

• Instantly switch between 5 profiles

• Adjustable weight system for precision tuning

• Sculptured housing designed for MMO gaming

• RGB LED backlighting with “breathing” effect

• Pixart PMW 3389 sensor

• 128K built-in memory

• 125/500/1000Hz adjustable report rate

• 15,000 fps frame rate

• 400 ips speed

WHAT IT COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

For $59.95, the MMOMENTUM is close in price to high-end gaming mice, that range from $60 to $80. Some buyers might wonder if it shouldn’t have more features. The UI software is nice, the programmability is useful, but the main feature—the hotkey buttons for MMO gaming—doesn’t compare as well to other mice.

The main block of buttons only features four slots. Other gaming mice have 12 buttons. The MMOMENTUM has 12 buttons total, while other gaming peripherals sport 16, 17, or 18 programmable buttons across the entire mouse.

It’s a deficit that gamers will want to consider. If you’re not a big hotkey person, then this may not bug you. But if you’re searching for a mouse that can remove some of the hassles and feature the most programmability possible, then the MMOMENTUM might not be for you.

The Kaliber Gaming line from IOGEAR has been a budget-friendly option for gamers. Something that gets the job done nicely without overdrafting the checking account. There are also some more expensive choices, though, that exist in a middle ground, like the mechanical keyboard I reviewed earlier this year. The MMOMENTUM is in that second category. This isn’t the cheapest option out there. It’s affordable. Just not a bargain. So it will be up to the individual gamer to decide whether it’s worth the $59.95.

VERDICT

The MMOMENTUM Pro MMO Gaming Mouse has a lot going for it. It’s sleek. The flared edges and ergonomic design offer both style and comfort. And the programmable buttons make gaming that much easier with shortcuts within quick and easy reach of your fingers.

There are some drawbacks. The price isn’t too far off some of the biggest names in the business, and those gaming mice offer a little bit more for the hardware connoisseurs.

All in all, the MMOMENTUM is a great choice for gamers who need more than your average mouse. It’s ready for all of the MMO gaming you will want and it’s able to accommodate a high level of customization to get it fitted just for you.