Few things are more frustrating in-game than a faulty mouse. After years of heavy use, even some of the best gaming mouse options are known to suffer from degradation in the left and right click buttons, resulting in faulty behavior. At CES 2021 today, Asus introduced a potential solution in the Asus ROG Gladius III and ROG Gladius III Wireless. 

Similar to the Asus ROG Chakram that Asus announced last year, the ROG Gladius III will offer the ability to swap out the switches in its left and right click buttons. Asus claims to have updated this mechanism, dubbed the Push-Fit Switch Socket II. While the ROG Chakram only supports 3-pin Omron mechanical micro switches, Asus’ new mouse will also support 5-pin Omron optical micro switches, bringing more options and jumping on the optical mechanical trend that’s getting more popular among gaming mice and even more among the best gaming keyboards.

Asus’ Push-Fit Socket II will not only allow gamers to easily replace deteriorating switches but also change the feel of their clicks. The ROG Chakram came with two pairs of switches. Asus hasn’t yet confirmed what will come in the box with the Gladius III. 

The ROG Gladius III will compete with the best wireless mouse contenders and wired ones, as it’ll be available in both wireless or wired form and come with a Paracord cable that’s supposed to fight drag.

Asus is also equipping the ROG Gladius III with 100% PTFE feet, which should help the mouse glide around easily, especially if Asus is generous with the application. 

All that is enough to make the ROG Gladius III stand out, but Asus also included some inscriptions in the mouse’s side that almost look like alien writing to decode until you realize it’s just some laser-engraved Asus branding.

With up to 19,000 CPI and options to use a 2.4 GHz dongle or Bluetooth connection for the wireless or to go wired, we’re interested in seeing how Asus’ new rat performs. In our Asus ROG Chakram review, we noted that removable left and right click buttons made for a bit of a clunky, cheaper feel. We’ll see if Asus tackled those complaints with the ROG Gladius III when it comes out in Q2. The wireless version will be available in mid-late May for $109.99 and the wired version in April for $79.99.