Roccat is seemingly constantly refining its iconic Kone mouse with different versions to suit various tastes.

A while back we saw the stunning Roccat Kone XP with its glorious 3D RGB lighting and 15 programmable buttons. Since then the company released a wireless version of that mouse with even more RGB. Not everyone is a fan of rainbow colours or having a glowing hand though, so along came the much more understated Roccat Kone Air.

This mouse offers some of the best features of those other mice (including Titan Optical switches, a 19K optical sensor and more) but with a much more office-friendly aesthetic. Perfect if you want something capable but slightly more subtle.

How does it stand up against the competition though? We’ve been gaming with it to find out.

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Comfortable ergonomics

The one thing we’ve always liked about the Roccat Kone design is the size and shape of the thing. That’s still true with the pleasantly understated Kone Air. This mouse is available in two colours, white or black, but both have that same subtle appeal to them.

The Kone Air is a great mouse for those with larger hands. It has a matte finish through the middle of the mouse and on the main buttons but either side sports textured rubber grips to make it easy to hold.

There’s a pleasant indent on the left side for your thumb and a smidge of a thumb rest there too. Though there’s also a button on the bottom that controls Roccat’s Easy-Shift settings.

This button is a push-to-toggle button that opens up a number of other actions that you can set up with Roccat’s Swarm software. This then transforms the mouse taking it from nine buttons that exist at the hardware level to 17 possible programmable functions.

We do however think that the position of the Easy-Shift button makes it a bit tricky to press and hold while then using some of the other buttons. Especially the side buttons, where you’d have to use the tip of your thumb for the Easy-Shift button and the bottom of it for the side buttons. This will of course vary depending on the size, shape and dexterity of your hand.

That small problem aside though, we thoroughly enjoy the comfort this mouse offers. It fits wonderfully in the hand and is easy to use for hours.

Wireless with a difference

• Compatible with 1 or 2 AA Batteries
• 2.4GHz Stellar Wireless or Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity
• No USB wired connection

Unlike a lot of the other wireless gaming mice we’ve tried, the Roccat Kone Air isn’t powered by a built-in battery, but instead by removable AA batteries. This is useful in some ways, as it means the batteries will always be replaceable, so it might last longer than other mice where an integral battery will slowly wear out over time. It also means there’s no need for cables to charge this mouse, so that frees up space on your desk.

The Kone Air can be happily powered by a single AA battery, but there’s room under the hood for two, which will give you a lot more battery life. Roccat claims as much as 800 hours, though that’s likely via Bluetooth. We certainly found we managed a good couple of weeks on one battery before we hit any issues.

This mouse offers two connection options – 2.4GHz Stellar Wireless or Bluetooth 5.1. To use the wireless you’ll need to connect the included dongle to your PC and this gives a solid, low-latency connection. We found no issues here and it performed well both in gaming and for everyday use.

There’s a switch on the underside that allows you to change between the two modes and a small housing inside the mouse where you can pop the dongle when it’s not in use.

Obviously, it’s nice to have the convenience of two wireless connections and that’s something we’ve seen missing on some more expensive mice.

That said though, there are some potential problems if you enjoy customisation options. The mouse only has onboard storage for a single profile. So you won’t be changing settings for different games very easily.

You do have the ability to switch DPI level from the button behind the mouse wheel though, so you can make simple adjustments, with five levels you can flick between.

It’s the little things that make this mouse great too. There’s a tiny LED indicator behind the mouse wheel which changes colour when you switch DPI so you know what level you’re on. That also flashes a warning when the batteries are running low too.

Premium specs without the price tag

• Roccat Titan Switch Optical with 100 million click guarantee
• 1,000Hz polling rate
• Roccat Owl-Eye 19K Optical Sensor, 50g Acceleration

With a more affordable price point, you might think that Roccat would have skimped on specs a bit, but that’s not the case. The Kone Air sports the same tried and trusted Roccat Owl-Eye sensor and Titan Switch Optical setup as its other mice.

So it’s reliable, durable and accurate too. The buttons offer a crisp click feel without an obnoxious sound and its responsive during gaming sessions as well. There’s no pre-travel to speak of, so it’s both delightful to game with and to use for work as well.

Verdict

The Roccat Kone Air is another great effort from the company. If you have larger hands or just want a gaming mouse without in-your-face RGB lighting but with specs that’ll hold up in gaming sessions, then this is a great option.