Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse Review by Nathan Vansyckel

Overall Rating:

Get the Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse almost 25% for a limited time at Amazon.com!

To be honest, I wasn’t very excited about the SideWinder X8. Microsoft hasn’t impressed me much with their previous gaming mouse, the X5. Well, I just recently got the chance to try out the X8 at a friends house and…I’m impressed. The first and coolest thing about the X8 is its BlueTrack technology. This thing tracks flawlessly on all kinds of surfaces most notably a glass top desk.

The X8 is embracing an ever growing feature becoming predominant in gaming mice: it’s wireless. More and more I am becoming convinced that wireless mice are suitable for gaming, and the SideWinder X8 confirms this belief. Up to 30 hours of continuous play comes with each charge and its wireless receiver doubles as a charging dock letting you plug and play, for non-stop gaming.

3 DPI setting buttons let you toggle the X8’s sensitivity between low, medium, and high, maxing out at 4000 DPI. With the push of a button, you can adjust the sensitivity for both super crucial sniper shots, and fast paced spray fire shootouts. Coupled with it’s easy in game macro recording, the X8 has all the essential benefits I look for in a gaming mouse and a cool design to boot.

Check out this video review of the Microsoft SideWinder  X8 Mouse!

Take a look at all the benefits the Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse has to offer:

• Play and Charge dock provides up to 30 hours of active gaming on a single charge, or make use of the play and charge cable for non stop gaming.
• BlueTrack Technology processes images at a blazing 13,000 frames per second making it the most advanced tracking technology available.
• A 2.4 GHZ wireless connection provides best in class performance.
• On the fly DPI changes for maximum precision in any situation.
• Up to 7 programmable buttons. You get 5 customizable main buttons, and left/right tilt.

One of the biggest problems I had with previous Microsoft gaming mice was their ergonomics. The original SideWinder reminded me of an xbox controller. Big, bulky, and uncomfortable. The X8 has fixed this issue 10 fold, and is one very comfortable piece of equipment. They nixed all the sharp angles and the pointy back, leaving nothing but a comfortable, solid feel.

The last notable feature of the SideWinder X8 that definitely deserves mention is its hockey puck shaped charging unit/wireless receiver. No worrying about dead batteries with this thing, thanks to a play and charge cable which connects easily even mid-game. The charging unit also doubles as storage space for replacement mouse feet which can really come in handy on unconventional surfaces.

Take a look at what other users of the Microsoft SideWinder X8 have to say:

Aaron Smith,
“I just got the Microsoft SideWinder X8, and this thing is awesome! It not only works on every surface I’ve tried it on so far, but it performs on them as well. On the fly DPI adjustments are a must have for any gamer and I found the different DPI settings on the X8 work perfectly in FPS games. Battery life is good and the hockey puck charger is very convenient and cool! All around a very cool mouse and I give it a full 5 stars!” Read Full Review

Erik Meyer,
“The Microsoft SideWinder X8 is an excellent gaming mouse and the fact that it’s wireless makes it all the better. So far my favorite part about the SideWinder is its button placement. I am a big macro user, and the extra programmable buttons are in the perfect spots for me. The charging puck is incredibly cool and allows for plug and play charging so there’s never any downtime in your gaming. All in all, I’m very satisfied with the SideWinder X8 and I highly recommend it.” Read Full Review

Get the Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse nearly 25% off at Amazon.com!

Save nearly 25% on the Logitech G9x for a limited time at Amazon.com!

Last week we reviewed the Logitech G9 Gaming Mouse. And I have to say, it’s one of my favorites. Read the review here, if you missed it. That being said, we must share with you an improvement on this already amazing piece of equipment. The Logitech G9x has every benefit of that G9 plus a few more very important features.

Improvements in the laser engine that powers the G9x makes this mouse nearly 30% faster without sacrificing any of its trademark features. You can still change the grip, color, and weight of the mouse. However, now you can even create customized profiles to take on the go, thanks to the G9x’s on-board memory. Stay at the top of your game no matter where you are, whether it be an internet cafe or a LAN party.

Take a look at all the benefits the Logitech G9x has to offer:

• 2 interchangeable grips lets you customize this mouse to your perfect fit and feel.
• A 5000 dpi laser engine makes this one of the fastest mice on the market, only shadowed by the Razer Mamba.
• Adjust the dpi on the fly for different gaming situations like sniping or intense fire fights.
• On-board memory lets you program up to 5 different profiles.
• Customize specific profiles with different sensitivity, keyboard macros, and even the LED display color.
• The Logitech G9x comes with 28 grams of weights to customize this mouse to your weight preference.
• A custom color LED display lets you choose the color of your mouse to match the rest of your gaming system.
• Micro-Precision Scroll wheel, perfect for easy weapon selection in the middle of the action.

The Logitech G9x is really just an improvement on an already great mouse. The increase in dpi you get with this mouse, combined with all of its customizable features makes it one of the best gaming mouses on the market, and by far our favorite. No other mouse performs this well while allowing you to customize it to your fit and feel like the Logitech G9x gaming mouse.

Take a look at what current owners of the Logitech G9x have to say:
J. Storm,

“After using a Microsoft Sidewinder for about a year I decided to try out the Logitech G9x. This mouse exceeded my expectations and blows the Sidewinder away. It comes with two different grips to choose from. The textured grip is great for gamers with small hands and the smooth grip is a bit wider so it fits people with wider hands. The setup for this mouse took less than 5 minutes, and the settings were a breeze to customize. While this mouse is a bit pricey, it provides all the quality and performance I was looking for. I highly recommend it.”

John Jones,

“This mouse has features out the wazoo. You can adjust the sensitivity from 200 up to 5000 and to top it off you can save your custom profiles to the mouse. This is great for me because I migrate between computers alot. As far as performance goes this mouse is laser fast and the on the fly dpi change works like a charm. All in all, I am very satisfied with the G9x and I can definitely see why Maximum PC awarded it their kick ass award. I give this mouse a 10 out of 10.”

Save nearly 25% on this mouse for a limited time at Amazon.com!

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