The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is a lightweight gaming mouse with a soft-touch plastic honeycomb body, two side buttons on the left, and a button behind the scroll wheel that cycles CPI settings by default. It also has buttons on the underside to switch the CPI indicator light on or off and cycle the available polling rates. It has a comfortable, right-handed shape that's almost universally suitable for all hand sizes using any grip type. However, small hands may have difficulty reaching the front side button using a fingertip grip. It feels well-built overall, but the mouse rattles somewhat when you shake it. Also, the right-click button on our unit feels noticeably cheaper than the left-click button, and it failed to register several clicks during our tests. Performance-wise, it has a low lift-off distance, and you can adjust the CPI by increments of 50 within a wide range. Unfortunately, the click latency is high for a gaming mouse, and if you frequently play competitive or fast-paced games, you may prefer a more responsive-feeling option.
Our Verdict
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is adequate for office and multimedia work. It feels well-built overall and has a comfortable right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes. You can also reprogram all of the buttons on the top of the mouse using the customization software. Unfortunately, there aren't any wireless connectivity options, and the scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and a free-scrolling mode.
-
Feels well-built overall.
-
Comfortable, right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes.
-
Scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and a free-scrolling mode.
-
Wired-only.
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is good for FPS gaming. However, it has high click latency, and we experienced some quality control issues with our unit where our right-click button failed to register several clicks during testing. Otherwise, it feels well built, it's lightweight, and its shape is nearly universally suitable for all grip types and hand sizes. It also has a paracord-like cable with minimal drag and mouse feet that glide smoothly on mousepads and desks. You can adjust the CPI in increments of 50 within a broad range, and it has a low lift-off distance, though it isn't as low as some other gaming mice.
-
Lightweight.
-
Comfortable, right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes.
-
High click latency.
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is decent for MMO gaming, but it doesn't have nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO gaming mouse. Nevertheless, you can program all of the buttons on the top of the mouse using the customization software. It feels relatively well-built overall and has a comfortable, right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and almost all hand sizes. Performance-wise, it has a low lift-off distance, and you can adjust the CPI precisely by increments of 50 within a broad range. Unfortunately, it has high click latency, and there's no way to assign a button to cycle through custom profiles.
-
Comfortable, right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes.
-
All buttons are reprogrammable.
-
High click latency.
-
Not nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO gaming mouse.
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is an impressive ultra-light gaming mouse. It's lightweight and feels well-built overall, but we experienced an issue on our unit where our right-click button failed to register several inputs during testing. It also has high click latency for a gaming mouse, and those who play fast-paced or competitive games will likely prefer a more responsive-feeling option. Nevertheless, it has a comfortable right-handed shape that's nearly universally suitable for all grip types and hand sizes. Its paracord-like cable is flexible, and its mouse feet glide smoothly on mousepads and desks. It also has a low lift-off distance, a wide CPI range, and you can adjust the set CPI precisely by increments of 50.
-
Lightweight.
-
Comfortable, right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes.
-
High click latency.
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is inadequate for travel as it's bulky and likely won't fit in most laptop cases. It's also a wired-only mouse without any wireless connectivity options, making it cumbersome to use in tight spaces like buses, trains, or planes. That said, it has a comfortable shape suitable for nearly all hand sizes using any grip type, and it feels relatively well-built overall. It also has onboard memory for using custom settings on computers without the software installed.
-
Comfortable, right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes.
-
Wired-only.
-
Bulky; may not fit in most laptop cases.
- 6.8 Office/Multimedia
- 7.9 Video Games (FPS)
- 7.1 Video Games (MMO)
- 8.3 Ultra-Light Gaming
- 5.2 Travel
- Updated Oct 13, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Oct 07, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Jul 08, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jul 05, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 15, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S we tested is black, and there are no other color variants. While not a variant, there's a closely related version of this mouse called the Dream Machines DM6 Holey. This related mouse appears functionally identical but has a PixArt PMW3360 sensor instead of the PixArt PMW3389 sensor on our unit. There's an additional wireless version of this mouse called the Dream Machines Holey DUO with a PixArt PMW3335 sensor. We expect the DM6 Holey and the DM6 Holey DUO to perform differently from the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S we tested. Typically, we include a photo of the mouse's label, but there's no relevant label to photograph on our unit of the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S.
Compared To Other Mice
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is an impressive lightweight gaming mouse with a similar shape to the BenQ ZOWIE EC1. It has a conventional plastic body with honeycomb-shaped cutouts to reduce the overall weight. Unlike some lightweight gaming mice, it has very minimal RGB lighting, and the lighting it does have only acts as a CPI indicator rather than a decorative element. While RGB enthusiasts may be disappointed with this, those looking for the lightest mouse possible may appreciate this streamlined approach that adds as little overall weight as possible. It also has a dedicated button on the underside to adjust the polling rate, a rare feature on gaming mice that you can use if you want to change the polling rate on the fly without using the software.
For more options, see our picks for the best wired mice, the best gaming mice, and the best lightweight mice.
The Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT is a better ultra-lightweight gaming mouse than the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S. The Logitech connects either wirelessly with its USB receiver or wired with its charging cable. It's somewhat lighter and feels sturdier. It also has feet that glide more smoothly, a wider CPI range, a lower lift-off distance, and a much lower click latency. On the other hand, the Dream Machines is a wired-only mouse. It has a button behind the scroll wheel and an LED light to indicate the CPI setting, two features the Logitech lacks.
The Razer Viper Mini is a better wired gaming mouse than the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S. The Razer is marginally lighter and feels sturdier. It also has better quality mouse feet and much lower click latency. Also, you can assign a HyperShift button to enable a secondary layer of commands. On the other hand, the Dream Machines has a higher maximum CPI, and it lets you adjust the set CPI more precisely. The Razer is better suited for small hands, while the Dream Machines is almost universally suitable for all hand sizes using any grip type.
The Cooler Master MM710 is a better ultra-lightweight wired gaming mouse than the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S. The Cooler Master is lighter and has a more flexible cable that doesn't retain as many kinks. It also has mouse feet that glide more smoothly, a higher maximum CPI, a lower lift-off distance, and better click latency. On the other hand, the Dream Machines feels somewhat sturdier, and you can adjust the CPI more precisely. Both mice are suitable for all grip types, but the Dream Machines is much more accommodating to a wider range of hand sizes.
The GLORIOUS Model O and the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S are ultra-lightweight wired gaming mice, but the GLORIOUS performs better overall. The GLORIOUS feels sturdier and has a more flexible cable. It also has mouse feet that glide more smoothly, a more consistent sensor, a lower lift-off distance, and lower click latency. On the other hand, the Dream Machines has a wider CPI range, and you can adjust the CPI more precisely. Both mice are suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes, but the GLORIOUS has an ambidextrous shape, while the Dream Machines has a right-handed shape.
The Razer DeathAdder V2 is a better wired gaming mouse than the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S. The Razer feels sturdier and has better quality mouse feet. It also has a wider CPI range, a more precisely adjustable CPI, a lower minimum lift-off distance, and a much lower click latency. Additionally, you can assign a HyperShift button to enable a secondary layer of customization. On the other hand, The Dream Machines is lighter and has a more flexible cable. Both mice are suitable for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes. However, the Dream Machines is suitable for small hands using a claw grip, while the Razer isn't.
Test Results
If you're interested in a similar gaming mouse that's marginally lighter and has a solid plastic shell without honeycomb cutouts, check out the SteelSeries Prime Mini.
The Dream Machines DM6 Holey S' build quality feels good overall, but there's a slight rattle when you shake the mouse. Additionally, the right-click button feels cheaper than the left-click button on our unit, and it failed to register clicks several times during our tests. We haven't encountered any other reports online of this issue, and it may be a problem with our unit specifically. If you have this mouse and have experienced this or another issue, let us know in the discussions.
If you're looking for a gaming mouse with a similar weight but an ambidextrous shape and a pair of side buttons on either side, check out the Keychron M1.
The available polling rate options on the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S are 125Hz, 500Hz, 800Hz, and 1000Hz. The minimum advertised CPI is 400, but you're able to set the CPI as low as 200 using the customization software. You can also program up to six CPI settings per profile and cycle between them using the button behind the scroll wheel by default.
You can reprogram all of the buttons on the top of the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S. However, you can't reprogram the up/down scroll inputs of the scroll wheel, and you have to have at least one button assigned as a left-click at all times. There are also two unlabeled buttons on the underside of the mouse below the sensor. The button on the left turns the LED lighting on/off, and the button on the right cycles the polling rates.
At the time of writing, there's a broken download link on the manufacturer's website for the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S configuration software. However, we were able to download the software from a third-party site for our tests. The software for the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S is easy to use and well laid out. However, there's no way to adjust the polling rate or assign a dedicated button to cycle between custom profiles.