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Vaxee OUTSET AX Mouse Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Mar 05, 2021 at 11:13 am
Latest change: Test bench update Dec 09, 2022 at 10:59 am
Vaxee OUTSET AX Picture
6.3
Office/Multimedia
8.1
Video Games (FPS)
6.8
Video Games (MMO)
7.8
Ultra-Light Gaming
5.1
Travel

The Vaxee OUTSET AX is an excellent, wired gaming mouse with a right-slanted design featuring a tall middle hump, a wide back, and textured surfaces on the L/R click buttons. Its shape is well-suited to palm and claw grips, but only those with extra-large hands are likely to find a fingertip grip comfortable. It has very low click latency, a low lift-off distance, and low CPI variation, but since it has no companion software, the mouse is stuck with only four default CPI settings onboard and none of its buttons are programmable.

Our Verdict

6.3 Office/Multimedia

The Vaxee OUTSET AX is only acceptable for office use. Despite a very sturdy-feeling build quality, you can't connect it wirelessly, and since there's no companion software, none of its buttons are programmable. The mouse wheel also lacks L/R tilt inputs and can't be unlocked for free scrolling. It should be comfortable for almost everyone using a palm or claw grip, but a fingertip grip will likely only be suitable if you have extra-large hands.

Pros
  • Excellent, very sturdy-feeling build quality.
  • Comfortable, right-slanted design.
Cons
  • Wired-only.
  • Scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt inputs and can't be unlocked for free scrolling.
  • No programable buttons as there's no companion software.
8.1 Video Games (FPS)

The Vaxee OUTSET AX is an excellent FPS gaming mouse. It's fairly light, has low click latency, and very sturdy-feeling build quality. It also has a very good cable, outstanding mouse feet that glide well across mousepads, and a low lift-off distance. It should be comfortable for almost all hand sizes with a palm or claw grip, but a fingertip grip is likely only suitable for extra-large hands. Unfortunately, you can't reprogram buttons as there's no companion software, and there are only four onboard CPI settings.

Pros
  • Excellent, very sturdy-feeling build quality.
  • Comfortable, right-slanted design.
  • Low click latency and lift-off distance.
  • Fairly lightweight.
Cons
  • Limited to four onboard CPI settings.
  • No programable buttons as there's no companion software.
6.8 Video Games (MMO)

The Vaxee OUTSET AX is only passable for MMO gaming. Despite a shape that should be comfortable for most people to use in a palm or claw grip, only those with very large hands will be able to use this mouse in fingertip grip. It has very low click latency and a low lift-off distance, but it only has two side buttons, and since there's no companion software, they aren't programmable. Also, it doesn't have scroll wheel L/R tilt inputs, and there are only four onboard CPI settings.

Pros
  • Excellent, very sturdy-feeling build quality.
  • Comfortable, right-slanted design.
  • Low click latency and lift-off distance.
Cons
  • Limited to four onboard CPI settings.
  • Not nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO mouse.
  • No programable buttons as there's no companion software.
7.8 Ultra-Light Gaming

The Vaxee OUTSET AX is an excellent mouse for ultra-light gaming as it's fairly lightweight and has a very low click latency. It also has a very good cable and remarkable mouse feet that glide smoothly across mousepads. Unfortunately, it has no companion software and only has four onboard CPI settings. It's well-suited to almost all hand sizes in palm and claw grip, although a fingertip grip will likely only be comfortable if you have extra-large hands.

Pros
  • Excellent, very sturdy-feeling build quality.
  • Comfortable, right-slanted design.
  • Low click latency and lift-off distance.
  • Fairly lightweight.
Cons
  • Limited to four onboard CPI settings.
  • No programable buttons as there's no companion software.
5.1 Travel

The Vaxee OUTSET AX isn't suitable for travel use. It's taller and broader than dedicated travel mice, so you may not be able to fit it into some laptop cases, and as a wired mouse, it may be more cumbersome to use in spaces like trains or planes.

Pros
  • Excellent, very sturdy-feeling build quality.
Cons
  • May be too bulky for some laptop cases.
  • Wired-only.
  • 6.3 Office/Multimedia
  • 8.1 Video Games (FPS)
  • 6.8 Video Games (MMO)
  • 7.8 Ultra-Light Gaming
  • 5.1 Travel
  1. Updated Dec 09, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update simplifies our Weight test and expands on our CPI test from Test Bench 1.1, resulting in changes to test results in both sections. For more details, you can see our complete changelog here.
  2. Updated Nov 17, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update revamps our Click Latency test and results in changes to test results. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
  3. Updated Apr 29, 2021: Minor text update for clarity.
  4. Updated Mar 05, 2021: Review published.
  5. Updated Mar 02, 2021: Early access published.
  6. Updated Feb 28, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Feb 24, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  8. Updated Feb 16, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The unit we tested was the Vaxee OUTSET AX (matte black), and there's one other variant, the Vaxee OUTSET AX G (gloss white), though we expect them to perform the same as they only differ in color and coating. You can see our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Mice

The Vaxee OUTSET AX is an excellent gaming mouse aimed at the esports community. This mouse is often compared to the BenQ Zowie EC2, which isn't surprising as members of the Vaxee team were original Zowie founders. The similarities are largely down to design language, but there are also philosophical similarities. It's advertised as a no-frills gaming mouse that emphasizes design and performance. It lacks certain features that have become common in the gaming mouse industry, like RGB lighting and companion software, but some gamers may appreciate this more focused approach. For other options, see our recommendations for the best mouse, the best wired mouse, and the best gaming mouse.

Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01

The Vaxee OUTSET AX and the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 share the same right-handed shape, but the OUTSET AX is slightly taller, and it has much lower latency. On the other hand, the ZYGEN accommodates more hand sizes using a claw or fingertip grip, and its paracord-like cable feels more flexible. Neither mouse has customization software, so you can't easily reprogram any of the buttons or adjust the CPI, so you can only cycle through four preset settings. On the bright side, both have a very low lift-off distance.

Logitech G703 LIGHTSPEED with HERO Sensor

The Vaxee OUTSET AX and the Logitech G703 LIGHTSPEED with HERO Sensor are excellent gaming mice with similar shapes. The Vaxee is a wired mouse with a slightly taller hump, a fuller back, and textured L/R mouse clicks. It's also significantly lighter than the Logitech, but it has no companion software and only four default CPI settings onboard. The Logitech is wireless, has a slightly lower click latency, lower CPI variation, and a much broader CPI range. It also has companion software that lets you set the CPI much more precisely, and it allows you to reprogram buttons and set custom RGB lighting.

BenQ ZOWIE EC2

The Vaxee OUTSET AX and the BenQ ZOWIE EC2 are wired gaming mice with similar designs, but the Vaxee is a better mouse overall. The Vaxee has a significantly sturdier-feeling build quality, it's lighter, it's slightly taller and wider, and it has textured surfaces on the L/R click buttons. It also has better cable and mouse feet, lower click latency, and a lower lift-off distance. Both mice lack companion software, and they only have four default onboard CPI settings.

Razer Viper Mini

The Vaxee Outset AX and the Razer Viper Mini are wired gaming mice, but the Razer is slightly a better gaming mouse overall. It's significantly lighter, has lower click latency, has full RGB lighting, and includes robust companion software for adjusting settings. The Vaxee has a lower lift-off distance, but it lacks RGB lighting, has no companion software, and only has four default CPI settings onboard. The Vaxee is a right-handed mouse that's particularly well-suited for a palm grip, regardless of hand size, while the Razer is an ambidextrous mouse that's ideal for fingertip grip, regardless of hand size.

BenQ ZOWIE S2

The Vaxee OUTSET AX and the BenQ ZOWIE S2 are both similarly-shaped, wired gaming mice, but the Vaxee is a better mouse overall. The Vaxee is slightly lighter, has a slightly taller hump, a wider back, and a sturdier-feeling build quality. It also has a more flexible cable, a lower click latency, and a lower lift-off distance. Unfortunately, since both mice lack companion software, none of the buttons are reprogrammable, and both mice only have four default CPI settings onboard.

GLORIOUS Model O

The Vaxee OUTSET AX and the GLORIOUS Model O are both excellent wired gaming mice. The Vaxee has a much lower click latency and a somewhat sturdier-feeling build quality, but it doesn't have RGB or companion software, and it only has four default onboard CPI settings. Comparatively, The GLORIOUS has a honeycomb body that makes it substantially lighter. It also has RGB lighting and companion software that allows you to manage precise CPI settings, reprogram buttons, and set custom lighting profiles, but the software isn't compatible with macOS.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type
Standard
Lighting Color No Lighting

The Vaxee OUTSET AX has a strong, right-handed slant with a tall hump in the center and a wide back. The body is smooth, matte black plastic throughout, but the L/R buttons are textured, and the mouse wheel is rubberized.

Design
Shape
Length 4.6" (117 mm)
Height 1.7" (43 mm)
Width 2.6" (66 mm)
Grip Width
61 mm
5.6
Design
Portability
Volume
20.50 in³ (336 cm³)
Cable/Receiver Storing
No
8.5
Design
Build Quality

It has a sturdy-feeling solid plastic body that has almost no flex when pressure is applied. It also has no loose or rattling parts and no noticeable wobble in the buttons or the mouse wheel.

7.0
Design
Weight
Lowest Weight
86.5 g
Default Weight
86.5 g
Weight Distribution
Centered
Extra Weights
No

This is a fairly lightweight mouse, though it's a bit heavier than dedicated ultra-light mice like the GLORIOUS Model O, the EQEOVGA D10 RGB, or the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S.

8.5
Design
Comfort Of Use
Right-handed
Yes
Left-handed
No
Ambidextrous
No
Coating
Matte
Finger Rest
No

It has a comfortable, right-handed design that's very well-suited for palm and claw grips. It has well-placed side buttons that aren't too far forward and a high middle hump that provides good support for your hand. However, It also has textured L/R buttons that you may need time to adjust to. For a mouse with an ambidextrous design, check out the BenQ Zowie ZA11-B.

Design
Palm Grip: Hand Size Recommendation
Small Hand
Yes
Medium Hand
Yes
Large Hand
Yes
X.Large Hand
Yes

This mouse should be comfortable to use with a palm grip for all hand sizes.

Design
Claw Grip: Hand Size Recommendation
Small Hand
No
Medium Hand
Yes
Large Hand
Yes
X.Large Hand
Yes

Most people should be able to use this mouse comfortably using a claw grip, but if you have small hands, you may find the mouse wheel is too far forward. If you'd prefer a gaming mouse that's well-suited to small hands using a claw grip, check out the BenQ ZOWIE FK2-B or the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01.

Design
Fingertip Grip: Hand Size Recommendation
Small Hand
No
Medium Hand
No
Large Hand
No
X.Large Hand
Yes

This mouse has a tall middle hump and wide back that make a fingertip grip unsuitable for most hand sizes. However, if you have extra-large hands, it shouldn't pose any problems.

0
Design
Wireless Versatility
Bluetooth
No
Receiver
No
Battery Type
No Batteries
Use When Charging
No
On/Off Activation
None
Receiver Extender
No
Battery Indicator No

For a similar gaming mouse that connects wirelessly, check out the SteelSeries Prime Wireless.

8.0
Design
Cable
Connectivity Wired
Cable Length 7.0 ft (2.1 m)
Cable Type
Paracord-like
Permanent Kink
Yes
Port Type: Mouse End
No Port
Port Type: PC End
USB

The Vaxee OUTSET AX's cable is very good, but it's relatively stiff for a paracord-like cable, and it retains a lot of kinks from the packaging.

9.0
Design
Mouse Feet
Gliding Experience
Good
Material
Virgin Grade PTFE
Extra Included
No

The Vaxee OUTSET AX has superb mouse feet that move smoothly across mousepads without much drag and only scratch slightly across desks. We could not find third-party feet for sale, but Vaxee sells replacements of varying thicknesses on their website.

Design
In The Box

  • Vaxee OUTSET AX mouse
  • USB cover

Control
4.2
Control
Buttons
Buttons Activation
Mechanical
Total Number Of Buttons
8
Number Of Side Buttons
2
Number Of Programmable Inputs
0
Profile Switching Button
No
CPI (DPI) Switching Button
Yes
Gesture Support
No

The Vaxee OUTSET AX has eight buttons, including two on the left side and three on the bottom. The buttons on the bottom allow you to cycle between preset polling rates and CPI settings, as well as adjust debounce time, which is the time before the mouse will register another click. Some competitive gamers may appreciate having this setting to avoid accidental double-clicks, but it isn't something we test.

8.5
Control
Click Latency
Expected Connection
5.8 ms
Wired
5.8 ms
Receiver
N/A
Bluetooth
N/A

It has very low click latency that should feel very responsive, and even competitive gamers likely won't notice any delays.

9.6
Control
CPI
SRAV @ 1600 CPI
-0.10%
SRAV @ 800 CPI
0.04%
SRAV @ 400 CPI
0.17%
SRAV @ Fixed CPI
N/A
Precision Error Between Speeds
0.15%
Precision Error Between CPI
0.32%
Worst Tracking Error
-1.00%
Minimum CPI
400 CPI
Maximum CPI
3,200 CPI
CPI Adjustment Steps
N/A
Control
Sensor Specifications
Sensor Technology
Optical (LED)
Sensor Model
PixArt PMW3389
Works On Glass
No
Minimum Lift Off Distance
1.2 mm
Maximum Polling Rate
1000 Hz

The Vaxee OUTSET AX has onboard sensor presets that you can cycle between using buttons on the bottom. There are four CPI presets: 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. There are three polling rate settings: 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. There are three debounce settings (which adjust the period before another mouse click will register) at 2ms, 4ms, and 8ms, though this isn't something we test. If you'd like a similar gaming mouse with a CPI you can adjust by steps of 50, check out the ROCCAT Kone Pure Ultra. Or, if you're interested in a mouse with a CPI you can adjust even more precisely by steps of one, check out the Corsair SABRE PRO.

Control
Mouse Wheel
Scroll Wheel
Notched Wheel
Scroll Wheel Steps
24 Steps
Scroll Wheel Tilt
No
Thumb Wheel
No
Thumb Wheel Steps
No Thumb Wheel

It has a mouse wheel with well-defined notches and a rubber grip that allows for fairly precise scrolling. Unfortunately, the mouse wheel click is somewhat stiff, and the scrolling sound is loud enough that it may be irritating to some people.

Control
Noise
Click Noise
Quiet

While the mouse clicks are quiet, scrolling the mouse wheel is quite loud.

Operating System And Software
0
Operating System And Software
Compatible Software Option
Software Name No software
Software Windows Compatibility
No
Software macOS Compatibility
No
Account Needed
No Software
On-Board Memory
No
CPI (DPI) Adjustment
No
Polling Rate Adjustment
No
Profile Configuration
No
RGB On/Off
No

This mouse has no companion software. If you're interested in a similar mouse with companions software for customization compatible with Windows and macOS, check out the Corsair SABRE RGB PRO.

10
Operating System And Software
Mouse Compatibility
Windows Compatibility Fully
macOS Compatibility Fully

The Vaxee OUTSET AX is fully compatible with Windows and macOS.