Zaunkoenig M2K Mouse Review

This mouse has an outer shell made of carbon fiber. The unit we bought and tested has a matte sandblasted finish, and the scroll wheel is made of plastic with a ceramic coating. Unlike most mice, this mouse doesn't have a bottom plate, so the underside of the mouse is open, and the PCB and other internal components are visible.

This mouse doesn't have a baseplate, and the underside is open, revealing the interior. You can see a photo of what the bottom of the mouse looks like here. Because the 3D scanning tool used for this test has a limited ability to capture open spaces, the underside of the mouse was covered with tape during the scanning process to produce a more accurate and readable 3D scan.

Note: This is a True Ambidextrous mouse. While it doesn't have software allowing you to swap the position of the left- and right-clicks, you can switch their position in the Mouse settings in Windows and macOS.

The Zaunkoenig M2K has excellent build quality. Although exceptionally lightweight, the carbon fiber shell feels high quality, and the sandblasted finish provides a slightly rough and chalky feel that helps you maintain a good grip, even with sweaty hands. There is a version of this mouse with a glossy finish, though it was discontinued early due to concerns it was too slippery. There are no wobbling parts or rattling sounds when you shake the mouse, but there's there is a minor degree of flexibility and some creaking if you apply significant pressure to the shell. Additionally, the left- and right-clicks flex somewhat if you press forcefully into the center of the buttons. However, these issues don't make the mouse feel flimsy.

This mouse is exceptionally lightweight, which makes it extremely easy to move quickly and accurately. It weighs significantly lighter than most current lightweight gaming mice, typically weighing between 50g and 70g.

This mouse is designed specifically for a fingertip grip, as the body is very short and doesn't provide enough space to support other grip types. There aren't any side buttons, so you can choose to hold the sides of the mouse wherever is most comfortable for you. However, due to its very small size, you may find this mouse unwieldy if you have extra large hands.

If you're interested in a gaming mouse with a body made of lightweight carbon fiber that has a more conventional shape suitable for other grip types, check out the Finalmouse UltralightX.

This is a wired-only mouse. If you want a wireless mouse with a similar fingertip-only shape, check out the G-Wolves HSK Pro 4K or the Keychron M4.

This mouse has an excellent cable made of thin TPU plastic, which feels like a cross between rubber and plastic. It's light and fairly flexible, though not as lightweight and flexible as the paracord-like cables on some other high-end gaming mice.

The Zaunkoenig M2K has outstanding mouse feet. They have rounded edges and glide very smoothly on mousepads and desks. They make noticeable scratching sounds when used directly on a desk, but this doesn't affect the gliding performance.

• Zaunkoenig M2K
• Extra PCB assembly
• User documentation

This mouse only has a left-and right-click button and a middle-click button in the scroll wheel. Additionally, there isn't any software to reprogram buttons. The L/R click buttons use gold-plated Japanese Omron D2F-01F switches.

This mouse has exceptionally low and consistent click latency, providing an extremely responsive in-game experience for gaming in any genre. Zaunkoenig notes on their product page that this mouse uses a set/release or 'latch debounce' technique. They indicate this technique aids in preventing potential double-clicks without introducing additional delay, and we didn't experience any double-clicking during testing.

If you're interested in another wired mouse with exceptionally low click latency that also uses a latch debounce technique, see our review for the Endgame Gear OP1 8k.

This mouse was tested at its maximum polling rate of 8000Hz and delivers excellent sensor performance overall. However, we recorded unexpected results for the Delay to End of Movement results which increased noticeably with higher CPI settings. You can see examples of this behavior by comparing results at 800, 1600, 3200, 6000, and 12000 CPI. The result of our Delay to End of Movement test is expressed as an average of the results of all CPI settings. We further investigated by testing at a polling rate of 1000Hz and found the Delay to End of Movement results decreased at higher CPI settings. You can see examples of our results at 800, 1600, 3200, 6000, and 12000 CPI settings. We're unsure why the sensor is behaving in this way. We'll reach out to Zaunkoenig to confirm whether this is normal behavior, and we'll update this review with any further developments.

This mouse has four polling rate options of 1000Hz, 2000Hz, 4000Hz, and 8000Hz. You can also adjust the lift-off distance between a 2mm default setting and a 3mm setting. During testing, we found that using the default lift-off setting was lower than expected, and the sensor couldn't detect movement at a height of 1.2mm.

Additional settings you can adjust include CPI, and angle snapping. All settings are changed without software, and the instructions for adjusting each setting are available here on Zaunkoenig's website.

This mouse has a plastic wheel with a ceramic coating. It has well-defined steps and a firm but not too heavy mouse click. Overall, it operates quietly and feels satisfying to use.

This mouse has no customization software. However, you can adjust several sensor settings directly on the mouse with instructions provided on Zaunkoenig's website.