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ROG continues to expand its peripheral line with tons of new releases. Yet, they never forget those staples they first started with, like their Strix Impact mouse line. The latest addition to this family is its third iteration. Does it continue to impress or did the magic finally fade? Find out in our ROG Strix Impact III Review.
A more rounded Aesthetic
The ROG Strix Impact III still has that familiar aesthetic although it drops the edgier design of its predecessor for a more rounded look. The mouse can now be cuddled perfectly by your hand thanks to its ambidextrous design. It’s also a lot easier to grasp as you can easily wrap your palm around it. Apart from that, nothing really makes the Strix Impact III stand out, design-wise.
From a glance, it looks like your average gaming mouse just with some RGB lighting. That’s not all that bad, however, as it just means the mouse has more focus on what truly matters — providing you with great performance and precision. Sadly though, if you’re one who loves to show off their gear then you won’t get much out of the Strix Impact III. It’s a rather simple-looking device.
Deceptively Light
At first glance, you won’t think that the Strix Impact III is a lightweight mouse. So much so that it surprised me quite a bit since my daily driver is the Logitech G502, a mouse that has a little heft to it. The Impact III is deceptively light to the point where you may mistake it for those dollar-store mice.
Those types that only have plastic and nothing much in it. However, you can rest assured of the Impact’s quality. So while you can easily swing it around it can still take a beating. With that in mind, the mouse is a definite plus for fast-paced games. Like MOBAs or FPS since those require quick movements, responses, and actions.
The PixArt PAW3318
Handling the heavy lifting for the Strix Impact III is Pixart’s PAW3318 wired optical sensor. On paper, it has 12,000 dpi, 300 ips top speed, 35 ips acceleration, and a polling rate of 1000 Hz. Pretty average yet respectable specs for a budget option. During our testing when playing games such as League of Legends and Gundam Evolution, the sensor handles quick movements pretty well.
There isn’t much delay when I was clearing corners in Gundam Evo. I was also able to quickly and accurately target my skills in League. Being wired also helps smoothen out input delays versus something like my wireless G502. My daily driver arguably still has the edge but it is double the price. In the end, the Pixart PAW3318 in the Strix Impact III won’t elevate you to the pro leagues but it is certainly way better than your average mouse.
Access to Armoury Crate
Being in the ROG ecosystem means that the Strix Impact III has access to the brand’s Armoury Crate software. Now, there isn’t much you can tinker with here when it comes to customization and even key assignments. Although, having some is way better than having none right? You’ll be able to tweak a little bit of the Impact’s button mapping, ROG lighting, and performance. Again though, you don’t have a lot of options but at least it’s there.
Verdict
The ROG Strix Impact III isn’t an eye catchy mouse but it does its job well. You have a sensor with respectable specs and performance and a lightweight body perfect for fast-paced gaming. However, nothing really sets it apart from the competition, there’s no unique feature or gimmick, or even a flashy design. Yet even without all those the Strix Impact III might still deserve a spot in your list of budget yet solid mice.
After all, you can be assured of its quality and you still have a dedicated software to do a little tweaking. Sadly, there are some mice at its price range of Php 2,750 (~$50) that may offer a tad more. However, what the Impact lacks in uniqueness it more than makes up for in performance making it a simple yet effective device.
That’s it for our ROG Strix Impact III Review!
