Endgame Gear OP1w 4K review

Endgame Gear is emerging as a bit of a dark horse in the world of gaming peripherals, with options that fly under the radar against the Razers, SteelSeries and others in this world, while offering some astounding value for money. Take the KB65HE keyboard, for instance—it punched above its price point with snappy and responsive switches, excellent build quality, and convenient software.

This OP1w 4K gaming mouse feels like more of the same—it may not be the flashiest option in the world, lacking any form of RGB lighting, but instead acts as a reminder of what a brand can do if they put their mind to it.

Looks can be deceiving, as this rodent is perhaps a little meaner and purposeful in its aesthetic than some of the flashier customers with lots of lighting and such. The OP1w 4K instead opts for a translucent black plastic frame, leaning into a 1990s/early 2000s aesthetic that seems to be having a small resurgence. I'm here for it. This is a great mouse by way of look and feel; the plastics here are sturdy and build quality is top-notch.

The chassis isn't as contoured as with other premium ultralight mice, such as the Cherry Xtrfy M64 Pro Wireless or Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Dex, although it has some slight indentations to aid comfort. The mouse is a good size for small and medium-sized hands, fitting mine well. Folks with larger hands may wish to look for an alternative, as I did feel even my average-sized ones were on the bigger side for the OP1w 4K.

Button placement is sensible, with a pair of tactile side buttons accompanying the main two and a rubberised scroll wheel. The underside is home to an on/off switch and a button for controlling DPI and polling rate, depending on how long you hold the button for. The main buttons feel responsive, thanks to the mechanical Kalih GX switches being swappable. They have pleasant tactility and briskness, despite not being optical.

Its 59 g weight puts the OP1w 4K firmly in the wheelhouse of being an ultralight mouse, which, combined with its 26,000 DPI PixArt PW3395 sensor and its wireless 4000 Hz polling rate (hence the 4K in the name) makes this a zippy customer in games. For my testing, I chose a couple of high-intensity shooters, with Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 and my favoured Counter-Strike 2. Here, the OP1w impressed, being wonderfully responsive in both movements and inputs.

Going as high as 26,000 DPI caused especially brisk sweeping movements, although comes with the caveat that it may be too jumpy and jittery in day-to-day usage. To this end, the default maximum DPI with the OP1w 4K is a much more reasonable 3200, although it can be turned up in software.

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So too can this mouse's polling rate, which goes all the way up to 4000 Hz, taking it into pro-grade territory. The reason why this is important is because of responsiveness and potentially lower latency, for the pros that are likely to notice that sort of thing. A higher polling rate means a device reports its position and inputs more frequently (hence Hz as the measurement).

Where the OP1w 4K differs against rivals, such as the NZXT Lift Elite Wireless, is with its connectivity method. The competition traditionally utilises 2.4 GHz receivers that plug into a vacant USB-A port for wireless means, and potentially add Bluetooth into the mix for more versatility if warranted. This Endgame Gear option eschews this in favour of a small wireless receiver box that's connected to a vacant USB port with the included cable to give access to this 4000 Hz polling rate right out of the box. There's no faffing around with pairing the mouse or anything of the sort; just plug the receiver into your PC, turn the mouse on, and you're off to the races.

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The effect of that higher polling rate is the dichotomy of more power for less battery life. The OP1w 4K is only rated to last for up to 30 hours at its maximum polling rate, which is equivalent to the endurance achieved by NZXT's option, although it sits well behind the likes of the Razer DeathAdder V3 Hyperspeed's 100 hours of runtime. Endgame Gear says it's possible to get up to seven days' use out of this mouse, although it's unclear as to what conditions this would be possible.

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The software here is functional, although a little dated in look. It takes the form of a window that looks straight out of Windows 98, although it offers simple customisation of everything from DPI to polling rate and button remapping to power-saving settings.

The Endgame Gear OP1w 4K marks itself out as a potent, performance-focused mouse that hits all the right notes for pro gamers and casuals alike. It's slick, comfortable and especially powerful with its combination of a low weight and high sensitivity and polling rate.

Where this option falls down is with the lack of any additional extras that the competition offers, such as the slick software afforded by Logitech's G Pro X Superlight 2 Dex or the marvellous endurance of the Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed. This is a great mouse, but you just have to really want it to go and buy one.