Our Verdict
With outstanding customization options, an epic sensor, wireless connectivity, and stunningly lightweight, the Pathfinder is exemplary. Really, it's only mildly let down by its price and the fact that there's no left-handed version.
For
- Extremely versatile configurations
- Cutting-edge sensor hardware
- Physics-defying weight, even with a battery
Against
- Lack of RGB
- Right-hand only
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Just when you think we've seen it all, a brand new gaming mouse company pops out of the woodwork and delivers a product launch that absolutely redefines what a good mouse should be. That's a big ol bold statement to open with, but the Orbital Pathfinder is unlike anything I've ever tested.
I've been a part of this weird and wonderful PC gaming world for the better part of three decades at this point, and the one prevailing trend that continues to develop almost exponentially year-on-year is the PC gamer's desire to customize things to exactly how they want them to be. To what's right for them. It started with custom PCs, moved on to keyboards, and is now spilling over into almost every area imaginable in this humble little hobby of ours.
Buttons: | 5 |
Feet: | Multiple options, pure PTFE (White), X-Raypad Obsidian Pro Air (Grey), X-Raypad Obsidian (Red) |
Connectivity: | 8K Wireless Receiver / USB-C Wired |
Sensor: | Pixart PAW3950 |
Max DPI: | 30,000 |
Max acceleration: | 50 g |
Max speed: | 750 IPS |
Polling rate: | 8,000 Hz Wireless / 1000 Hz Wired |
Battery life: | 1.5 days to 1 week+ |
RGB lighting: | N/A |
Warranty: | 2 years |
Price: | $189 / £N/A |
✅ You want to build your own mouse: If you're after the ultimate lightweight gaming mouse complete with a top-tier sensor and your own custom fit, then there's no mouse that does it better than this.
❌ You want 8,000 Hz polling wired: Sadly, that's only reserved for the wireless mode, and it'll run out of juice in a day if you do use it that way.
Orbital's Pathfinder is a fully customizable high-end wireless gaming mouse. It gives off Logitech G Pro vibes in a lot of ways, and is powered by Pixart's latest PAW3950 optical sensor, comes with Omron switches, a 300 mAh battery, and supports polling rates up to 8,000 Hz over wireless (although weirdly not when wired).
But that's not the impressive bit. After you place your order, first deciding whether you want the black or white variant, you'll receive a large rectangular box that looks suspiciously like a keyboard. Open that up though, and you'll be greeted by two boxes, one complete with the Pathfinder chassis, and the other an absolute arsenal of hot-swappable modular panels in a variety of different forms, shapes, and sizes, ready for you to build with.
Orbital's included no less than seven separate right-side panels for you to play with, and four left-side panels as well (sadly it is right-handed only really). There's also four separate back-plates bundled in too, all built out in a variety of different ergonomic shapes, designed for each grip type, with finger rests and protrusions jutting out to help support your grip, all aptly labeled and compartmentalized in the box. They're all simple to use, easily sliding on and off the main chassis of the mouse itself. Installing them is smooth enough not to cause you too much grief, but with enough friction that they'll stay put once they're in position, no matter how many times you slam it on the desk in fits of rage because that Google Sheets IF formula just won't run right.
Orbital's thought about hand-sizing here too, and although the core body is on the smaller side, the company's included several additional spacers that allow you to lengthen the entire unit or widen out those side grips accordingly. Pop a couple in the back before you place the hump on, and it'll increase the total length by around 15mm or so.
And that's the beauty of this thing, no matter your style of grip, if you're a palm-boy like myself, or claw, or fingertipper, or some mutant hybrid of the above, you've got such a wide variety of components to play with to get this thing set up exactly how you want, you'll inevitably find the right fit for you.
Ergonomically, it's just damn impressive.
Orbital's not stopped with the body either, as it's collaborated with X-Raypad to provide a slew of swappable feet, from small PTFE dots to full-bodied slick skids that cover most of the base. As for connectivity, you've got the choice of either running it wired with a smooth, lightweight braided USB-C cable or you can opt for the 8,000 Hz wireless adapter instead.
As for the software, well, that's impressively solid too, and remarkably minimalist; similar in ethos to everything else about the Pathfinder. There's no account needed or data scraping to be found here, just simple, rapid settings menus to go through. DPI control, keybinds, macro recording, sensor tweaks, it's all here. Performance is good too, and Pixart's PAW3950 doesn't disappoint, although that's not exactly surprising given just how insane the specs are on it, as it's rated for 30,000 DPI, 750 IPS, and 50G acceleration to boot.
And then there's the weight. This mouse weighs just 56g in its max configuration, including that wireless battery. In my testing, it lasted around six days of fairly heavy use (a mix of office work and gaming in WoW) with the 1,000 Hz setup, but that figure falls rapidly as you crank the polling rate up (around 24 hours at full tilt). But it's 56g. Just how?
Build quality is top tier as well. There's little flex in it, and no unwanted noise or twangs from those Omron switches either. The overall plastic finish seems to be smudge-resistant, and it's relatively soft to the touch, straying away from those sandblast-esque textures we've seen in the past from similar mice. Now, let me be clear, it's not perfect. Although its long list of boons and buffs is immense, there are a few caveats worth bearing in mind here.
My first bit of beef with it is that it is rather small. I'm not ashamed to admit that I have probably smaller-than-average hands, and I'm a palm-gripper, and yet I still had to include both of the rear hump spacers in the Pathfinder to really feel comfortable with it.
There's also no RGB lighting whatsoever, and the design is so incredibly understated that at times it doesn't feel like you're using something that premium. An issue when it retails for $189. And yet, in a weird way, that understated design kinda works for it. There's no nonsense here, no noise getting in between you and your gaming, or dubious lighting, or weird gimmicks; it just works. It's absolute form and function married together in a way I've never seen done before. Albeit at a cost.
Here's the thing, though, although the breadth of parts is vast, and a welcome addition, once you've settled on your preferred style, you kind of just stick with it. That's it. You're done. That makes the rest of the kit feel a bit superfluous after a while. It almost feels like Orbital needs a configurator of sorts, instead of shipping all of these parts out as an entire unit each and every time. Perhaps for a lower cost.
Say, we get two generations down the line, or three, you're a fan of Orbital, you know it's going to be good, and you want the new Pathfinder V3 Ultra Luna model or something (I don't know I don't work in marketing), but you want the improved hardware, new tricks and features, are we going to want every single part again and again and again? I'm not so sure.
Still, the Pathfinder is wildly unique. It is almost objectively close to being the perfect gaming mouse, or will be for you if you spend a bit of time setting it up (and as long as you're right-handed). It's not cheap, at $189, but for the price and for what you're getting, it really is something special. For a first-ever flagship product, Orbital's on to a winner here, and I think they know it.
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With outstanding customization options, an epic sensor, wireless connectivity, and stunningly lightweight, the Pathfinder is exemplary. Really, it's only mildly let down by its price and the fact that there's no left-handed version.
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