I'll be honest—I haven't experienced many 2.4 GHz wireless connection issues running multiple devices at once. Still, it seems inevitable that in our tech-filled homes, this particular wireless band is eventually going to become saturated and disconnection problems will become more frequent. Two of our hardware team have had such issues, so they'll be particularly interested in the Elecom VM800, an 8K wireless gaming mouse with ultra-wideband (UWB) support.
In fact, Elecom claims it's the world's first "true 8K" mouse with said feature (via PC Watch). True 8K refers to an 8,000 Hz polling rate that updates at exactly the same time on both ends of the connection, rather than a regular 8K connection that can potentially report new data from the device very quickly, but might not be polling at the exact same rate at the receiver.
Anyhoo, let's talk about that connection spec. 2.4 GHz is the defacto standard for most wireless gear, as it became the default frequency for early Wi-Fi connections. To this day it's got the longest range and wall-penetration ability of the available bands, but because it's in such high demand, it can be prone to signal saturation issues when multiple devices use it in the same space.
Ultra-wideband, however, has a much shorter range than a conventional wireless connection, but can be used over a larger, less-frequently-used portion of the radio spectrum—7.25 to 9.3 GHz in this case. It's commonly used in commercial and industrial applications where precise, interference-free tracking is essential, although it also crops up in the odd bit of consumer tech, too, including Apple AirTags and some brands of smartphone.
So, whack a UWB connection in a gaming mouse (along with an RGB-lit dongle), enable true 8K polling support, and you should end up with a squeaker that's not only less prone to interference, but with connection performance to impress. Elecom says the wireless click response speed is more than five times faster than its previous 1,000 Hz mice, and it's not like the rest of the mouse is light on specs, either.
The VM800 features a PixArt PAW3950 sensor with a maximum resolution of 30,000 DPI, a max speed of 750 IPS, and a top acceleration rating of 50 G. It also comes with high-purity PTFE feet with specially heat-pressed edges, weighs a mere 59 g, and has a reported battery life of 100 hours at 1,000 Hz.
Ah, the Achille's heel of all 8K gaming peripherals—battery life. While Elecom doesn't report the staying power of the VM800 at the full 8K polling rate, I'd imagine it tanks the battery considerably. Potential battery issues aside, this looks like a very high-specced gaming rodent, although it's still beaten out on paper (other than the connection) by our current belle of the ball, the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro.
Speaking of downsides, the effective range is reduced to 1.5 meters, which means this is more a desktop mouse than one you could comfortably use on the couch. Still, I'd be curious to give one a try—although it looks like it's a Japan-only model for now, retailing for 19,980 yen on the official store, which equates to around $136 before shipping. Pretty expensive, then, but how do you put a price on an interference-free connection?
1. Best wireless:
Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro
2. Best wired:
Logitech G502 X
3. Best budget wireless:
Logitech G305 Lightspeed
4. Best budget wired:
Glorious Model O Eternal
5. Best lightweight:
Turtle Beach Burst II Air
6. Best MMO:
Razer Naga Pro
7. Best compact:
Razer Cobra Pro
8. Best ambidextrous:
Logitech G Pro
9. Best ergonomic:
Keychron M5
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