Just how much lighter can we possibly get? The UltralightX is the newest addition to Finalmouse’s lineup. It follows an all new chassis material construction and updates to some internals too. Surprisingly, this is the first time that Finalmouse is releasing a mouse that they plan on producing consistently; no more limited drops!
Again, the UltralightX comes in at a premium price point, following the pattern of previous Finalmouse releases. But, will the UltralightX come packing with enough attractive features and tech updates to justify the price? Let’s jump into it.
Verdict
The UltralightX is a phenomenal mouse that beats out many top-tier mice in terms of technology and performance. If you’ve been a die hard Finalmouse fan for awhile, this has to be their best one yet.
Finalmouse decided to go a different route and started to use lighter clicks and implemented an all new material for getting the weight down. Despite the lightweight construction, it was still a very solid build and delivered top tier performance while gaming.
But, nothing can be perfect and the UltralightX is no exception to that. Finalmouse is consistently running through QC issues and it varies from mouse to mouse. The early adopters may catch some strays with the first batch as they seem to have the most issues.
If you’re looking for the lightest ambidextrous mouse with top tier tech shoved inside, then the UltralightX would be a great fit. If you can get around the high price and potential QC issues, I say go for it.
Pros
- 35g (Lion version)
- light clicks
- USB-C
- website based software
- 8k polling (being tested)
- Dongle has a battery life indicator
Cons
- QC issues
- main button side to side wobble
- slippery mouse wheel
- downgrade to side grips
- Battery life isn’t great with 4K polling
What’s in the box
At this price extra skates about be nice, but this is what comes in the box with the UltralightX
- UltraLightX Lion
- USB-A to USB-C
- Dongle receiver
- Side grips
- Documentation
Design & Materials
Colors: 7 Options | Additional Grips: Yes | Holes: Yes
- Material: Carbon Fibre Composite
- Coating: Matte
- Colors: 2 Options
- Additional Grips: Yes
- Holes: Yes
The UltralightX comes in 3 different sizes, a small (cheetah), medium (lion), and large (tiger). It’s nice to see this since previous lineups didn’t have the large size. On the chassis, you’ll find engravings on the main mouse buttons to give it a more futuristic look. But, this didn’t really pair well with me and personally preferred the smooth texture.
One of the community’s largest prayers has been answered as Finalmouse delivers a mouse with USB-C charging. Yes, I couldn’t believe it either. Although they are late to the party, it’s better late than never and this is a huge improvement.
Another change made to the UltralightX is the removal of the DPI button. This can all be changed within the web-based application XPanel where you can swap between 400, 800, 1600, 3200 and 6400 DPI. One downside is if you tend to swap DPI’s constantly then you’ll have to open up the site each time.
Lastly, the UltralightX currently comes in two colorways; the Guardian which is gold and black and the Phantom which is blue and black. Rumors say that there will be more colorways available in the future but nothing is 100% as of yet.
Weight
- Weight (Cheetah/S): 31g
- Weight: (Lion/M): 35g
- Weight: (Tiger/L): 37g
Weighing in at 35g, the UltralightX Lion is made of a carbon fiber construction with the classic honeycomb cut-out design. This is only 10g lighter compared to the Starlight TenZ, I felt actually feel the difference when using them.
Shape
- Type: Ergonomic
- Cheetah (Small): 115.6mm Length x 54.1mm Grip Width x 35.2mm Height
- Lion (Medium): 121.3mm Length x 56.8mm Grip Width x 37mm Height
- Tiger (Large): 126mm Length x 59mm Grip Width x 38.4mm Height
The UltralightX maintains the same shape as all previous versions. It has an ambi shape with a slight hump near the midsection of the mouse. As a hybrid claw gripper, I found the UltralightX very comfortable to use.
It’s a solid shape for fingertip and claw but still doesn’t show much love for palm grip. If you can’t get your hands on a Finalmouse, the medium sized UltralightX has very similar dimensions to the Viper Mini.
Buttons
- Buttons: 5
- Side Buttons: 2
- DPI Button: No
- Switches: Omron
- Rating: 20M Clicks
The UltralightX uses Omron 20m switches (Omron D2FC-F-7N-20m(OF) to be exact) instead of the previous Kailh GM 8.0. They feel lighter and easier to press while keeping a very crispy and satisfying click, I think this is an improvement over the Starlight.
On the main buttons, there is some side to side wobble with little pre but more post travel. However, this didn’t affect gameplay and definitely isn’t a deal breaker. I didn’t experience any issues in the middle of the game.
Side Buttons
The side buttons have always been great on every Finalmouse. They have a great feel, good placement for comfortable accessibility, and tensioned well making them have very little pre and post travel.
Mouse wheel
The scroll wheel has a plastic exterior and is lined with small bumps all around. Although this was supposed to give it more grip, the plastic itself is pretty slippery when using it. Compared to the TenZ mouse, the scroll wheel also feels like it has more resistance and more defined steps.
The harsher feedback, greater resistance, and slippery texture don’t make a great combo. I preferred the more rubberized texture for better grip.
The middle mouse click feels lighter but still well-built and sharp. It’s not hard to press either but I’ve never accidentally pressed it unintentionally.
Sensor & Performance
- Sensor: PAW 3395
- DPI Range: 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400
- Polling Rate: 125hz, 500hz, 1000hz, 2000, 4000, 8000 hz
- Motion Sync: Yes
- Adjust LOD: Yes
Finalmouse’s “Finalsensor” got a few upgrades with the UltralightX. It’s a 3395 sensor, has motion sync and can get up to 8k polling rate (but is that really worth it?). Throughout our testing for spin outs, pixel tracking, and acceleration/deceleration, the sensor performed flawlessly with no issues.
Wireless Experience
- Connectivity: 2.4 GHz
- Dongle Storage: No
- Extender: Yes
Similar to previous mice, the UltralightX uses a puck-like design but now has RGB indicators that signal battery life. I found this useful since I don’t use the mouse constantly to monitor battery life. Finalmouse has finally ditched the micro-usb and the puck is now connected via USB-C.
Battery life on the UltralightX performs really well. I mainly use the mouse on 2k Hz polling rate but only lost 15% battery life after a few hours of play. As you scale up to higher polling rates, expect this to decrease at a faster rate.
The battery life display on the dongle will shine different colors based on the current percentage. A battery life > 50% will shine green, < 50% yellow, < 25% orange, < 10% red.
Software
Another new feature with the Ultralight X is the web-based software application called XPanel. Similar to Wooting, you can adjust your settings through your browser which I think is something all companies should adapt.
On XPanel, you’ll first find an overview of all your settings and battery life.
You can swap between 400, 800, 1600, 3200, and 6400 DPI on the following tab.
Then the polling rates selection of 500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz, 4000Hz, and 8000Hz (8000Hz is currently under testing).
LOD of 1mm or 2mm.
Toggle motion sync on or off.
LED effect options.
And finally firmware updates to the UltralightX and dongle.
Build quality
Changing to the carbon fiber material made the build quality a bit weaker when compared to the magnesium used before. Putting a death grip on the mouse now makes the shell flex just a bit but you don’t have to worry about this during normal use. Still a very impressive build when considering it weighs 35g.
Mouse Feet
Material: Virgin PTFE | Replacement Feet: Yes
The skates on the UltralightX seem to match previous starlight skates using the same virgin grade PTFE pads. They feel great stock but have a bit of a break in period. There was no scratchiness against the pad and glided effortlessly. The placement of the pads are the same with one in each corner of the mouse.
QC Issues
Once again, many early adopters were hit with QC issues during the first batch of UltralightX drops. This varied from mouse to mouse but the main issue was greater side flex and creaking in some versions. On our version, we didn’t notice substantial flexing like some online forums claim, but with this being an issue for a $189 mouse is a bit concerning.
Before purchasing this mouse, please consider the potential QC issues that can come with it. On the other hand, you can get a perfect copy. Hopefully overtime, Finalmouse can produce the UltralightX with higher standards and testing since they will be consistently restocking these.
Warranty
The UltralightX comes with a 2-year warranty. More information about this can be found on their website.
