We’ve checked out quite a lot of gaming mice here in Back2Gaming but we’ve never had one from Roccat here. Well that changes today. We have the Roccat Savu in the house and we’re excited to see how this baby handles. No long intro this time, let’s get gaming and make this showy… Roccat style!
Some Roccat love
Roccat is one of the hottest names in the gaming peripheral and accessories scene. They have been constantly releasing products to suit every gamers need. Roccat’s products are easily recognized by the company’s signature styling: dark colors with a high-tech industrial design coupled with sharp edges and bold curves, Roccat has defined itself as gaming brand with no compromise.
We’ve got our hands on their latest gear, the Savu gaming mouse. Roccat prides this mouse for having the world’s first 4000DPI sensor and highly-configurable software for tailored precision. Let’s get on with the review with some specs, features and images.
Features
- ADJUSTBALE 4000DPI PRO-OPTIC (R3) SENSOR
with true 400, 800, 1600 or 4000dpi – I don’t really know about this since we got other companies gunning 5600DPI - EASY-SHIFTâ„¢ BUTTON DUPLICATOR
with Easy-Aim + Easy-Wheel functions – Duplicator sounds so hackish - CUSTOMIZABLE MULTI-COLOR LIGHTING
16.8 million colors + effects and game profile illumination – This feature I really gotta see, that’s a lot of colors you know. - NO-SWEAT SIDE GRIPS
for extended slip-free play – Yes, because I sweat a lot when I frag noobs. XD - ROCCAT DRIVERÂ + MACRO MANAGER
for advanced customization + presets for games & apps – And for maximum noob intimidation - OPTIMUM MID-SIZE DESIGN
with perfectly-balanced weight – Sounds so sexy - ULTRA-PRECISE 2D WHEEL
with lock-in incremental steps – Looks like I’ll be doing some ultra-precise scrolling more - ERGONOMIC RIGHT-HAND DESIGN
with soft-touch, ultra-comfort surface – Like silk - BRAIDED CABLE
offering a robust, stylish connection – Braids so cash yo - ZERO ANGLE SNAPPING
for true competition gaming – I have no idea what they just said here - HIGHEST-QUALITY COMPONENTS
for a solid build and long life – Smashing it in a fit of rage will void your warranty
Technical Specifications
- 4000dpi optical gaming sensor
- Incl. Omron® switches
- 60 inches per second maximum speed
- 20G acceleration
- 125, 250, 500, 1000Hz polling rate
- Zero angle snapping
- 1.8m braided USB cable
Roccat packages the Savu in a non-conventional shaped box. Looking at the front we see a large sized image of the product. Feature and marketing highlights adorn the left and lower part of the front of the packaging. The slant side features an embossed Roccat logo. I had the impression this box had a preview flap but sadly, it has none.
The straight side of the box features a couple of images and more marketing bullets.
Here’s another shot of that angled portion of the box.
The bottom side has a quote from Dr. Erik J. Dale, Roccat Scientist.
Top side features another image with some more feature highlights.
The back of the box has a CG image of the Savu. Just below this is another feature list with multiple translations.
Roccat has opted for a simple package with only a Roccat ID card and an installation guide. The Roccat ID can be used in their website for some nifty social features.
Here we have the Roccat Savu. Clad in all-black, we see the large scroll wheel right next to an engraved Roccat logo on the right button. Just along the left edge are 2 extra thumb buttons.
The Savu is clearly an ergonomically designed right-hand solution. Sorry lefties. 🙁 We see a large recess for the thumb rest and the right side is slightly indented to accomodate the ring finger for a better grip.
Flipping the Savu over, we see 2 large teflon feet. Dead-center is the 4000dpi which Roccat heavily markets as the Savu’s top feature. Just along the bottom edge we see the LED illumination which we’ll check out later.
The USB cable is braided and is capped by a nicely styled USB plug.The USB plug is pretty vanilla with no gold-plating unlike those found in other gamer-targeted mice.
Here we have some images of the Savu with its light on. And indeed its got decent brightness.
PERFORMANCE, COMFORT and FUNCTIONALITY
We used a Razer Vespula(control side) to test out our Roccat Savu.
Starting out with performance on the Savu, we use the mouse for day to day Windows usage. All in all the mouse feels pretty responsive and sharp. The same goes for gaming so performance-wise, this mouse isn’t missing out anything in this department. The teflon feet are well-placed, with most quick wrist swipes feeling very easy and smooth. The buttons are highly responsive which makes this a very able gaming mice.
The first time you hold the Roccat Savu, the most immediate impression it gives is the matte texture. The sides have this very gritty and rough texture that feels great to hold. The illuminated rear base also adds that extra swag along with the overall look of the Savu. Unlike performance, all is not well with the Savu. We felt that the ergonomics really needed a bit of refining. The thumb rest edges had this tendency to dig into the thumb when gripping the Savu and the left side really didn’t feel natural as my ring finger kept sliding inwards, cramping my index and middle finger. Another thing worth noting is that the lighting is mostly for show and will totally be obscured when holding the Savu. Clawers might also dislike the fact that the buttons are really optimized for palm-grip users and the left and right click buttons feel stiffer where clawers usually like to press. One more woe is the weight of the Savu itself. Despite its feel as a premium mouse, lifting this mouse feels like you’re holding a cheap knockoff which certainly takes away some points from the Savu.
Feature-wise, Roccat kept the Savu’s physical feature to a minimum. A top-performing 4000dpi sensor plus a couple of extra buttons, as we’ve mentioned already, makes this a performance mouse but the key feature of the Savu is its highly configurable sofware that lets users tailor a whole list of abilities for the Savu. We have staple gaming mice features like a DPI switcher, light customization, macro creation and sensitivity adjustment. Where other gaming companies left-off, Roccat decided to go the extra mile. Roccat features a highly customizable sensitivity configuration along with click speed. The Easy-Shift+ feature is another pride for Roccat here. This feature lets you assign entirely new functions to your mouse buttons. One must assign a button as the Easy-Shift+ button and when this button is held down, once assigned, the other buttons will serve as what the users has configured them to do like a quick DPI changer, macro activation, volume rocker, etc. Roccat also includes its Roccat R.A.D. software feature. This fun little toy rewards users with virtual trophies based on their usage stats which can then be shared to rest of the world via Roccat’s website.
With a whole list of features everything doesn’t do as advertised. First and foremost is the Easy-Shift+ feature which doesn’t serve very well during intense gaming situations where quick response is needed. As responsive as the buttons are, having to hold down a button can lead to a lag between inputs and that time you spent holding down the Easy-Shift+ button is when you get sprayed by your opponent. This kinds of features should’ve been given to keyboards like the Roccat Isku and its ability to unite with its mouse counterpart. Giving the Savu a ton of input options also gave us the feeling that this mouse was a bit shorted-out of buttons. One cannot simply use all those features and some of them would’ve been a nice combination and that is truly sad.
CONCLUSION
We really have mixed feelings for the Savu. It’s got great looks, great features and an overall top performer. The build quality is certainly way above those in this price point and the configuration software gives this mouse some extra flare. But its the excesses and oversights in this key features that really puts this mouse down.
Coming in at around Php2,500, the Savu is certainly priced like a premium gaming mice but is just well below its competitors putting it a very good price point. We certainly do feel like the Savu could use a bit of a price cut to be able to compete more fiercly with other entry-level gaming mice.
In closing, the Roccat Savu is truly one top-performing mouse unfortunately it is being weighed down by an underused software, poor design decisions and crappy ergonomics. If you are interested in a gaming mouse, we recommend checking out Roccat’s other options. Certainly this mice has the looks and moves of a champ, but if it gives you an ailing palm after a few hours then that is up to your consideration. The customization is certainly user-dependent so if you are not too picky about features and just want a good performing and nice looking mouse, then the Savu might work out for you. We do advise to test it out first.