We try out NZXT's first entry into the gaming peripheral market.

NZXT is a company most well known for manufacturing a wide range of cases and power supplies for gamers and regular users alike. Well, as many companies have found, once you enter the gaming marketplace in one product line, the siren call of other products is difficult to ignore. And, like a sailor lost at sea, NZXT has heeded the call with their first gaming peripheral; the Avatar gaming mouse.

Appearance:

From the spot-varnished matte black box with blue edging, to the matching matte black mouse with blue LED highlights, the word that comes to mind first is “sleek”. Everything about this mouse feels streamlined. It’s symmetrical, ambidextrous form factor has a seemingly aquatic influence, with slight resemblance to a squid/stingray hybrid.  The matte black rubberized body really allows the blue LED highlights along the right and left main buttons to stand out against the stark background. This design also makes the DPI indicator lights on the lower left of the mouse quite easy to read. The only other details that really “pop” are the chrome “back” and “forward” buttons on the sides of the unit.  The overall sleekness is amplified by the Avatar’s unusually slender silhouette, which serves to extend the perceived length of the mouse.