German startup Zaunkoenig released the "world's lightest gaming mouse" back in April 2020. It weighed just 23g. However, to meet its extreme purist goal, the Zaunkoenig M1K eschewed a component many would judge to be essential for modern gaming and computing – the mouse wheel.
Now Zaunkoenig has refined its ambidextrous wired carbon fibre constructed proposition with the M2K which features a mouse wheel, yet retains an undeniably slight mass of just 24g. The firm asserts that the design is still "unbelievably light," with rival gaming mice up to 5x heavier.
On its product pages Zaunkoenig puts forward the argument that the M2K isn't just the world's lightest gaming mouse with a wheel, but that it is "the best gaming mouse, period." It reasons that this is because gaming mice are similar to racing cars and a light weight means faster acceleration. In brief "the quicker you can accelerate your mouse, the quicker your crosshair will be on your enemy".
The M2K is designed for a fingertip grip style and its lightness facilitates this. This is one of the reasons that the M2K is so short, and this is intentional for its fast maneuverability and "direct, raw and thrilling," response.
Zaunkoenig feels it is necessary to address the price, as the MK2 is sold for a considerable sum: €299. Some reasons for the expense include the price of the carbon fibre material used and its hand forming and crafting said to take eight hours in total (including baking time). Also, one of the two co-founders, Dominik or Patrick will have made this mouse for you in Germany.
I think it is time for some tech specs now, moving away from construction. Zaunkoenig have equipped the MK2 with what it calls "the fastest processor available." The 216MHz STM32F730I8K6 Arm processor is capable of an 8,000Hz report rate via USB 2.0 (compared to 1,000Hz in the MK1). The sensor used is a PixArt PMW-3360 with 1 to 3mm lift off distance, resolution of 100 – 12,000cpi, speed of 6.3m/s and acceleration of 490m/s2. The primary mouse buttons (left right and wheel click) are made by Omron and D2F-01F models with gold-plated microswitches. Meanwhile, the new wheel uses polycarbonate construction with ceramic surface and an Alps encoder. This rodent's tail is 2m long, and 2.5mm in diameter.
You can buy the Zaunkoenig M2K direct here. UK dwellers might now find they are faced with various import/duties etc on top of the considerable outlay. Shipments are expected to begin in April.
