Saitek Obsidian Cordless Mouse Review

Recently Saitek launched their newest mouse here in the USA called the Obsidian. The Saitek Obsidian has some very interesting features and is aimed at general computer users more than gamers. If you want to know how well the cordless Saitek Obsidian mouse performs read on.

Gallery

7 images

Benchmarks

Features & Specifications
Right out of the box the main feature of the Saitek Obsidian became apparent, the lack of a scroll wheel. This missing scroll wheel doesn’t mean that the Obsidian has a touch sensitive scroll area that allows you to scroll up and down and well as a command to lack the scroll function allowing the movement of the mouse up and down to scroll the page.

Another really cool feature of the Saitek Obsidian is double Li-ion rechargeable batteries similar to the Logitech G7. Dual batteries allow you to have one on charge at all times so you are always powered up and ready to work. The charger also cradles the mouse when not in use and a ring around the battery glows red when the battery on charge is not ready to use and green when it is fully charged. The charger is totally USB powered and requires no power adapter.

The Saitek Obsidian is more sensitive that most general use mice on the market at 1000 dpi, though that isn’t enough sensitivity for many gamers who want at least 1600 dpi most often. To ensure good connectivity Saitek used 2.4GHz wireless technology in the Obsidian. Wireless range is good from across my large living room making the Obsidian a good choice for a media center.

Saitek used a very organic and attractive design for the Obsidian. The rounded shape reminds me of a river rock and the high gloss black surface is nice to look at, though it shows smears and finger prints badly. Overall the Saitek Obsidian has five buttons with two on the left side of the mouse under the black rubber grip and another button located on the right side of the mouse in addition to the two main buttons.

Saitek Obsidian in Use
In the hand the Saitek Obsidian is wider and lower profile than typical mice such as those from Logitech. Battery life is very good with one battery lasting my entire work day, and I use the mouse very heavily. I would peg battery life at about 6 hours which is right on par with the Logitech G7 that I normally use.

With a maximum sensitivity of 1000 dpi I certainly wouldn’t consider the Saitek Obsidian to be a gaming mouse, though casual gamers could probably make do. If you are into FPS games 1000 dpi doesn’t cut it. The touch sensitive scroll area was a bit of a problem for me.

I found that the touch sensitive scrolling was a bit overly sensitive to movements leading me to frequently over scroll the target I was aiming for. I also found that my fingers would often stray a bit from the position they needed to be in causing the scroll lock to be activated inadvertently. Other than the issue with the scroll the Saitek Obsidian is a nice cordless mouse with very attractive lines.

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

• Dual rechargeable batteries
• Good cordless connectivity
• Very attractive design

Cons

• Touch sensitive scroll too sensitive for my tastes

Verdict
After extended use I could see many computer users being very happy with the Saitek Obsidian. The dual battery packs and improved sensitivity over standard 800 dpi mice make the Obsidian great for those used to the lower sensitivity of many general use mice on the market. Overall the Saitek Obsidian would make a nice mouse for many users, assuming you can get used to the touch sensitive scroll.

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