Features & Specifications
The Microsoft Sidewinder X8 is a wireless mouse that uses 2.4GHz technology to connect. The sensor in the mouse is the BlueTrack sensor that Microsoft has been using on its standard mice for a while now. Sensitivity is up to 4000dpi and the rechargeable battery is good for up to 30 hours of gaming. Overall, there are 12 programmable buttons for gamers to choose from. The wireless mouse offers full-speed USB reporting and has vertical side buttons and small LCD screen on the side that shows dpi setting.

In Use
The SideWinder X8 gaming mouse has a very similar look to the other gaming mice that Microsoft has offered over the years. The mouse uses a black design that feels good in the hand and offers side buttons that can be mapped to game controls. The small LCD screen on the left side of the mouse shows the DPI setting you are currently using and shows when the battery needs charged or is charging.

The charging system the X8 uses is very nice. Logitech has produced a wireless gaming mouse that had two batteries in the past, but the big downside was that if you forgot to charge one of the batteries you could only play for about two or three hours before you had to stop and charge the battery. Microsoft uses a system that allows you to play wirelessly and when the battery runs down you can connect a charge cable to the mouse and keep playing in wired mode as long as you want, while simultaneously charging the internal battery.

The thin charge cord is very flexible and doesn't affect the feel of the mouse noticeably. The mouse feet can be changed to one of three different included sets to customize the mouse more to your feel. One of the biggest features of the X8 is the BlueTrack sensor. I have tried Microsoft's BlueTrack technology on other mice and came away feeling BlueTrack was no better than standard laser technology.

BlueTrack technology worked much better in the X8 than in the other mice I have tested it on. The sensor was able to accurately track on cloth, wood, granite and even worked on clear glass. Microsoft says that the mouse shouldn’t work on glass, but in my testing, it worked flawlessly. The mouse was very accurate as well and allowed me to precisely position the cursor in games and or general computer work.

The resolution of 4000 dpi is very good, though I noticed little difference between the 4000dpi resolution of the X8 and the 3200 dpi resolution of the G9 that I normally use. If you hate wires and have been looking for a great wireless gaming mouse, the Microsoft SideWinder X8 is a great product and an ideal companion to your SideWinder X6 keyboard or any other keyboard for that matter.

The wireless receiver that connects to the PC is designed with grooves around the side like a Yo-yo that allows the charge cable to be coiled around the outside of the receiver when not in use. Between the charge cable and the actual USB cable that runs to the computer, you have well over 6 feet of cable making the X8 great for use on large desks where normal USB cables fall short.

The mouse also supports macro recording and the scroll wheel has indents for tactile feedback when you change weapons or scroll long web pages. Anything wireless has the potential to introduce lag into your game play. During my testing, I had no issues with lag using the X8. Typically lag with a wireless mouse is most noticed when you watch a long cut scene and then get ready to play again and it takes a few seconds for the mouse to respond. The X8 didn’t suffer from that problem.