People who play games on a PC demand technology that can control their on-screen actions to a tee. This includes moving about, shooting and accessing in-game menus as simply as possible. Of course the technology that allows for such should look good too. Well Microsoft has heard the cries of PC gamers everywhere, and they have recently released the Sidewinder X8. It is a wireless gaming mouse that not only looks good, but it also has a multitude of options to let any gamer fine tune the control they want when playing almost any game in their PC gaming library.

What’s in the Package?

Included in the Sidewinder X8’s package is the mouse, a USB 2.4GHz receiver and charger, a software disc and a rechargeable AA battery. When I opened up the package’s contents, and spread it all over my desk, I was pretty surprised with what I saw. Given that I had the chance to review Microsoft’s other BlueTrack mice, both regular and notebook Explorer Mice, I was expecting the usual wireless receiver that is small in size and plugs in to your USB plug. However, this was not the case. The X8’s 2.4GHZ receiver pulls of multiple duties. It is not only a receiver, but it is a charger, and it is holder of two sets of mouse feet (more on that later on). I like the fact that I can charge the mouse while using it, and gamers will revel in the fact that they will not have to miss one single frag or level up as this mouse can be used at all times, charging or not, to play their games.

Features

The Sidewinder X8 is a 2.4GHZ wireless mouse that features the ability to play and charge at the same time. Microsoft claims that you can get up to 30 hours of gaming from a single charge, or you can use the supplied play-and-charge cable for non-stop gaming. By utilizing a pretty little slick winding cord management system the unit is easily charged by unwrapping the cord from around the wireless receiver disc and snapping the charge end onto the X8’s underside.

The Sidewinder X8 also utilizes Microsoft’s new BlueTrack technology. I have explained this in previous reviews of the Explorer mice, but I am sure that some of you have not read it, so here I go again. I quote the following from Microsoft’s website:

BlueTrack Technology—How It Works

Microsoft-Designed CMOS Chip

The Explorer Mouse uses a proprietary, Microsoft-designed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chip with advanced algorithms and pixel architecture for more precise tracking. It is Microsoft's fourth-generation application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) using CMOS technology.

Blue Specular Optics

Microsoft's proprietary high-angle imaging optics generate more exact surface images—even of shiny surfaces such as granite and marble—instead of blurry, out-of-focus images, as can be produced by many of the leading laser mice. And blue light helps create high-resolution, high-contrast images for better navigation.

Four Times Wider and More Diffuse Beam for Better Imaging and Tracking

The wider beam enables illumination of a larger surface area and allows more light to return to the sensor. This helps for tracking on irregular surfaces such as carpet, where a smaller beam could get lost between the individual fibers. The BlueTrack Technology light source is optimized to provide illumination at the tracking surface that is more uniform than current laser or optical mice.

This illumination is accomplished by using a new optical element, never before used in a mouse. The light source is encapsulated in a diffusing optic that smoothes out hot spots within the illumination profile. While the concept of diffused lighting is well known, the application of diffused light sources to mice is a Microsoft proprietary technology.

Incoherent Blue Light

Laser mice use coherent light that's easily disrupted by dust and dirt, leading to poor tracking. The Explorer Mouse's incoherent blue light doesn't have the extreme sensitivity to dust, so the signal quality is maintained. This means your mouse will provide excellent performance even in a less than clean environment—you'll get great precision performance in a dusty workshop or outdoors just as you do on an ideal clean surface.

Ok, does that make sense? Techno-babble aside, it is my basic understanding that the new CMOS sensor combined with the way that blue light is diffused is more accurate to read then other laser or optical mice. So that, in a nutshell, is how BlueTrack technology works. In terms of how it is applied to the Sidewinder X8, it allows for some very accurate tracking on almost any surface you want to play on. It makes for a better gaming mouse.

The Sidewinder X8 also offers up seven programmable buttons, an LCD screen which displays dpi settings, if the macro mode is enabled, and how much charge you have left. There is also a quick launch button for one touch access for Microsoft PC gaming features if you have Windows Vista installed. All in all there are a lot of features in this industrial, yet smart looking mouse.

Thoughts and Impressions

After exploring what the package had to offer I snapped in the rechargeable battery then I loaded up the included software onto my computer from disc that is in the packaging. I plugged in the 2.4GHz receiver/charger and I was ready to go.

The first thing I noticed was this time around was how much light was put out by the Sidewinder X8. This is from all the buttons, LCD display, and the BlueTrack technology that is under the hood. You can tell that this mouse is meant for some serious gaming. The mouse is colored black and the lights on the top of it (LCD, dpi buttons, etc) are red in color. All in all it is a good looking mouse.

As would be expected, there is a scroll wheel and a left and right click button on the top of the mouse. The scroll wheel has the ability to be tilted to the left or right to satisfy what ever your comfort needs desire. There are three buttons behind the scroll wheel, and they are primarily assigned for your dpi switching on the fly. There are three more buttons where your thumb regularly is too, and these can be assigned any duty you like through the programmable feature.

I have to say that at first the look of the Sidewinder X8 intimated me given that I am not a huge PC gamer and there are more then the usual buttons then I am used too. However, with time and experimentation I have come to enjoy the mouse’s feel and look immensely. My hand rests naturally on it and the buttons have become quite intuitive for me to use. After my time with the X8 I have come to appreciate what this newest Sidewinder mouse has to offer.

There is also a detailed macro programming feature included with this mouse. I have to say as someone who is not nearly into PC gaming as much as others I know, this feature was somewhat daunting, but with time I was able to get a pretty good handle on it. I believe that most diehard PC gamers will have no problem with this feature and it is something that is a great addition to the features this mouse has.