There comes a certain time where technology hits the ceiling. You improve so much that there really isn’t much more you could do which is a blessing and a curse. But when your back is against the wall, and you take a step back to see what can be improved, you start looking in places you never thought. Glorious Gaming did exactly that, with their latest Model O3 and Model 3D mice. How do they feel and what tricks do they have up their sleeved cables? Let’s find out.
First and foremost, both of these models have identical hardware specs with minor changes in the weight with the Model O3 coming in at 66 grams and the Model D3 at 69 grams. Both mice also feature a 8,000 Hz polling rate, Optical Switches rated for 130-million clicks, and a 30K DPI sensor. This is all wonderful for the gamers out there who want something precise, accurate, and long lasting. But there is something else hidden underneath.
To Infinity and Beyond!
When you gaze upon the back of the mouse towards the bottom, you’ll notice a little something sticking out just a little bit. This is the mouse’s battery, color coded to match Glorious’ color branding. This is part of Glorious’ latest InfinitePlay initiative, enabling gamers to quickly swap the battery with another at a rapid pace!
The orange covered battery is rated for 200mAh which gives you an average lifespan of 71 hours on 2.4 GHz (using the receiver) and up to 130 hours in Bluetooth mode. While you do get two batteries, I am finding myself not even blinking at the runtime as well, you can just swap the batteries when needed using the included Guardian docking station.
The Battery Guardian
The Guardian plugs into your computer via detachable (and included) wire. It acts as a liaison between the computer and your mouse. It not only stores and recharges the spare battery, but it has a USB-A port on it for the receiver. Does this make it look like a neat little walkie-talkie that sits on your desk? Yes. But while this little box seems like an elaborate charging station, it does a whole lot more.
There are four lights placed vertically on the top designed to give you information at a glance alongside an oval button. These lights denote mouse connection, base connection, polling rate, and DPI. It seems a little silly, but I love this. The first two lights, mouse and base connection, are self-explanatory, although the base light doubles as a battery life notification light.
Meanwhile, the polling and DPI lights have some neat features. The button I mentioned before, that can be programmed to swap between various sensitivity settings on the fly. In the Glorious software, each color (up to six) can be assigned to a specific DPI setting. When pressing the button on the dock, you can quickly cycle through all the sensitivity settings. I know it’s not great to do that on the fly, especially when you don’t want to move your hand from the mouse. This is why there is a button at the top which can be customized just like the ones found on the left-most side. Also, the dock button can be customized to a different function if you want.
I already stated that I love how this device works and how the mouse and the Guardian work together seamlessly. I love having this quick notification light present on my desk. There is something about it that feels unique and tailored specifically for the gaming enthusiast out there. Having backup batteries is a life saver especially when you are caught in the heat of battle. Having a dedicated light telling you to swap between matches saves a lot of headache. Perhaps the best part is that I don’t have to finagle around for a USB-C cable while playing. All-in-all, this is a good move by Glorious.
Easy, Breezy, Feelings
I have talked about the technology inside the mice for quite some time, but how do these mice actually feel in your hands? Well, as someone who has sausage fingers, I can say that these feel quite comfortable. I love big, almost questionably large-sized mice. I enjoy it when it feels like I am rolling a cinder block across my desktop, I do work out for a reason after all!
Both the Model O3 and D3 have a super lightweight feel to them. When I pick them up, it is like I am holding air. The PTFE feet at the bottom of the mouse glide effortlessly across my mouse pad with just enough resistance that makes it super comfortable.
Now, there is one big difference between both the O3 and the D3 and that is form factor. The Model O3 has a lower profile where the front of the mouse slopes downward. I notice how my fingers wrap around this thing like a soft taco. It’s smaller and I feel like my hand overtakes the shape. It is comfortable, and I’m not using my fingertips exclusively. I can rest my entire palm on it. But much like me wearing skinny jeans, my hand is just pouring over the seams.
Meanwhile, I find the Model D3 to be absolutely perfect for my hand! It feels full, and much like the Model O3, I can rest my fingers along the left and right click buttons without issue. Even the extra buttons are comfortable to hit. The higher profile does change the sculpt a bit where it reduces the RGB elements, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I do dig the Model O3’s sculpt just a bit more because of it, but that is besides the point. The D3 just feels right for m and I can only assume a ton of others will feel the same.
The Nice-to-Have’s
I have been impressed by what I have seen so far, but I feel the need to tell you about a few things that I really enjoy. Starting with the Glorious CORE software which you will need to fully utilize this mouse. I have found that it contains multiple enhancements since my last run in with the software. It is a lot cleaner to navigate and everything feels incredibly intuitive to use.
I was able to perform the basic functions of adjusting DPI, customizing my buttons, and a whole lot more. Polling rate for wireless and wired modes were also within the menus. Changing up the RGB style was quick and painless too! I have to say, Glorious did find a way to improve their software and I love the new experience. Super-competitive players will find a ton of utility with the ability to change debounce time, lift-off distance, and other features. As I mentioned before, you can change the functionality of the dock button to perform various tasks. I like having it sit as the DPI up-cycle button since I changed that feature on the mouse button since I find 2000 DPI to be the ideal setting for me.
A Mouse for the Ages
Now, can I recommend the Model D3 or the Model O3? Before I give my final thoughts, I want to say that Glorious has come a long way. I have tested and used their mice before in the past and found them to be a rather mixed bag. A lot of cool concepts without anything that felt incredibly game changing. It was, in my mind, just okay. But here, this is the first time where I feel like Glorious really took one of the most frustrating parts of having a wireless mouse and then figured out the solution in a way that truly stands out. So yes, I absolutely recommend these mice.
Additionally, wired and wireless versions of each are available in both black and white color schemes. We want to thank Glorious for sending us these mice and I cannot wait to see what else they come up with!
