Since April, Turtle Beach has decided to discontinue the use of the Roccat branding acquired in 2019, and the company has reverted all of its PC gaming peripherals under one banner. While the changes have been surface level so far, the latest wave of gaming peripherals all sport the iconic Turtle Beach logo, complete with the palm tree and upside-down triangle. Part of this wave of releases is the latest Turtle Beach Kone II wired gaming mouse, a device that holds all the technology consumers would expect from Turtle Beach and Roccat but in one small ergonomic chassis.
It’s apparent out of the package that the Turtle Beach Kone II is an ergonomic beast. There are concave curves on both sides of the mouse, giving a comfortable home groove for the user’s thumb on the inside and comfortable grooves for the pinky and ring finger on the outside. Due to these innovative ergonomics, the clunky appearance of the Kone II is outmatched by design choices that let the hand rest.
The sleek matte black finish doesn’t pick up smudges easily, and RGB lights adorn the top of the mouse, with flair added to the scroll wheel. This mouse can be found in the dark without any issue, and two mappable mouse click-producing buttons can be found above the thumb groove, with one below. The Turtle Beach Kone II gives ample controls for gamers looking for an extra leg up.
“It’s apparent out of the package that the Turtle Beach Kone II is an ergonomic beast.”
Interestingly, the Kone II also features a tilting scroll wheel. The scroll wheel that rides the centre of the mouse sits above two programmable buttons emblazoned with + and – (likely for the default volume control). While the four-way tilt of the wheel is impressive and works accordingly, it’s disappointing that the Kone II doesn’t feature dual-mode scrolling like other gaming mice on the market. The Kone II does, however, plug-and-play easily with the Xbox Series X console, and gamers who prefer a mouse over a controller can use this comfortable device as a replacement for a controller (or at least the right stick)—though a keyboard is also required.
Included in the packaging are two grip tape applications to tighten the control a user has on the Kone II. I really don’t like having to apply adhesive to appliances. If the user messes up applying the grip strips, the loss of stickiness can become similar to the feel of a carpet that rolls up at the corners. I would have much preferred the grip to be built-in, instead of relying on my subpar sticker-laying ability.
That being said, the grip adheres neatly to the grooves and makes the mouse feel much less slippery. After applying the grip tape, I was able to pick up the roughly three-ounce mouse with just the strength of my thumb and ring finger, making the Kone II much lighter than it looks.
Included with the Turtle Beach Kone II is Swarm II functionality. Like the rest of Turtle Beach’s PC peripheral lineup, the Kone II can be boosted significantly with the Swarm II app. It should be said that a user can completely bypass the Swarm II app, as the mouse works well without it, but Swarm II unlocks much more of the mouse’s potential, including adjusting the mappable side control buttons.
“Included in the packaging are two grip tape applications to tighten the control a user has on the Kone II.”
The first programmable button (under the thumb rest) acts as an Easy Shift function by default, adding double the button functions that a normal mouse would have, similar to switching to a back weapon bar in an MMO like The Elder Scrolls Online or Diablo IV. This can be adjusted using the Swarm II software, downloadable for free from Turtle Beach. Like all other hardware from Turtle Beach, the Kone II must immediately install firmware to work with the Swarm.
The Turtle Beach Kone II appears to move slowly, but Swarm II can speed up the mouse sensitivity, and a user can perform 360-no-scopes (with the skill) in no time. The comfortable design of the mouse works well with Turtle Beach’s newest Owl-Eye 26K optical sensor, complete with a maximum sensitivity of 26,000 DPI and a maximum tracking speed of 650 IPS, allowing for precision control that is far easier while gripping the grooves of this particular mouse.
The Swarm II app allows users to make the Kone II their own by mapping all seven buttons featured on the mouse exterior, as well as adjusting polling speed, DPI steps, standby mode and more. Advanced users can even completely reformat the Easy Shift functions, and the Kone II doesn’t stop there. For non-gamers, the Kone II also offers solid macro functionality, which allows users to adjust the functions of the left, right and scroll wheel. But who does that?
The biggest downside of the Turtle Beach Kone II is the lack of a comfortable way to program it for left-handed users. The mouse is designed for right-handed use and is unsuitable for anyone who uses a mouse in their left hand. I tried formatting the mouse in many ways to provide left-handed usage, but it just does not feel right, and the Kone II should be avoided by those who use their left hand for mouse control.
The Turtle Beach Kone II wired gaming mouse is a comfortable companion for any tasks done online. The overall comfort of the exterior chassis is second to none, allowing the user to have immense control at all times. Adjustable RGB lighting provides users with yet another way to personalize the Kone II and see where the mouse is in the dark. The onboard Owl-Eye 26K sensor, ergonomic design and ability to map all the buttons on the mouse make this a great device for PC gamers, but it may be a little too costly compared with other similar mice on the market, especially for left-handed gamers. It’s a solid mouse for Friday night raids.
- Ergonomic shape for medium & larger hands and all grips
- Multi-button design supporting 23 programmable functions
