Endgame Gear OP1 8K Review: Plain But Practical Esports Mouse

There are a few things that esports players look for in a mouse. Firstly, it must be light – as light as possible – to allow it to skate effortlessly over the gaming surface. It must be tactical and form-fitting so that it fits nicely in the hand and boasts satisfying, reliable key presses. It must also be responsive and feature solid tracking mechanics. Well, in this Endgame Gear OP1 8K review, you’ll come to learn that this esports mouse has all those features and more, all wrapped up in an assuming, subtle package.

I picked up the Endgame Gear OP1 8K and gave it a whirl, trying it out on some of the world’s most popular esports titles. I was pleasantly surprised with the mouse’s performance, if a little disappointed with the aesthetics of the device. It certainly is going for practicality over style, as it feels wonderful to use but looks like the cheapest mouse in the world. Is it time to not judge a book by its cover? Let’s find out in this snapshot Endgame Gear OP1 8K review.

Plain but Powerful

At first glance, the OP1 8K is a dainty, bog-standard device. It comes in black or white, with the white mouse being the better option as it has black accents (the six buttons) that stand out nicely on the device. The black version isn’t recommended from my perspective, as it’s a black-on-black design that doesn’t look at all stylish. There are no RGB options on this mouse, almost nothing in the way of branding, and the matte black skin lends itself nicely to fingerprints and scuffs lingering on the surface.

But if we look past the surface of this wired gaming mouse, we can learn about the power within. With a flawless PixArt 8K sensor, the OP1 8K boasts a polling rate of 8000Hz, which means your tracking abilities will be utterly maximised. It’s a hyper-accurate mouse that, when paired with a bungee, quite literally soars around the pad like skates on ice. It features mechanical Kailh GX switches that offer unparalleled tactile feedback and low latency that lends itself perfectly to FPS-based gamers wanting a solid esports mouse.

At just 50 grams, the OP1 8K is one of the lightest wired gaming mice I’ve ever tested. It’s not exceptionally customisable, but some basic software lets gamers switch between four pre-determined profiles – but that’s mostly to control the DPI, which sits between 50 and 26,000. With that DPI range and a tracking speed of 650 IPS (and that polling rate), the OP1 8K is one of the fastest, most laser-accurate esports mice you’ll ever use.

So, I’ll wrap up this OP1 8K review with a note to not judge this book by its cover. It won’t win any awards for style, but it’s an efficient mouse with enough innovation under the hood to justify the £69.99 price point. It works wonders on almost any esports game, and outside of that, it’s a brilliant daily driver for any gamer wanting accuracy and reliability with minimal wrist and hand strain.

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