Just a few months ago Steelseries released a new mouse called the Kana. That mouse was sent to us here at Funky Kit and took the coveted Editors Choice award. It just so happens that Steelseries is back with a new version of this mouse, the Counterstrike: Global Offensive Limited Edition. If it is anything like the last Kana that was featured, this mouse should be a downright beast of a mouse.
For those who are not familiar with Steelseries, Here is a little info taken from their website:
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“From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making professional gaming gear that provide meaningful benefits to gamers of all skill-level, with the most demanding being those gamers whose lively hood depends on the performance of our products. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying! What originally began as a small two-person operation in Copenhagen back in 2001 has become a global leader in professional gaming products. SteelSeries recognized the need for superior, high-quality professional gaming gear that would give players a competitive edge. Fast-forward to today, and we’ve come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer! “
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I’m sure you are as anxious as I am to find out if this new mouse is as good as the previous version. And lets see if Steelseries tweaked things, of if they just slapped a fresh coat of paint on the previous version.
Specifications
Taken from Steelseries page
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STEELSERIES KANA CS:GO Featuring a CounterStrike: Global Offensive™ unique design, the SteelSeries Kana CounterStrike: Global Offensive Edition is an optical, ambidextrous mouse designed for all three grip styles: palm, claw and swipe. Based on the Steelseries Kana mouse, the functionality, ergonomic button layout and size was perfected alongside SteelSeries’ professional gaming teams, who also tested and validated the precision and power hidden in the Kana’s modest exterior. Make no mistake; this mouse was built for consistency and accuracy even in professional tournament conditions.
THE STEELSERIES KANA We do more than talk a good game. We play, we create, we push the standards in peripheral design. Kana can mean many different things in different languages. In Swedish, canary. In Azerbjjan, blood. In Hawaiian, demigod. To us, gaming is a culture combined of many languages. Kana means, precision, control, winning and the ability to make you a better player. The SteelSeries Kana CS:GO Edition bridges the gap between the kinzu and the Sensei. With 6 buttons, a tournament grade optical sensor, high performance UPE feet, it strikes an ideal balance in size, features and performance.
Size and weight
Buttons
You Want More Buttons? The SteelSeries Kana CS:GO Edition features 2 XL-sized, side buttons (one on each side) for easy rapid-fire. If you choose to not use them, then head over to the SteelSeries Engine to disable. You’re welcome. Ambidextrous The SteelSeries Kana CS:GO Edition has an ergonomic, ambidextrous design makes it a natural fit for both right and left handed users. The SteelSeries Engine The SteelSeries Engine allows you to customize your mouse settings like never before. With the SteelSeries Engine installed you are able to:
Lighting with Purpose The illuminated scroll wheel is both stylish and functional. Utilizing the SteelSeries Engine, the LED intensity can be assigned to indicate the currently active CPI profile.
Easy To Adjust CPI The centrally located toggle button allows you to quickly switch between two sensitivity settings. The pre-defined CPI settings in the Kana CS:GO Edition are used and recommended by professional gamers all over the world. These CPI settings, which reach up to 3200, are also easily adjustable via the SteelSeries Engine. Mouse glides Material: High performance UPE material covers 16 % of mouse bottom to ensure maximum glide. We recommend changing glides regularly as they will eventually be worn down.
Stability The SteelSeries Kana CS:GO Edition is made to be stable on every kind of surface with the help of its top of the line optical sensor. This sensor is also designed to eliminate jitter and provide optimized stability for the user. And the numbers Frames per second: 3600 |
First Impressions
My first impression when I got this package was hoping that the mouse looks as cool in real life as it does on the box. The art on the front of the box is pretty cool, featuring the Counter-Terrorists from CS:GO.Counter-Strike branding can be found in various places around the box, as well as your basic information such as a few mouse features such as mouse tracking statistics and how long the cable is.
Closer Look
Right off the bat, the main difference between the two versions of the Kana is the paint job. The first one is all black, but this one gets a CS:GO paint job. The Counter-terrorists logo is found over the top of the mouse, along with a CS:GO branding on the left-mouse button. At first I thought the paint job caused a different feeling in the mouse, but after an hour of use it seems like that slightly slick feeling goes away and the mouse feels more tacky.
Weight on the Kana CS:GO is great and feels pretty much idential to the first Kana. The same can be said for all of the buttons. Clicks are very smooth and fluid, and scrolling gives a small amount of tactile feedback but that is very much appreciated.
Depending on which profile you use on the mouse, a blue light will either glow in the scroll-wheel or remain off. That is a nice touch since there are times when you could hit the slower DPI profile and not even realize it when in-game until it is too late. But that glowing light does help a nice amount.
Testing
Over the course of a few days I compared the CS:GO against the original Kana and I have to say the new mouse is SLIGHTLY different. It seems like they replaced the sliding pads on the bottom. Now they are smoother and feel a tiny bit better in games that require lots of twitch movements. Daily browsing is pretty much the same affair. Comfort is great, personally this mouse fits perfectly in my hand. But of course every mouse is different for every person.
Verdict and Conclusion
The Steelseries Kana CS:GO edition is all-around a fantastic mouse. Tracking is great, the layout is awesome for FPS gamers and it looks nice as well.
The popular phrase of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” sure applies here. Steelseries had a great mouse on their hands and they slightly tweaked it to make it even better feeling in games.
Pricing is where this mouse takes a massive hit. Shopping around the original Kana can be found for right around $50. That price is great for what you get. Shopping around, the Kana CS:GO edition can be found for right around $70. For slightly better pads on the bottom and a fancy paint job that sure is alot of money.
Pros:
- Large side buttons ideal for FPS gamers
- Matte coating
- Great Tracking
- CS:GO branding looks great
Cons:
- Pricing
Final words
Steelseries really has a great mouse on their hands with the Kana CS:GO edition. However the pricing really hurts the attractiveness of the product. If you are not a Counter-Strike fan I would suggest saving $20 and go with the base Kana since the price premium is simply just too much for a paint job. But with that being said, if the price was lowered to match the previous Kana this mouse would be a fantastic buy.
SCORE
8.4/10
