I was also salmosa user, and couldn't understand that change in buttons shape in abyssus. For me that looks like cheap gimmick, "lets add some badass looking sharp edges, and our product will be more cool". I can't really find any other logical explanation. Rounded buttons in salmosa allowed users to keep 3 fingers on top of mouse (middle finger - scroll). There was nice large wide area you could fit your fingers on buttons. Putting there sharp edges does not make any sense (other than marketing, nobody would buy mouse that looks same).

As for sensor it is also not real upgrade, it has issues with many mousepads (unlike salmosa).

What is really promising, they announced abyssus mirror version (glossy coating), so for people who hate rubber coating that wears off on all razer mice, that sounds like real alternative.

If there was kinzu with Xai sensor, that would be really perfect mouse.

the Razer Abyssus has no on-board memory so the firmware can't be upgraded like the Razer DeathAdder 3.5G, no one really knows the name of the sensor, it has tracking problems and the sensor is limited in scaling 450/1800/3500 DPI.

Razer mice like the Razer Viper, Diamondback, Diamondback 3G, Krait, Salmosa, Abyssus, Boomslang CE 2007 don't have on-board memory which is something you want to have.

For fingertip users or people with small hands, it feels like real degradation of mice is going on. SteelSeries Kinzu is about the maxmimum size fingertip users could use, but alas, it's tracking is unforgivable.

Microsoft mice are too big. Or at least all I know.

Small Logitech mice focus on design and ignore comfort. Not to mention the button quality in those. R.I.P. Logitech Mini Optical...

I wonder if I should buy Razer Salmosa (or something similar to Krait?) or just wait for SS to fix Kinzu or some new mice...

Allthough I don't have a need for such small mice (but if something really interesting comes out I will take a look) it's a shame that there are not many options.

SS will not fix the Kinzu and it doesn't look like Logitech is planing some MX300/G1/G3 successor.

For many companies gaming mouse means big palm mouse with crappy sensor, lots of lights, useless wheight tuning system, useless amount of buttons and marketing features. :puke:

If there was kinzu with Xai sensor, that would be really perfect mouse.

Unfortunately I doubt that the Xai PCP will fit in a Kinzu shell, so a frankenmouse isn't really an option.

the Razer Abyssus ...., no one really knows the name of the sensor ...

S3888 (from Avago)

Razer mice like the Razer Viper, Diamondback, Diamondback 3G, Krait, Salmosa, Abyssus, Boomslang CE 2007 don't have on-board memory which is something you want to have.

A Viper with onboard memory would still be crap, just crap with onboard memory.

If you look for really small mice you could look at the asian market (small girly hands --> small mice), "their" Salmosa is even smaller, afaik you can buy it at the Razer Store.

Roccat Pyra (wired) might also be an option.

Allthough I don't have a need for such small mice (but if something really interesting comes out I will take a look) it's a shame that there are not many options.

SS will not fix the Kinzu and it doesn't look like Logitech is planing some MX300/G1/G3 successor.

For many companies gaming mouse means big palm mouse with crappy sensor, lots of lights, useless wheight tuning system, useless amount of buttons and marketing features. :puke:


Unfortunately I doubt that the Xai PCP will fit in a Kinzu shell, so a frankenmouse isn't really an option.


S3888 (from Avago)


A Viper with onboard memory would still be crap, just crap with onboard memory.

If you look for really small mice you could look at the asian market (small girly hands --> small mice), "their" Salmosa is even smaller, afaik you can buy it at the Razer Store.

Roccat Pyra (wired) might also be an option.

I want to see a picture of the sensor all I have seen in google is one forum post from gotfrag.

I have small girly hands and like big mice like my steelseries xai

thanks for that.

@lmnop

What did they use on the Salmosa (I'm too lazy too search )?

Omron D2FC-F-7N same microswitches Logitech and Razer been using for years.

the steelseries xai uses a Omron D2FC-F-7N microswitch for the scroll wheel but primary are a unknown Omron microswitch with a black plunger, secondary are a unknown Omron microswitch with a red plunger.

nope. that is the Omron D2FC-F-7N microswitch for the scroll wheel. see the plastic spool sticking out of the spoke. that acts as a stem it depresses the plunger in front of it.

Nope, looks at all of the pictures on that site, none of the switches has a black plunger and the axis of the wheel lays on the switch behind.
The colour of the upper PCB seems also to have a different colour.

I'm not saying that there are no Xais with black plungers (I know the pics) but a seen in the link I posted there are also ones (or at least one ) which clearly don't have them an uses D2FC-F-7N as main switches.

Agreed. I would prefer even smaller than Kinzu, but Kinzu is OK.

But they tend to make technically better mice always bigger. As if bigger would also mean better.
In fact, in RTS and MMO gaming most serious gamers use fingertip grip. (what Ive gathered from several forums) Its just superior in speed and comfort when you dont have to move your wrist or arm at all. (high DPI)

RTS is a completely different beast than FPS. It's a shame "Gaming" mice are really "FPS" mice and RTS gamers get lost in the cold. In the entirety of pro gaming in korea gamers have been using different iterations of "the tiny logitech mouse" finally settling on the logitech mini optical. Only the Razer Salmosa and Salmosa Asia (just ordered one, can't wait to get ahold of it) have been anywhere near what rts gamers want, which is a shame. Since RTS is basically about clicking on stuff with a cursor, I think it's a better equivalent to desktop use as well.

The Salmosa has a great design. I love the plump "ass", pretty much the only way I would change it is perhaps a little in the surface material to make it more grippy, less long, and the buttons would maybe have a little more leverage further down (perhaps fixed by just having a less tall mouse). also maybe ditching the scroll wheel for a third button or just two button it (back to basics ftw).

one thing I really do like is the switch for dpi on the bottom. i would actually love it if either they expanded this, or better yet provide a way to flash any dpi up to a certain point onto the mouse (perhaps this will add too much bulk or weight to add onboard memory...?). it's just cool to have non-driver fixes, i think, since drivers are so often a hassle

I guess the question is if the one-piece tops affect leverage more so than if leverage affect resistance.  Pressing different areas around my current mouse and another MS mouse I have with a multi-piece top, it really doesn't seem to matter a whole lot.  It seems to be more aesthetic than anything.

the secondary micro switches with red plungers are definitely TTC I found that picture. the only micro switch companies I have seen are Zippy, Omron, Cherry and Nippon. Zippy micro switches seem popular amongst asian gamers. I can't find anymore pictures of the steelseries xai. the pictures I posted are from a thread in this same section from some guy complaining about the quality of his steelseries xai.

micro switches and cherry mx switches are not really all that different. if you go to Omron website they list the specifications for each micro switch including force.

How come if the same Omron switches are used in different mouse models made by different manufacturers, some start to malfunction after some time of regular use, and some don't? The middle click on my Lachesis, is regularly registered as a double click. Interestingly, the right/left buttons function flawlessly, but thier usage was a tad hevier compared to the middle one. But then again, the same Omron switches do not show any problems in some really old and heavily used mice.

Om nom ron

The omrons with the black plunger on the Xai are D2F-J01F (source).

Om nom ron

thank you Bull

if you're having double clicking problems it's either

1) the plunger under the mouse button cover is worn out. this happens when you are applying to much force to the mouse button cover which can wear out under 6 months of heavy usage. unless you can fabricate a new button cover you have to RMA.
2) the copper spring inside the micro switch is worn out. solution is here.



namaste and good luck

If there was kinzu with Xai sensor, that would be really perfect mouse.

hi! first post here, so excuse any errors :)
i'm a fingertip grip mouse user and i've been using WMO 1.1a, Salmosa, Abyssus etc etc. none have the right shape/size though.
so when i saw the Xai and Kinzu i got really excited :D
unfortunately the Xai really is too big for me and i HATE side buttons... and the Kinzu sensor is.. uh.. just plain horrible.

so i decided to mod my Kinzu and replace the sensor with the Xai's!

some things to note if you try this yourself:
- you risk ruining both mice. expensive!
- not all the Xai features will fit into the Kinzu shell;
- no LCD (it's possible to do, but beyond my level of skill and needs)
- no side buttons / profile switch (it's possible to do, but beyond my level of skill and needs)

first detach everything!


some tools you'll need are a Soldering Iron, Desolder Pump (or wick or whatever you prefer to use for desoldering) and some Solder. oh and a Dremel or something to carve up plastic :)


the wheels are different sizes, so you'll need to change them.
you'll notice that the Kinzu scroll wheel component is higher and indented by 1mm compared to the Xai scroll wheel. you'll need to desolder the Xai scroll wheel and replace it with the Kinzu scroller.


the USB cable won't fit round the side of the Kinzu, so you'll need to thread it under the PCB and maybe cut away some plastic from the side.
you'll also need to trim the plastic from the Xai USB braid cable guard thing to get it to fit in the holder


personally i felt the Xai middle click was a little stiff for my liking, so i placed several layers of electrical tape to make it extra sensitive.


empty out the interior of the Kinzu base, clearing away the Mouse1/Cable area.


the under shell of the Kinzu weighs about 22g and i personally find it to be unbalanced. when i pick the mouse up to reset position, i notice that the backside of the mouse drags on the mouse mat. to remedy this i cut away some unneeded plastic.


yay! now the backside is lighter and the whole mouse will feel a more balanced :D


to secure the PCB into place i decided to drill some holes in the sides...


... and combine 2x cable ties to lock down the sensor. cut away any excess cable tie :)


as you cut away the undershell, you'll need to carve away the Mouse2 area. this is so that the Xai clickers will fit into the Kinzu. be patient and keep checking if it fits. the only way i could fit the Xai board into the Kinzu was by removing the screw socket at Mouse2 :/ this means you'll only have 3 screws.


final step - burn the hideous glides that came with the Kinzu and replace them with Teflon :D
install the Xai drivers and away you go!
i also highly recommend the SteelSeries 9HD hard mouse mat with this sensor.


after years and years of searching, i now have my perfect mouse.
extremely happy! :D

The switches on the main board of the xai are omeron except the mmb which is ttc. the switches on the secondary board for the side buttons are all ttc switches. The LCD weighs next to nothing.

Also I was pointing out issues I had with the mouse since I couldn't find much documentation on it past people in forums saying SS sucks. don't confuse that with complaining. I ended up buying a second one, gutting it and swapping out parts. my original mouse looked to be from an initial run since there were several differences in the case and the secondary board.

I had used a Razer Boomslang 2007 for several Years until the rubber on the button started to flake apart, been trying to find a replacement without much success. ATM, I'm using a Logitech M310 which replaced the Abyssus which in turn replaced the Kinzu. As my requirements are few (three buttons), I'm quite happy for now. Also I'm surprised this Logitech tracts so well for a wireless mouse, I'll even go as far as "as good as the Boomslang" and risk my scrawny neck on the block.

Oh, anyone have any ideas on how to mod a Boomslang into a different shell ?

I play starcraft(bw and now sc2) a lot and I've had the salmosa ever since it came out, its prediction doesn't really bother me but I needed a higher DPI mouse so I ordered the abyssus about 1 month ago, despite the fact that people are complaining about how the aby jitters on cloth pads, most notably the Qck's.

well, I got a qck+  so I thought ,ok, if it's that bad i will just have to give up on the trusty qck and buy a new hard pad instead.

So my abyssus arrived,  shape feels good(quite similar to the salmosa in some way), coated surface is excellent, etc, over all I like it a lot, played a couple of games with it on my Qck didn't feel any skipping or jittering, so I pulled up the good old Paint and started drawing lines and circles.

the circles were smooth and  the lines were straight.... WHAT? that can't be true! its supposed to jitter all over the place on the qck i thought? So I grabbed my roommate's  razer exactmat and did the same test over and over again between the 2 pads, the results were identical throughout: the abyssus is fine on cloth pads, at least on my Qck+.

What gives?

I play starcraft(bw and now sc2) a lot and I've had the salmosa ever since it came out, its prediction doesn't really bother me but I needed a higher DPI mouse so I ordered the abyssus about 1 month ago, despite the fact that people are complaining about how the aby jitters on cloth pads, most notably the Qck's.

well, I got a qck+  so I thought ,ok, if it's that bad i will just have to give up on the trusty qck and buy a new hard pad instead.

So my abyssus arrived,  shape feels good(quite similar to the salmosa in some way), coated surface is excellent, etc, over all I like it a lot, played a couple of games with it on my Qck didn't feel any skipping or jittering, so I pulled up the good old Paint and started drawing lines and circles.

the circles were smooth and  the lines were straight.... WHAT? that can't be true! its supposed to jitter all over the place on the qck i thought? So I grabbed my roommate's  razer exactmat and did the same test over and over again between the 2 pads, the results were identical throughout: the abyssus is fine on cloth pads, at least on my Qck+.

What gives?

I got my abyssus on Thursday. Been using it real heavily since then. First thing i did was open up paint and test it on my fUNC 1030 pad. I heard this pad worked no matter what but i just wanted to try it out. Sure enough, no jitters, and lines were as straight as i could draw them.

I also tried it on some cloth material and it works just fine. I saw a comment on ESReality where someone also said it worked on their QcK+  they went on to say maybe Razer updated it for a new batch of abyssus mice. Seems unlikely without any notice but who knows. These mice did have some major issues with cloth and now a select few are saying they're turning out fine.

Btw, im coming from a WMO, and this mouse is the bomb! Killer shape, killer coating, killer tracking!

I wound up buying a Salmosa "asia pro gaming edition" off eBay. Cost me like $60. Got it and it's awesome -- similar shape as the salmosa in a smaller package and no on-mouse hz switch. I prefer it to the Salmosa (though I still love the regular salmosa). Then, farting around I noticed it on the Razer store and bought another one shipped from them directly for $30. Looking it up now, it says it's not available. Maybe it's seasonal or something. Anyway, smaller size makes it lighter, a little more manueverable in the vertical for me, and the smaller size also gives me a little more leverage on the buttons and thus more comfortable as well given the way I grip the mouse.

Still has the old squeek issue but, no big deal.

Re: braided cable -- why is it that of all the stupid **** they put in mice that's unnecessary, we can't get a high quality mouse with a replaceable, braided cable? The cable for my salmosa is tiny, flimsy, and long as ****. I'd love it if I could buy a length that fit my use and high quality cable at that...