Expert's Rating
Pros
- Converts to a joystick
- The button layout and button customization is excellent
- Pressure sensors and haptic feedback give you a deeper level of functionality
- Has a powerful accurate sensor
- Only one small RGB zone
- The joystick conversion provides only a small lift from a tabletop
- Wired connectivity only
The Swiftpoint Z2 is a truly amazing mouse that provides a level of functionality and customization far and above what most gaming mice can offer. It’s an absolute game changer for those willing to put in the time and effort to learn how to use it.
The Kickstarter-funded Swiftpoint Z2 can be a bit intimidating for minimalist gamers used to a simple six-button FPS mouse.
The successor to the Swiftpoint Z is stacked with so many features and functionality that it can be simply overwhelming. But for enthusiasts looking for an edge it’s just the ticket. There are 13 customizable buttons, drag-minimizing wings, a gyroscope, haptic feedback, and even a mini-OLED display — and that’s just for starters.
With just about everything a gamer could possibly want onboard, you could say the Z2 is like the mouse equivalent of “The Homer,” the car that Homer Simpson built. But don’t let that comparison diminish what it can do for your gaming…
Indeed, the Z2’s makers have gone to great pains to produce a mouse that is blatantly superior to the majority of multi-button gaming mice on the market. It’s a tinkerers dream, a mouse that once you get your head around, is an extremely powerful gaming device well worth your time and effort.
Swiftpoint Z2 design and build
The Z2 is a large, right-handed mouse with dimensions of 5.12 x 3.54 x 1.57 inches, so it’s ideal for big hands. It sports a tethered design and aesthetic dominated by two drag-minimizing side rests — one that cups your thumb and another on the right that cradles your little finger.
The extreme customization options for the buttons also had me chomping at the bit to play every MMO game I own…
The Z2 weighs 4.125 ounces not including the cable, which is remarkably light considering the mouse’s size. It sports a high back that’s tallest on the left, then tapers to the right so that you get the most support beneath the heel of your hand.
The button configuration is the most unique I’ve seen in a gaming mouse. It’s also stacked with extra technology including five pressure sensors and haptic feedback (but more on that later).
Like the Logitech G 502, it has two main clicks, a pair on the left-hand side vertical and two set into the top, also on the left. Four buttons sit behind the main clicks. These consist of a pair of horizontal levers and two with longer caps in front.
The remaining three clicks can be found in the mouse wheel. The buttons contain Omron mechanical Switches. An RGB Swiftpoint logo illuminates the mouse’s back in the default setting, which seems like a lackluster attempt at adding some gamer-centric flair.
The Swiftpoint Z2 comes with a joystick conversion plate that clips onto the underside and allows you to use the mouse like a joystick.
The Swiftpoint Z2 comes with a joystick conversion plate that clips onto the underside and allows you to use the mouse like a joystick.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
The Swiftpoint Z2 comes with a joystick conversion plate that clips onto the underside and allows you to use the mouse like a joystick.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
As if all that isn’t enough, the Swiftpoint Z2 can convert into a joystick controller. It comes with an extender that attaches to the bottom of the unit. This acts to elevate the mouse from your tabletop so that you can use it like a joystick. A built-in gyroscope works to register your movements in this mode.
The mouse’s customizability is extremely good. The Z2 lets you swap out the buttons, levers, and even the mouse’s switches so that you can customize it exactly as you like.
Is it comfortable? Sure, if you can get over the fact that your hand is going to be resting over at least four of buttons to reach the two main clicks. The best way to get around that I found was to use a claw grip from time to time, but that may not be to everyone’s liking.
Swiftpoint Z2 gaming performance
The Swiftpoint Z2 boasts a Pixart PAW3395 sensor with a maximum resolution of 26,000 DPI, maximum speed of 650 inches per second, and a polling rate of 1,000Hz.
The mouse moved quickly and efficiently across my mouse mat and the sensor was sufficiently accurate in the games I played, as I’ve found the PAW3395 to be in other mice. But it’s the mouse’s unique functionality that had me truly impressed.
Using the Z2’s joystick extension was a particular blast. I’ve never been able to play games like Microsoft Flight Simulator X and keep my aircraft in the air for more than a minute — so it was novel and exhilarating to be able to keep my biplane in one piece. In Rainbow Six: Siege, I could peek around corners with mere flick of my wrists, and in insurgency a simple flick was all I needed to do to reload.
One thing worth noting though, is that the lift off I got from my tabletop with the joystick extender wasn’t as high as I would have liked. This meant I was slightly limited in my movements; the mouse would run out of space to fully tilt to the extent I wanted for sharp maneuvers in flight sims — in the default setting. Then again, even being able to use it as a joystick was extremely exciting.
The extreme customization options for the buttons also had me chomping at the bit to play every MMO game I own. Why? Not only could I assign a second set of commands, but I could also set the depth of my click actuation with some of the buttons.
You can set the actuation depth of the Swiftpoint Z2’s buttons.
You can set the actuation depth of the Swiftpoint Z2’s buttons.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
You can set the actuation depth of the Swiftpoint Z2’s buttons.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
This Deep Click functionality also works with the mouse’s haptic feedback so that I could actually feel the depth level I was activating — bringing a whole new level of realism to my play.
It also opened a whole new level of personalization I’d never dreamed possible, that sped up my reactions to game stimuli. For instance, in WoW I mapped spell combinations to the left and right fingertip buttons, which were a lot easier to actuate than buttons in the second row of the grid in my usual MMO mouse, the Razer Naga V2 Pro.
In CounterStrike 2 I could set a first level for scope and a second deeper tier of actuation for firing. With multiple functionalities in one button, I could react a lot quicker than I could before, which made a real difference to my scores.
Swiftpoint Z2 software
An exceptional mouse like the Z2 needs an exceptional software app, and it’s got just that in X1 Control Panel.
The app has useful menus that spell out in a straightforward way the kinds of settings you can change. But, because of the complexity of the Z2, expect a steep learning curve at first and lots of trial and error to reach a result you’re happy with.
To give you an example of the depth of the settings options you can tweak, you can fall down deep rabbit holes changing things like the joystick commands and the degree of tilt to your bindings.
Among Control Panel’s best features is the ability to auto detect games supported by the app. Supported games have additional features — for example, in Rainbow Six: Siege you get a full list of changeable game actions up front rather than having to remember individual key bindings.
The X1 Control Panel software app.
The X1 Control Panel software app.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
The X1 Control Panel software app.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Speaking of profiles, you can create more than 20 in X1 Control Panel and save them directly to the mouse’s onboard memory. That number covered more of my games than I’ve ever been able to access on a mouse before.
In X1 Control Panel you can also select what you want the mouse’s OLED screen to display. I found it useful to show the pressure of my clicks to easier get the hang of the layers of button actuation I’d set up. But I also found it useful to display the profiles I was using at any given time.
Should you buy the Swiftpoint Z2?
The Swiftpoint Z2 doesn’t come cheap — it’s listed for $199 on Swiftpoint’s website. I say listed because it’s sold out at the time of writing this review — yes, it’s that popular.
Is it worth the price? Yes, absolutely! I’ve only just scratched the surface of what you can do with this mouse here. But take my word for it, it offers endless possibilities for your gaming, especially in MMOs.
If you’re tempted to buy one and can find one available, you absolutely should pick one up.
Gaming, Mice
