The only two gaming mice that have ever come close to replacing my simple yet trusty Logitech G403 Hero are Asus’ ROG Chakram and Lexip’s Pu94. The ROG Chakram caught my attention for its single joystick on the side, as did the Pu94. Unfortunately, the joysticks on both those mice were uncomfortably far for my thumb to reach. The Pu94’s second joystick, which is built into the entire shell of the mouse, was great for flying games, but sort of awkward for shooting games and regular work tasks.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for local Australian pricing and availability.
Lexip’s latest gaming mouse, the Np93 Alpha, gets everything right. My G403 Hero has been outranked and replaced.
Lexip Np93 Alpha Gaming Mouse
What is it?
A fully customisable gaming mouse that fits small hands
Price
$US50 ($64)
Like
Comfortable joystick placement, DPI profile mapping, ceramic feet, adjustable weight, and customisable macros
Dislike
Nothing
Lexip is a relatively new gaming brand that funded its first mouse, the Pu94, via a Kickstarter campaign. The Np93 Alpha is the newer model, and has all the same unique features except for the internal joystick, but this time, the side joystick is finally close enough for me to reach. It’s a small hands-friendly mouse, at long last. I’ve wanted a mouse like this for so long and now there finally is one. I loved everything else about the Pu94, but those were my two dealbreakers. Lexip’s Np93 works beautifully.
The mouse has its own software, which lets you program the joystick and other buttons for any game and any program, like Overwatch abilities or quick “shortcuts” for features and options in Unreal Engine 4 or Photoshop. Lexip has a bunch of pre-made profiles for popular games and software, too, so if you don’t feel like tinkering in the software yourself you don’t have to. The software is much more intuitive than it was before though, and more robust. Lexip has tremendously improved its software.
One feature about that I found really, really useful for shooting games is the ability to customise up to three different DPI profiles and bind them to the joystick. So, if I’m in the middle of a heated firefight and want to switch to a lower or higher DPI depending on what’s going on, I can instantly do that.
The joystick is also programed with the same functions as its scroll wheel right out of the box. This might sound controversial to some, but using that joystick to scroll up and down or left to right across a webpage or Excel spreadsheet beats using a scroll wheel, hands down. It’s faster, smoother, and more intuitive than pressing down the scroll wheel when you want to move horizontally instead of vertically.
The Np93 also has the best mouse feet out of any mouse on the market, too. Normally gaming mice use Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Teflon to make the little pads under the mouse that help it glide along the mousepad. But Lexip uses shiny ceramic pads instead. That material fights friction better than PTFE, and I’ve found it helps me be just a tad more precise in shooting games.
The best part about these ceramic feet is they are easily replaceable. Lexip sells replacement feet if the ones on the Pu94 or Np93 get worn down. You can also stick them on almost any other gaming mouse if you want to give it a quick, easy upgrade — all for $US20 ($26).
The other great thing about the Np93 is that it comes with two weights that pop into the bottom of the mouse if you like to have a little resistance when you play games or do regular work. One weight is 18 grams (my personal preference) and the other is 3.6 grams. A lot of other gaming mice come with weights as well, but not the same weight or same quantity.
My G403 Hero comes with only one optional, 10-gram weight. It also has PTFE feet and no side joystick, but it fits my small hands better than most mice. However, it usually retails for $US70 ($90), or $US50 ($64) when it’s on sale. Lexip’s Np93, with all its unique, premium, and fully customisable features, retails for $US50 ($64). It’s an incredible value proposition, one that’s unmatched by practically every other gaming mouse on the market.
I can’t stress enough how wonderful the Np93 is. It’s earned a permanent place on my desk, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else Lexip comes up with in the future. This is a gaming peripheral company to keep an eye on.