Trust GXT 981 Redex

There are quite a considerable array of gaming mice available on the market these days, from ones that are designed to be ergonomically built, to others that seem to have enough buttons and inputs that you could pretty much get away without needing half of your keyboard. But what about if you want something that requires less effort to move around? Well that's where lightweight mice come into effect, and over the past few weeks I've been testing out Trust's latest foray into this space: the GXT 981 Redex.

As this is a lightweight mouse it is worth clarifying that as it only weighs 72g it doesn't require much effort to move. This means that this device is fantastic for those who are after a quick response device, which matches up well with the 10,000 DPI sensor, which has a polling rate of up to 1000 Hz and boasts a tracking speed of 100 IPS. Essentially, if you play games where quick reactions are king (shooters and the likes) this is a great type of mouse for you. That being said, this approach makes it clear that the GXT 981 Redex is a bit of a one trick pony, as it lacks in some other areas.

Having such a lightweight profile means scaling back on some other areas, and so this mouse doesn't have a lot of additional features. Aside from the left and right click inputs and the scroll wheel, it has one middle-button, and two left-sided buttons, designed to be clicked with your thumb (as this is solely a right-handed device). Other than two switches on the mouse's underside that can be used to turn on/off the RGB effects and alter the polling rate by one of three predetermined values (125, 500, 1000) it doesn't have any extra inputs. If you want to do anything else with the device, you will need to download Trust's free additional software, which features the ability to customise DPI values, LED settings, and Macro options - which is always handy.

But the point is, this mouse is designed for quick responses and quick responses only. You can't bind multiple inputs to it as it lacks the buttons, the quite rigid on-mouse customisable options means that you can never quickly change setup without booting up the external application, and the fact that this is a wired mouse does mean that you will always be tethered to a PC via the braided cable.

It's also quite a minimalist looking system. It has very few defining features, and quite frankly if it wasn't for the RGB options, it'd be a bit boring. In fact, I will say that the device never really feels that impressive when you hold it, but considering this is a reasonably priced gaming mouse, you can't expect to be wined and dined with fancy plastics and rubber buttons and so on.

And that's the big thing to take from what the GXT 981 Redex is. This is a mouse that is designed for those looking for responsiveness at a price point that won't break the bank. And aside from this, this device doesn't really excel or standout elsewhere. That's not a bad thing at all, but considering the array of mice that Trust alone manufacturers, it's worth understanding what you're getting yourself into before purchasing one. If shooters are your jam and you're looking for something light and quick, this is a great starting option nonetheless.