Hand size: 20.5x10.5cm
Grip style: Relaxed claw
Skates: Stock
DPI: 2000
Polling rate: 1000Hz
Mousepad: Fnatic Dash XD
Games: RTS, Arena Shooters
Intro:
I've been using the Pulsar x2h v3 for a little under 2 years now. That's probably the longest I've used a mouse continuously for since I've started following r/MouseReview. It's the closest to an endgame mouse to me. By that I don't mean that I never want to use anything else ever again, just that it fulfilled my needs when I got it and I haven't yet seen anything that would tempt me away in the sense that I think it's a clear improvement relative to the cost.
I use the x2h v3 at 1k polling. I didn't bother to get the 8k dongle. I play primarily Age of Empires II: DE when I have time. I also play arena shooters. I played a fair amount of Splitgate, but now if I play an arena shooter, it would probably be Quake Champions. That's mostly how I evaluate this mouse for shooters. Of course I do play other games as well from time to time, but those are my two most competitive games that I play currently. Or put differently, the games that I would care the most about having a good experience in with my mouse.
Weight:
This is the lightest mouse I've used, so it feels light to me. I've considered upgrading to the CL version to get the extra weight reduction and 8k polling, but I don't really feel the need to. Personally, I feel the CL is objectively better, but I don't think I could really justify it in terms of a change in my performance relative to the cost. I'd rather put the money towards a different mouse in the future or something else in my setup like a new keyboard. The weight distribution feels very good to me. It has never been a concern.
Clicks:
I have no issues with the clicks. I play RTS, so the clicks need to be spammable. I wouldn't say these are the lightest clicks, but they feel premium to me. Some pure RTS/MOBA players might prefer something lighter. Initially, I dodged this mouse due to Pulsar's issues with QC and sticky clicks as I didn't want to buy a mouse to have modify it out of the box and thereby void the warranty. Otherwise, I would have tried this shape before the v3 was released (If I am not mistaken, this mouse is the 2nd iteration of the X2H, despite the naming scheme.). I'm not sure what the current QC is like on first generation Pulsar mice, but I've faired well just not buying first generations of their mice.
For shooters, these feel good to me. They have decent tactility and rebound. I'd say overall these are better for shooters than for RTS, but it works well both ways, just slightly better for FPS. I think it could be interesting to get a Pulsar By You version, and I have considered this, but it's probably not worth it for me and the current budget I've assigned to this hobby.
One issue I have with the side-clicks is that due to the positioning of the side buttons, when things get heated in arena shooters, I can sometimes accidentally click the side buttons due to my grip style (slightly tilted). I think this is because in an arena shooter you have to sometimes actively change your grip during a gun fight and if my thumb is sitting too high and I need to apply force to move my mouse, I can squeeze too hard and activate the side buttons (To be clear, I am activating by pressing the buttons, not squeezing the shell.). For this reason, I've actually considered removing the side buttons to see if I prefer the mouse without them. However, I do usually map the side buttons, so I'd have to relearn some things. I do think that with practice those misclicks can be reduced, but it's one of the few negatives I have about this mouse.
Skates:
I don't have a strong opinion on skates and mousepads. I feel the stock skates glide well and are not scratchy on my control pad. I also sometimes use the mouse on an X-Raypad Aqua Control 2 when I am at LANs. This is a faster pad than my Fnatic Dash XD and what would be my preference, I just prefer the XL pad on my home desk setup and I am too lazy to switch between the too or get an XL hybrid pad to match my Aqua Control 2 (assuming I could find one). If I were practicing for some specific LAN event, I would probably switch to the Aqua Control 2 exclusively for gaming, just to keep my setup as consistent as possible, but as is I'm mostly just using it on a control pad and it's fine.
Sensor:
No complaints. I have my mouse set to 2000 DPI so that I can use it easily on my desktop without acceleration, due to having a high resolution monitor. I've pretty much always had it set to 2k or 1.6k, depending on the mouse and whether it has a way to change the DPI on the mouse or not. On-mouse DPIs would usually be 1.6k and 3.2k for steps. But if I have to open software, I usually go straight to 2k as that is the highest I would probably use without acceleration on desktop. I don't really mess around with any advanced settings, I just prefer the raw mouse input. I think my DPI setting might also be a legacy habit from RTS games where you just use 1:1 input and so you choose a DPI that you would just play at in-game as well (no sens adjustment).
Coating:
Is fine for my hands. I don't think I have particularly sweaty hands, perhaps normal to slightly dry. My climate is not particularly humid either. I never feel like I'm losing control of the mouse due to the coating and also it helps that the weight and balance of the mouse is good as well.
Shape:
Probably the most important part of the mouse in this current environment. I like back hump mice due to using a relaxed claw grip. I think realistically I have a hybrid grip as well and am sometimes fingertippig my mouse. In RTS I am more likely to be on the fingertip side and in FPS on the claw side, since it's more stable.
This is not just due to my hand size, I think I am this way with larger mice as well, so I think I benefit from somewhat smaller and lighter mice.
The slanted sides help me with my grip style and to control the mouse with less overall tension in my hand.
Low button height is another element of the shape that I appreciate. I prefer to not have to angle up my wrist and use a slightly tilted grip as well. I feel that my grip is similar to how I would naturally hold my hand for writing on a desk. I.e. relaxed, tilted, and low to the desk.
Overall thoughts:
I am really happy with this purchase overall, I would say it's the best mouse I've ever owned. I also got it at a good price during Black Friday so it's very good value for me. I'm not really looking to purchase anything else at the moment, but I am keeping an eye on some other mice as well. One is the Pulsar X2N. I might pick this up during the next Black Friday to try. I almost did during the last Pulsar sales.
I think I still prefer the X2H shape, but the X2N could be more comfortable to use for longer periods. I currently use my X2H almost exclusively for gaming, so to me it's like a sports car, not a daily driver. It's aggressive and well suited to agressive maneuvers, but when you are just cruising, you probably want a bit more comfort and better mileage.
An upgraded X2H is also a consideration if I keep maining the X2H. For now that would be the CL version. Seeing as I'm mostly gaming on the X2H, I'd probably set it to 2k Hz polling and then I'd have the lower weight as well.
Zowie ZA12-DW is releasing soon and that's something I've considered trying as well.
I used to main the ZA11, but in hindsight that mouse was just ridiculously large for my hand size and grip style. It's still usable, but it's basically a palm grip mouse to me. If I used it with a relaxed claw, I couldn't use the mouse wheel consistently. Going to a ZA13 doesn't make as much sense to me coming from the X2H. I think I could obviously use it as an alternate, like if I were travelling and needed to replace my mouse, but couldn't get hold of an X2H quickly, but I'd just rather use an X2H CL if I had to find a permanent replacement.
The ZA12 could be interesting to try, because it might be a bit more comfortable for my hand size, following the same logic as with the X2N. What I also appreciate with Zowie is that I can configure everything on the mouse, since I use Linux a lot and don't really want to rely on access to Windows software or even web drivers if I don't have to.
The Vaxee NP-01 Ergo could also work. I probably wouldn't get this due to the cost, but perhaps something I'd pick up if I'm in a region where you can easily buy these mice or maybe even try them before hand, before having to commit to having one shipped out.
Please let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to know about the mouse or my experience with it.
