We set out to make an ultra lightweight mouse the right way, by removing weight while addressing the durability issues that plague other holey mice.
Ultra lightweight (AKA super lightweight) mice are addictive. They allow gamers to flick them around at lightning speeds, which provides a huge edge in fast-paced games, and also removes a lot of strain. However, durability has been a major issue for ultra lightweight mice, from liquid damage, to dust, to static shocks, and more.
With the Aerox line, we set out to create the ultimate version: ultra lightweight and ultra durable. Here's how:
Outer case weight
The most noticible lightweight feature of Aerox is the perforated outer casing, with over 200 holes cut into the top and bottom of the mouse. This holey design shaves off about 18g of weight from the case alone, and allows the interior RGB to shine brighter than ever.
Outer case durability
The Aerox started with the extremely popular shape of the lightweight Rival 3 mouse, complete with its durable shell design.
Instead of simply drilling holes in it, which would naturally create weak spots, we increased the case thickness in certain areas to reinforce any weak spots caused by the perforations.
The Aerox's outer case has been specifically designed to maintain non-holey Rival 3 levels of durability in drop tests despite the significantly lighter weight.
Interior weight
Aerox also shaves off a lot of weight on the interior of the mouse in various ways.
- The custom circuit board is manufactured to be 50% slimmer
- Weight was reduced in other places like the scroll wheel
- The Aerox 3 Wireless utilizes Quantum 2,0 Wireless technology, allowing for a more lightweight, compact, and energy-efficient battery
- With the holey design, Aerox no longer needed certain interior parts, like the funnel that would channel light out of the Rival 3's logo
AquaBarrier™ IP54 protection
We couldn't just drill holes to reduce weight and ignore the inherent durability issues with the now-exposed circuits.
So we decided to make the entire Aerox mouse IP54 water and dust resistant, making it the first gaming mouse to ever achieve this level of protection.
With the Aerox's unique design, we've applied a water and dust resistant spray to the circuit board to prevent damage, and also designed the click switches in such a way where dust and dirt cannot work their way into the delicate metal contact points (which would cause the switches to fail over time).
Additional interior protection
The RGB in Aerox mice isn't just for show. Most holey mice have no barrier between the bottom of the mouse and the circuit board, so it's easy for dust, dirt, and liquid to fry the delicate electronics and switches, or deteriorate them over time.
In addition to the spray and new switch design, Aerox mice utilize the RGB layer as a dual-purpose protective barrier to prevent damage to the circuit board.
Electrostatic discharge protection
Another major problem with holey mice is static electricity. With exposed circuitry, all it usually takes is a single static shock to kill the delicate circuitry in many holey mice.
Our goal was to give Aerox resistance against commonplace accidents like a static shock or surge, so we performed extensive electrostatic discharge testing (basically, zapping the mouse in many different places), to ensure that the new design was safeguarded from top to bottom.
Here's how Aerox has higher than industry standard shock resistance:
- The dual-purpose RGB layer adds a protective barrier against shocks from underneath
- Air is a great insulator against static shocks - the amount of airspace between the top case and the circuirty below prevents a shock from above
- Extra distance between all of the buttons and circuits ensure that shocks are far away from the circuits
- A small "lightning rod" is located near the cable connection point to absorb any shocks from the PC/cable area
Cable durability and customization
What's the point of an ultra lightweight mouse if the cable causes drag, snags, or adds weight?
Mouse enthusists enjoy paracord-style cables with their ultra lightweight mice, however these cables tend to lack durability, and due to their lack of shielding, have problems with electromagnetic interference.
With Aerox's cable, we wanted to provide the flexible lightweight benefits of paracord-style cables, but address their lack of durability and problems with interference. So we developed a super mesh shoestring-style cable with the lightweight flexibility of a paracord, plus additional interior shielding to prevent interference.
Aerox's cable connects to the mouse via USB-C to USB-A, making connectivity and aftermarket customization a breeze. The detachability is also great for pet owners, who can now easily replace their cat-chewed cables instead of their entire mouse.
All in all, we took our time developing the Aerox mice to be both ultra lightweight and super durable. We hope you enjoy its quick flicks and long longspan as much as we do.
