First, a confession: I like my mice chonky. A heavier mouse makes me feel like I'm in control, and my trusty MX Master 3S, while not exactly Thor's hammer, is a pleasing object to use on the day-to-day. One YouTuber, however, has created a mouse so small and light that I'd be prepared to give it a chance, not least because it looks so ridiculously cute that you can't help but fall a little in love with it.
And it can game! Sort of…
Weighing in at less than 10 grams and measuring at a volume of just 18 cubic cm, the miniature mouse was designed to explore the limits of size and weight in gaming peripherals, and looking at the results it's certainly pushing those limits. YouTube channel Science Shack has posted a video showing off the details of the build, and the level of commitment to keeping things as small and light as possible is admirable.
A custom PCB was designed around an existing optical sensor and microprocessor capable of emulating a mouse, alongside some absolutely tiny onboard components that were solder-masked onto the board using an old CPU as a palette knife while the PCB was strapped to an old heatsink. Which, while unconventional as a method, appears to have worked perfectly well.
The freshly soldered board was then mounted to some 3D printed skirts to keep the sensor at the correct distance from the mousing surface, and to act as a skate for smooth movement. The outer shell was also 3D printed, and acts as both a casing and as the button layout for the two microswitches below, and was "printed out in red, to gain some extra performance."
Testing followed, and while the absolutely tiny mouse might not have performed as well as a conventional peripheral in terms of accuracy (the regular mouse delivered an Aim Lab accuracy score of 66%, while the tiny version only managed 55%), the fact it was usable at all at this size is very impressive.
Part of the reason for the relative lack of accuracy is possibly the cable, as it's mentioned that you can feel the entire weight of the wire thanks to the relative lack of heft of the mouse itself.
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Special mention has to be made to the productivity testing, as this involved attempting to emulate a painting by much-missed public broadcasting legend Bob Ross in MS Paint. I've petitioned for this methodology to be added to our own mouse testing regime, and await the results with baited breath.
Given that Alienware recently showed off a working 16-foot keyboard and similarly gigantic mouse, I can't be the only one hoping for an esports tournament featuring both of these hilariously mismatched peripherals.
I reckon a David and Goliath style showdown is too good an opportunity to miss, although looking at the testing here, my money's on the small boi. It is painted red after all. Missed a trick there, Alienware. Maybe next time.
