The Hori Edge 101 ($69.99) is a gaming mouse that offers an advanced suite of features and strong build quality at a more affordable price than many others. It looks sharp and performs smoothly while providing gamer-centric extras like customizable lighting, adjustable weight (which did give us some issues in testing), and programmable buttons. The Razer Mamba ($119.99 at Amazon) is more than twice the price, but remains best-in-class for its top-end construction and unmatched feature set. That said, if you're not looking to spend so much, the Edge 101 is a competent gaming mouse at a palatable price.

Design and Features

With an exclusively black and silver design, the Edge 101 is a gaming peripheral that wouldn't be out of place in a business environment. The side buttons are transparent and glow with customizable lighting, but the effect is subtle. Some gamers may want a falshy design, of course, but there's something to be said for an understated aesthetic. The body is all smooth plastic aside from the metal feet for slick gliding and a metal plate on the bottom, which can be removed to adjust the weight. This is a wired mouse, with a 70-inch braided cable.

The design is ambidextrous, with the same sets of buttons on either side. I think mice made for a specific hand are more comfortable since the design is crafted around a particular shape, but that does limit customers. The Edge 101's compromises place it squarely between neutrality and comfort, even if the palm fit and pinky resting spot aren't quite as natural as on a mouse curved to exactly fit a lefty or righty. It measures 1.57 by 2.4 by 4.92 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.2 ounces, very similar to the Mamba and the Razer Diamondback ($52.99 at Amazon) ; the SteelSeries Rival 700 is all around larger at 1.65 by 2.7 by 4.92 inches and 4.8 ounces. The Razer DeathAdder Chroma ($58.99 at Walmart) is a larger alternative (1.73 by 2.76 by 5 inches) for righties only, but unlike the others, it's the same price as the Edge 101.

The removable metal plate weighs 0.96 ounce, almost a quarter of the mouse's total weight, so taking it off (by turning two screws) makes the Edge 101 noticeably lighter. I did encounter an issue with it, though, that permanently affected my ability to attach the plate. The screws seem to be made of a softer metal, so as I tightened them into place with a flathead screwdriver, the edge of the slot very slightly bent upwards. As such, when I put the mouse face down again, this jagged edge dragged along my mouse pad, rendering the mouse more or less unusable with the plate attached. This may have been a one-off incident, but I was only making sure the screws were in all the way, and I didn't turn them particularly hard. I did prefer the lighter weight of the mouse without the plate, but a choice shouldn't be forced on you—hopefully this was a rare instance. The similarly priced (but flashier and aluminum) Corsair M65 RGB ($49.99 at Amazon) also features a weight adjustment system, and that one didn't cause us any problems.

There are 11 total buttons on this mouse including left- and right-click, and they're all programmable through Hori's free downloadable software. Both flanks of the mouse feature Forward and Back buttons, as well as another button lower down toward the base. There's a ridged scroll wheel (which also clicks in to serve as another button), and two small buttons below it that are meant mainly to cycle between settings profiles and sensitivity levels. The default functions of all the buttons make the most sense to my mind, but switching them to your preferences is not complicated. You can also adjust the sensor levels in the software: The Edge 101 has a maximum sensitivity of 6,400 dots per inch (dpi) and a polling rate of 1,000Hz. You can also adjust lift-off distance and speeds for acceleration, the pointer, double click, and scroll. No, 6,400dpi isn't low (and most users don't need super-sensitive mice), but many other gaming mice offer higher ceilings, including the Mamba and the Diamondback (both 16,000dpi), the Logitech G303 Daedalus Apex ($69.99 at Logitech) (12,000dpi), the DeathAdder Chroma (10,000dpi), and the Corsair M65 RGB (8,200dpi). The SteelSeries Rival 700 is modular, so you can use either a 16,000dpi optical sensor or an 8,200dpi laser sensor.

The software isn't especially intuitive when it comes to lighting customization, and I struggled with changing the colors. I found the appropriate settings within the software, but selecting a profile, changing colors, and hitting Save would not result in the appropriate change on the mouse itself. By default, it cycles through all colors by slowly fading in and out, but continued to do so no matter what color I selected. Also, the physical lighting itself is a little underwhelming—it only glows through the side buttons, which are somewhat opaque. While I appreciate that it's not overly bright or garish, the opacity dulls the lighting too much, resulting in a dim light that can't be seen anywhere else on the mouse. This contrasts starkly with the Mamba and Diamondback, which have vibrant, attractive lighting designs.

Performance

The relatively straightforward design means the Edge 101 is well suited to everyday use—it doesn't feel or look silly to use for Web browsing or work. The ambidextrous design does lead to some fatigue after long use, since your hand isn't as well supported as it could be, but it's not far off the ordinary weariness. Scrolling is smooth (without the plate at least, following my incident with the screws), helped significantly by the metal feet, which are even slicker than the plastic used on most mice.

During gameplay the Edge 101 remained smooth and responsive, even during more frantic moments of Counter Strike: Global Offensive. The dpi switching button functioned properly, though as with most mice, I don't tend to use it that much. Having the extra buttons to map specific inputs to is useful, especially with the ability to save profiles you create for certain games. With a button for swapping profiles on the fly, you won't have to spend time tinkering after you first set up a profile (though it's difficult to know which profile you're currently on without watching them switch in the software as you press the button). Overall, I had no performance complaints through my time playing with the mouse, even if its design is not the most comfortable.

Conclusion
Even without the heftier price tag of some gaming mice, the Hori Edge 101 is a solid product with a useful set of features. While it may lack the flashier lighting and higher dpi of the Razer Diamondback, it costs $20 less, and most users probably won't miss the extra sensitivity. Unlike with the Diamondback and Razer DeathAdder Chroma, you can adjust the weight by attaching and removing the plate, as long as you're careful to avoid the stripped screw issue I experienced. The Razer Mamba remains our Editors' Choice as the gaming mouse to beat, but many, understandably, may not want to spend $150 for it. If you're looking for something more affordable, the Hori Edge 101 is a good choice that includes all the expected baseline features of a gaming mouse at a lower price than most. The DeathAdder Chroma is the same price with similar features if you'd prefer a right-handed mouse, and the Corsair M65 RGB is also worth considering due to its metal build and slightly better features for only $5 more.

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