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Endgame Gear OP1 8K V2 | The mel0n Review — Transcript

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0:00This is the Endgame Gear OP1 AK V2.
0:03Endgame Gear's follow-up to the
0:05legendary OP1 AK I reviewed almost 2
0:08years ago. Now, compared to the OP1 V1,
0:11not much appears to have changed here on
0:13the V2, as many of the mouse's specs and
0:15features remain the same, but under the
0:17hood, there have been a lot of
0:18improvements to the mouse's hardware and
0:20accessories, and these changes make the
0:22V2 a much more well-rounded mouse
0:24compared to its predecessor.
0:26Additionally, my original review of the
0:28V1 wasn't as in-depth as I wanted it to
0:30be, so I figured this would be a perfect
0:32time to give the V2 the full in-depth
0:34view the V1 deserved and talk about the
0:36optional switch packs EG was kind enough
0:38to send over with the mouse as well. So,
0:40in today's episode of the Melon Review,
0:42we're going to take a deep dive into the
0:44OP1 AK V2, and we'll talk in-depth about
0:47the mouse's performance, features,
0:49accessories, pros, and cons, and most
0:51importantly, whether the V2 can carry on
0:54the legendary legacy set by the OP1 AK
0:57V1. But before we get started, a big
0:59shout out to Endgame Gear for sending
1:01over the OP1 AK V2 and it switch packs
1:04for review. They also sent over the
1:06brand new XM2W4K
1:08V2, a mouse I've been trying to get my
1:10hands on for several years now. So, keep
1:12an eye out for that review as well as a
1:14full tear down of the OP1 AK V2 coming
1:16very soon. And a massive thank you to
1:19our channel members who directly support
1:20what I do here. If you enjoy the content
1:22and want to support my work, consider
1:24becoming a channel member, as that is
1:26the best way to directly support the
1:28channel, and being a channel member
1:29gives you early access to all upcoming
1:31content. And as always, this review will
1:34be completely unbiased, meaning you'll
1:36get my honest opinions of everything I
1:38cover here on the channel with no
1:39affiliate codes, brand bias, or paid
1:41promos. But without further ado, let's
1:44get right into today's episode of the
1:45Melon Review.
1:48For testing parameters, I used the OP1
1:51AKV2 for about a week and a half,
1:53testing the mouse for both work and
1:55gaming use on both soft and hard pad
1:57types. Through the testing period, I
1:59briefly used the half-size and full-size
2:01stock skates, but opted to remove them
2:03and use aftermarket skates that were
2:05more optimized for hard pad use, as
2:07that's the pad type I tested the mouse
2:08on for the majority of the testing. And
2:10for firmware, the mouse was tested on
2:12version 1.06, the latest firmware
2:15version available at the time of this
2:16review.
2:19For versions, the OP1 AK V2 is available
2:22in three colorways. Black, which has a
2:25black shell and black buttons. white,
2:27which has a white shell and black
2:28buttons, and dark frost, which has a
2:30semi-transparent shell and buttons. And
2:33all of these colorways retail for $89.99
2:35USD. And today, I'll be reviewing the
2:37white colorway of the V2.
2:42For packaging, the mouse comes in the
2:43same packaging style that was used for
2:45the V1, which is a great thing to see in
2:47my opinion, as not only does the box
2:49list all the mouse's included
2:51accessories, it also lists the mouse's
2:53estimated weight, dimensions, and spec
2:55details for all the mouse's components,
2:57which is something a shocking amount of
2:59brands don't do and something I love to
3:01see as you know exactly what you're
3:02buying, unlike other brands products
3:04where 98% of the time you're left to
3:06guess of what switches, encoder, or MCU
3:08the mouse uses. Opening the box by
3:10sliding the top off the base. We're met
3:12with a large cardboard insert which
3:14houses the OP1 itself, which comes
3:17wrapped in a plastic bag and the mouse's
3:19cable is wrapped around it. Removing the
3:21mouse and the cable from this insert and
3:23removing the plastic bag. On the mouse's
3:25base, we'll find a pre-installed set of
3:26smaller surface area or hybrid skates.
3:29The same type we saw pre-installed on
3:31the V1's base, which also allow for easy
3:33access to the base access screws,
3:35allowing you to open the mouse without
3:37damaging the skates. Next, removing this
3:39cardboard insert. In the bottom of the
3:41box, we'll find a small paper envelope,
3:43which contains the rest of the mouse's
3:45accessories. The first of which is a set
3:47of grip aids, which just like the ones
3:49included with the V1, only include side
3:51covers, which is a rather unique style
3:53of grips to see included, but we'll talk
3:55more about their unique design and
3:57performance later in this video. Next,
3:59we'll find my favorite accessory
4:00included with the OP1 series mice, a
4:03small Phillips head screwdriver. We've
4:05seen other brands include screwdrivers
4:07with their products, but for whatever
4:08reason, they're either insanely small
4:10and hard to use or really bad quality,
4:12but the one included here is very nice
4:14and sized decently well. And just as I
4:16said when I reviewed the V1, including a
4:18screwdriver with the mouse is a great
4:20statement of sorts here, as it not only
4:22speaks to the mouse's fantastic
4:24serviceability and moability, but we'll
4:26talk more about these aspects in a bit.
4:28Next in this packet, we'll also find a
4:30small rubber cable wrapper, which is
4:32another great little accessory to see
4:33included here, as well as an extra sheet
4:36of full-size skates, which have little
4:37holes milled into them, allowing you to
4:39install the fulls size gates on the
4:41mouse's base without impacting the
4:42mouse's serviceability, unlike almost
4:45every other mouse on the market, which
4:46is yet another great attention to detail
4:48I'm very happy to see carry over from
4:50the V1. And lastly, we have a compliance
4:53manual and quick start guide, both of
4:55which are multi- language. And the quick
4:56start guide outlines the mouse's key
4:58features, functionality of the base mode
5:00button, and even includes a diagram
5:02showing how to open the mouse and swap
5:04the switches. Something I wish more
5:05brands would include with their
5:06products, as it makes servicing or
5:08recycling the product easier for
5:09customers. And for warranty coverage,
5:12the OP1 AK V2's warranty will vary
5:14depending on the region you reside in.
5:16So check Gear's website for more
5:18information on the mouse's warranty for
5:20your respective region. All right, that
5:22is everything for the mouse's inbox
5:23accessories and unboxing. Next, I want
5:25to quickly talk about the optional
5:27switch packs that Endgame gear was kind
5:28enough to send over along with the
5:30mouse. The first of these kits are
5:32replacement PCBs and Kale GX switches,
5:35which are available for $6.99 USD. But
5:38these switches have been binned, giving
5:40them a slightly lighter actuation force
5:42than the stock switches. So, if you have
5:43a V1 or V2 and one of the main switches
5:46wears or fails, or you just want a
5:48lighter click, you can replace them
5:50easily without needing to purchase a
5:51whole new mouse. The second option is
5:54the everp popular universal switch pack,
5:56which is available for $19.99 USD and
5:59includes two hot swap main click PCBs
6:01and a bunch of extra switch types, which
6:03you can use to customize the OP1's click
6:05field to your preference or to utilize
6:07other switch types with the hot swap
6:09PCB. This kit works with both the V1 and
6:12V2 versions of the OP1 AK, but does not
6:14work with the wireless ones. And we'll
6:16talk more about the hot swap PCBs and
6:18these extra switch types later in this
6:20video.
6:22Before we move on, a quick note about
6:24the mouse's wired usage. For some
6:26reason, there is this stigma about wired
6:28mice in today's market, which I frankly
6:30don't understand. But every time I talk
6:32about a wired mouse, there's always one
6:34person saying, "Wired sucks. Go
6:36wireless. It's better." Which is an
6:38incredibly outdated perspective, as you
6:40have to consider the fantastic
6:41performance offered by the OP1 V2 and
6:44all of Enear's other wired mice for that
6:46matter is due to its wired nature. as
6:48the wire connectivity allows the mouse's
6:50components to run at their peak speed
6:52without the power optimizations that are
6:54forced on wireless mice's components.
6:56And for the people who say the wire
6:58impacts performance without a bungee, I
7:00totally agree. But with a proper bungee
7:02and a proper setup, the wire is a
7:04non-issue and offers a usage experience
7:06basically akin to a wireless mouse as
7:08long as you give the cable enough slack.
7:10that is. So, just because the OP1 V2 is
7:12a wired mouse, please don't write it off
7:14as the cable is a non-issue in my
7:16opinion and is the key to the OP1's
7:18industry-leading performance.
7:22As a preface to this segment, keep in
7:24mind that my unit was sent to me
7:25directly by Endgame Gear, so take the
7:27build quality and QC of my unit with a
7:29grain of salt. But that said, just as we
7:32saw in the original OP1 AK, the build
7:34quality of the V2 is sublime, as both
7:37the top and bay shells are rigid without
7:39any twinge or flexing to them. The
7:41mouse's internal build quality is also
7:42amazing, too, as it uses modular PCBs,
7:45which are connected to the mainboard via
7:47JST connectors, which makes modding or
7:49repairing the mouse extremely easy. But
7:51we'll talk more about this in a moment.
7:53But one noteworthy change here on the V2
7:55is that while the structure of the top
7:57and base shells is very similar to the
7:58V1, here on the V2, the main PCB is
8:01significantly smaller, which I have to
8:03give major props to Endgame Gear for as
8:06the engineering required to make this
8:07PCB so small while having superior
8:09performance to their previous mice is
8:11very impressive. And the PCB in its
8:13stock configuration is moddable as you
8:16can cut off the back part of this PCB to
8:18reduce its weight and footprint. though
8:20doing so will remove the functionality
8:21of the mode button. And on the topic of
8:23PCBs, both the main PCB and all the
8:26daughter PCB soldering quality is
8:27perfect with no noticeable issues from
8:29my inspections. For QC, just like the
8:32mouse's build quality, the V2 feels
8:34essentially perfect. as the mouse's
8:36buttons are very well implemented across
8:38the board and well balanced in terms of
8:39their actuation weights. Though the
8:41scroll wheel is noticeably heavier than
8:43the one found on the V1, which can take
8:45some time to get accustomed to. But
8:46overall, the QC the mouse is good with
8:48no noticeable issues from my testing.
8:50And as a note here, the Frost versions
8:53of the OP1 series and Endgame Gear's
8:55other mice did have some QC issues due
8:57to the top and bay shells creaking, but
8:59Endgame gear has told me those issues
9:01are resolved on the newer batches. So,
9:03if you're holding off on getting the
9:04Frost version due to the issues that
9:06were there before, they should be free
9:07of them now.
9:10For a weight, the OP1 AK V2 is
9:13advertised as weighing around 49.5 g,
9:16which is a slight improvement over the
9:1850.5 g V1, but Ename Gear isn't
9:21providing a plus g ratio on these weight
9:23specs. So I assume the industry standard
9:25of plus -2 gram is going to apply here
9:28giving the mouse an estimated weight
9:29spec of 49.5 plus -2 g. Now my unit in
9:34its base form weighs around 48.2 g but
9:37it is difficult to get an exact number
9:38due to the cable's weight but around
9:4048.2 g was the average for my
9:42measurements. And adding on the weight
9:44from the stock half size or hybrid
9:46skates they'll add approximately 1.3 g
9:49to the base weight while the full size
9:51skates add around 2.60 g. And if you use
9:54the included grip aids, which you most
9:55likely won't need to do given the
9:57mouse's fantastic coating, they'll add
9:59around 0.51 gram to the mouse's weight.
10:01So, in its stock configuration out of
10:03the box, the OP1 V2 weighs around 49.5 g
10:07as advertised. And with the full size
10:09skates installed, it'll weigh around
10:1050.8 g. In those same configurations,
10:13but with the addition of the grip aids,
10:15the respective weights increased to 50 g
10:18and 51.3 g. But keep in mind that due to
10:21the cable, there is a slight degree of
10:22error to my measurements here. So your
10:24unit might be slightly heavier or
10:26lighter, but not by a significant
10:27margin. But regardless, my OP1 V2, even
10:31with the stock grips installed, stays
10:32within the 49.5 plus -2 g weight spec,
10:36and Endgame Gear has historically been
10:38very accurate with the weight spec, and
10:40I'm glad to see that continue here. That
10:42said though, I'm surprised Endgame gear
10:44didn't push the mouse's weight down
10:46further as weight is the most common
10:47grip I hear about the OP1 series.
10:50However, since Endgame Gear's design
10:52philosophy is quality focused, similar
10:54to Vaxis, I understand why they kept it
10:56on the heavier side for a mouse of this
10:58size as it ensures the mouse's build
11:00quality remains perfect. And unlike many
11:02other brands, Anenge Gear designs their
11:04mice to be extremely modable. And there
11:06are a myriad of ways to reduce the
11:07mouse's weight due to this. But in my
11:10opinion, the mouse's weight feels good
11:12to me, as this heavier quote unquote
11:14weight gives the mouse a very
11:16controllable feeling in the hand.
11:17Something I find lacking on many
11:19similarly sized ultralight mice. But in
11:21the future, I would love to see Endgame
11:23Gear offer two versions of their OP1
11:25series mice. A standard quality focused
11:28model and an ultralight model. That way,
11:30users could pick their preferred type.
11:32But we'll have to wait and see what
11:33Endgame gear has planned for the OP1
11:35series going forward.
11:38For axis balancing, the mouse, as
11:40expected for a symmetrical shape, is
11:42centrally balanced. But due to the
11:44forward position of the PCB and the lack
11:46of a battery, the mouse is balanced
11:48forward of its 59.1 mm physical midline
11:51on its Xaxis being balanced roughly at
11:53the mouse's 67 mm mark, roughly between
11:56the two side buttons. And on the mouse's
11:58Yaxis, the mouse is centrally balanced
12:00on its physical midline with no tilt to
12:02the mouse's left or right sides. Now,
12:04circling back to the mouse's X-axis
12:06balancing, the mouse's balancing does
12:08have a slight range to it. As while it's
12:10centered on the 67 millimeter mark,
12:12there is a 4 millimeter range to it,
12:14giving the mouse a balancing range on
12:16its Xaxis, resting between the 65 and 69
12:20mm mark. But keep in mind that since the
12:22mouse is wired, depending on the mouse
12:24strain that's applied to it, the mouse's
12:26balancing can be skewed forward quite
12:28significantly in some cases. But you can
12:30easily prevent this by using a mouse
12:32bungee, which I highly recommend doing
12:33so on any wired mouse.
12:37For shaping, Game Gear has kept the OP1
12:40shape unchanged here on the V2, which is
12:42a very good decision in my opinion, as
12:44the shaping is very well designed, and
12:46I'm glad they didn't alter it. Now, this
12:48symmetrical shaping is right-hand
12:49optimized, though technically speaking,
12:51it can be used ambidextrously, though
12:54left-handed users won't be able to
12:55utilize the mouse's side buttons. Now,
12:57this shaping can be compared to many
12:59mice on the market as it's similar in
13:01theory to the shaping we'll find on the
13:02Pulsar X2 series, but in reality, the
13:05mouse is much thinner, specific towards
13:07the mouse's mid region, and the top
13:08shell shaping, while similar, is
13:10thinner, specifically at the rear
13:12region. Compared to the Hitcan
13:13Hyperlade, the shaping is again similar,
13:15but the OP1 shell is thinner again,
13:17particularly at its forward region, and
13:19the top shell's curvature is similar,
13:21though the OP1 shell is less rounded,
13:23particularly at its mid region. And
13:25compared to the Logitech 2C, again the
13:28shapes are similar, at least in length,
13:30but again the OP1 shell is thinner at
13:32its upper region and the top shell's
13:33curvature is similar at the rear region,
13:35but is significantly thinner towards the
13:37mid to forward region compared to the
13:392C. For dimensions, the OP1 V2 measures
13:43118.2 mm long. for widths. At the
13:46shell's forward region, at its base, the
13:48shell measures approximately 50.3 mm
13:51wide, whereas at its top region, it
13:53measures approximately 55.3 mm wide. At
13:56the shell's mid region, slightly above
13:58the mouse's physical midline, at its
14:00base, the shell measures approximately
14:0151.7 mm wide, while at its top, it
14:04measures approximately 50.5 mm wide. And
14:07lastly, at the rear region of the shell,
14:09at its widest part of the rounded rear
14:11region, the shell measures approximately
14:1316.5 mm wide at its base. And for
14:16height, at the shell's forward region
14:18around the mid region of the main
14:19clicks, the shell measures approximately
14:2120 mm tall. Whereas at the peak of the
14:24shell's hump, it measures approximately
14:2637.2 mm tall. And from its peak, the top
14:29shell tapers downward, terminating at
14:31this lip towards the base, which
14:33measures around 8.4 mm tall.
14:37for shell profiles. Looking at the mouse
14:39from the top down, we can best see the
14:41familiar OP1 shaping with its thinner
14:44top to mid region and wider rounded rear
14:46region. Flipping the mouse over, we can
14:48clearly see the affformentioned shaping,
14:50and we can better see the curvature of
14:52the mouse's side shell, which we'll talk
14:53more about in a moment. From the base,
14:55we can also see that the width
14:57difference between the top and base
14:58shells is rather minimal, as the base
15:00shell only widens a slight degree to
15:02match the width of the top shell.
15:04Looking at the mouse from the sides, we
15:05can best see the mouse's top shell
15:07curvature, which has the expected gently
15:09sloping forward to mid region, which
15:11peaks quite deeply in the shell's rear.
15:13And from the hump's peak, the top shell
15:15tapers downward, terminating at that
15:17affforementioned lip. Turning the mouse
15:18and looking at it from the front, we can
15:20see the more gently sloped forward shell
15:22region has a more flattened curvature
15:24compared to what we traditionally see on
15:26most symmetrical mice, which also
15:27applies to the shaping of the main
15:29clicks, giving them a slightly rounded
15:31tilted shaping. From this perspective,
15:33we can also best see the profile of the
15:35mouse's side shells, which share the
15:36same curvature due to their symmetrical
15:38nature, at which at their forward
15:40region, they are quite outwardly tilted
15:42with a slight roundness to their
15:43surface. And the shell maintain the same
15:45outward curvature towards the upper end
15:47of the mid region where they become
15:49slightly more inwardly tilted. Then
15:51revert their tilt to match the forward
15:52region's profile. Then at the lower end
15:55of the mid region, the side shells
15:56invert their shaping and widen, becoming
15:58slightly inwardly tilted as they meld
16:00into the rounded rear shells shaping.
16:03And lastly, looking from the rear, we
16:04can best see the rear humps profile,
16:06which unlike the flattened forward
16:08region, is much more rounded, being more
16:10akin to the traditional rear shell
16:12curvature you'd find on many other
16:13symmetrical mice.
16:17Four contact areas and points for my
16:1925.4x 4x 10.16 cm hands using both a
16:22tilted claw and fingertip grip here on
16:24the OP1 AKV2. Starting with claw grip
16:28and focusing on palm contact first. The
16:30wider rear terminating hump with its
16:32traditional rounded shaping gives my
16:34palms thear region contact in its mid to
16:36low region, mid palm contact in its high
16:38region and hypoththenar contact in its
16:40mid to low regions. for finger contact
16:43while using a tilted claw grip here. In
16:45its natural position, my thumb rests
16:47towards the upper region of the mouse's
16:48left side, but if needed, I can angle my
16:51thumb inward, resting it slightly above
16:53where the side shell widens to melt into
16:54the rear shaping if more control is
16:56needed. For my index and middle fingers,
16:59they rest towards the end regions of the
17:00shell buttons. And due to the slight
17:02grooving in the click surface, my
17:04fingers are slightly guided towards the
17:06center of the buttons. For my ring
17:08finger, it rests roughly opposite the
17:10position of my thumb's natural position,
17:12just slightly higher on the mouse's
17:13right side. Whereas my pinky finger
17:15rests lower on the mouse's right side,
17:17resting right above where the side shell
17:19widens to melt into its rounded rear
17:21curvature, similar to where my thumb
17:22rests in its angled position on the
17:24mouse's left side. And when using a
17:26tilted fingertip grip here on the OP1 AK
17:29V2, in this grip style, my thumb rest
17:31more towards the middle of the mouse's
17:33side shell being roughly aligned with
17:34the mouse's balancing point. Whereas my
17:36index and middle fingers rest more
17:38towards the middle of the main clicks,
17:40but they are still guided to the middle
17:41of the clicks due to the slight grooving
17:43in their surface. While my ring finger
17:45rests roughly opposite of my thumb's
17:47position on the mouse's opposite side,
17:49while my pinky rests slightly below the
17:51position of my ring finger. But keep in
17:53mind, I have very large hands and use a
17:55tilted grip style. So, the way my hands
17:57work with the OP1 V2 shell won't be the
17:59same for everyone, but you can use my
18:01contact regions and points for estimates
18:03of how the mouse's shell will feel in
18:05your hand.
18:08for hand size and grip compatibility for
18:10the OP1 V2. Given the mouse's smaller
18:13size and symmetrical nature and rearly
18:15positioned tump, just like the OP1 V1,
18:17the mouse is advertised as being best
18:19suited for claw fingertip grips for
18:21small to medium-sized hands. But in
18:23reality, as usual, the mouse's actual
18:26hand size and grip style compatibility
18:27is a little more universal than it
18:29appears or is advertised as. But before
18:32we talk about that, as a reminder, the
18:34mouse is right-hand optimized, but can
18:36be used ambidextrously, though
18:37left-handed users won't be able to
18:39utilize the side buttons. Now, for hands
18:41measuring approximately 12.5 to 14.7x 5x
18:456.5 cm, the mouse will be best suited
18:47for Palmer claw grips. For hands
18:49measuring approximately 14.7 to 15.2x
18:536.5x 8 cm, the mouse will be best suited
18:56for Palmer claw grips. For hands
18:57measuring approximately 15.2 2 to 16.5x
19:018x 9.5 cm, the mouse will be best suited
19:04for claw grips. For hands measure
19:06approximately 16.5 to 17.8x 9.5 to 10.5
19:10cm, the mouse will be best suited for
19:12claw grips. Again, for hands measuring
19:14approximately 17.8 to 19.1x 10.5 to 11.5
19:18cm, the mouse will be best suited for
19:20claw and fingertip grips. For hands
19:22measuring approximately 19.1 to 20.3x
19:2511.5 to 12.5 cm, the mouse will be best
19:28suited for claw and fingertip grips
19:30again. And lastly, for hands measuring
19:32approximately 20.3 to 21.6x 12.5 to 13.5
19:37cm, the mouse will again be best suited
19:39for fingertip grips, but you might be
19:41able to claw grip it in some situations
19:43depending on your hand size. But keep in
19:45mind this is a very rough estimate and
19:47the actual hand size and grip style
19:48compatibility for the mouse will vary
19:50from person to person. So if you're
19:52considering getting the OP1 V1 or V2,
19:55I'd recommend measuring the length of
19:56your hand from the tip of your middle
19:58finger to your proximal wrist crease and
20:00the width of your hand by measuring the
20:01width of your knuckle excluding your
20:03thumb. And you can use these
20:04measurements to estimate if your hand
20:06size would be compatible with the OP1 V1
20:08or V2
20:11for coding. Just like the previous
20:13iterations of the OP1 series and Endgame
20:15Gear's other mice, the V2 is using
20:17Endgame Gear's fantastic coating, which
20:20historically speaking has been one of
20:21the best coatings you can find on the
20:23market. Now, Endgame Gear describes the
20:25mouse's coating as a dry touch coating,
20:27which is accurate as to the touch, the
20:30feeling is very chalky. But unlike many
20:32other coatings which have a balanced
20:34feel between rubberiness and chalkiness,
20:36the coating here is much more chalky
20:38focused just as it was in the V1 with a
20:40very slight degree of rubberiness to it.
20:42This applies to both the black and white
20:44colorways, but it's worth noting that
20:46the coating on the Frost versions will
20:48have a slightly more rubberized texture
20:49to them, but the same performance. This
20:52unique coating blend gives the mouse's
20:54coating fantastic performance with both
20:56wet and dry hands. Though, it's worth
20:58noting that with sweatier hands, the
20:59coating does become ever so slightly
21:01harder to grip due to the lack of
21:03rubberiness. But this is only by a
21:05slight margin, and the coating allows
21:06the OP1 shell to be very griable with
21:08almost all hand types. But just like all
21:11other great coatings, Ename Gear's
21:13coating does attract dust and debris
21:15like a magnet does metal, same as we saw
21:17in the V1. Thankfully, buildup never
21:20affected the coating's performance, but
21:21it does visually affect the mouse from
21:23an aesthetics perspective. Now, you can
21:25remove this buildup by wiping the shell
21:27with a dry microfiber cloth, but if
21:29you're particular about the aesthetics
21:30or appearance of your mouse, I'd
21:32recommend getting the lighter OP1 V2
21:34colorways, as buildup is much less
21:36noticeable on these colorways compared
21:37to the darker ones.
21:41Now, for the included grip aids, the
21:43ones included here are rather unique, as
21:45instead of including full-size pre-cut
21:47grips as we commonly see with most mice,
21:49just like the grips that were included
21:51with the OP1 V1, the V2 only includes
21:54two side covers, which are identical to
21:56the ones Endgame Gear has included with
21:58the previous iterations of the OP1. And
22:00just like the previous iterations of
22:02these grips, unfortunately, they're
22:04still rather underwhelming compared to
22:05the grips included with other brands
22:07products. as while they have a thinner
22:09form factor, their surface texturing is
22:11rather odd, having this hollow
22:13triangular texturing running across
22:14their surface, which to their credit
22:17does give the grips a semi-grippy
22:18feeling, at least with dry hands. But
22:20with wet hands, the grips oddly become
22:22very slippery despite the texturing. And
22:24compared to the shell's fantastic
22:26coating, these grips don't offer as
22:28consistent performance, making them feel
22:30a little pointless here in all honesty.
22:32And while you can purchase full size
22:34sets of grip aids from Angen Gear's
22:36website, which are the same type as the
22:38one included here, in all honesty,
22:39you'll be much better off purchasing
22:41aftermarket grips, as they'll not only
22:43come in superior form factors, they'll
22:45also have better performance. But seeing
22:46as the mouse's coding performs so well,
22:49I highly doubt anyone will need to use
22:50grip aids here or on any of Gear's mice
22:53for that matter. But on future
22:54iterations of Endgame Gears mice, I
22:56would love to see them rework these
22:58grips as the current offerings are
23:00rather lackluster to say the least.
23:02Ideally, if they could include grips
23:04that were similar to what Gwolves
23:05includes with their products, that would
23:06be fantastic, as that is the golden
23:08standard for included grip aids, in my
23:10opinion.
23:13For the OP1 V2's main clicks,
23:15unsurprisingly, the main clicks here are
23:17the same as the ones we found in the V1,
23:19being these longer rectangular buttons
23:21with rounded ends. And [snorts] due to
23:23the flatter quote unquote forward
23:25regions curvature, while the buttons are
23:27flatter than the ones you'll find on
23:29most symmetrical mice, they still do
23:30have a slight roundness to them. And
23:32they are also slightly angled, being the
23:34tallest towards the mouse's midline and
23:36slightly shorter towards their outer
23:37edges. And due to the buttons slightly
23:40wavelike shaping, they do technically
23:42have a very very slight grooving in
23:44their surface that runs from the end to
23:46mid regions of the buttons, which does
23:48help to guide your fingers toward the
23:49middle of the button somewhat. But due
23:51to the grooving shallowess, the grooving
23:53provided by them isn't very strong. And
23:55they don't necessarily counteract the
23:57slightly tilted nature of the buttons as
23:58much as more pronounced groovings do on
24:00other main click designs. But despite
24:03this, the main clicks here are very easy
24:05to grip as they have the same coating
24:06applied to them that we'll find on the
24:08rest of the shell, which makes the
24:09buttons very griable and prevents any
24:11grip related issues caused by the
24:13buttons unique shaping or shallow
24:15grooving. And just like we saw on the
24:17V1, the main clicks here on the V2 are
24:19indented into the mouse's top shell, as
24:21both buttons have a thin walling around
24:23their edges. This is a great attention
24:25to detail given the mouse's affinity for
24:27fingertip grips, which allows the main
24:29clicks to be free of any finger related
24:31interference issues with essentially
24:32every hand size and grip style out
24:34there. And for click heights, since the
24:36shell is symmetrical, both the buttons
24:38do share the same heights. As at their
24:40end region, the buttons are around 14.5
24:42mm tall, whereas at their mid region,
24:44they measure around 20 mm tall, and at
24:46their top region, the buttons measure
24:48around 27.2 mm tall. For audio feedback,
24:52here's a quick sound test of the OP1
24:53AKV2's main clicks.
25:05Inside the mouse, we'll find two KLGX
25:07switches which are mounted on their
25:09modular PCBs just as we saw on the OP1
25:12V1. These switches have been Endgame
25:14Gear's bread and butter, so to speak, as
25:16they offer fantastic performance and
25:18latency, as these switches use a dual
25:20actuation system, which can be utilized
25:22in three different modes. In the normal
25:24or off mode, the switch operates in a
25:26traditional method where a click is
25:28inputed when the hammer makes contact
25:29with the switch's base contact. In GX
25:32safe mode, the switches operate with a
25:34double confirmation, meaning that before
25:36a click is actuated, the switch's top
25:38contact must be disconnected while the
25:40bottom one is connected. This serves as
25:42a hardwarebased doubleclick prevention.
25:44And speed-wise, this method is almost on
25:46par with the normal or off mode, but
25:48offers many advantages when switches
25:50start to age. In the GX speed mode, in
25:53which compatible switches, as soon as
25:55the top contact is disconnected, a click
25:57is inputed, nearly instantaneously
25:59inputting an actuation and significantly
26:01reducing latency, as you don't have to
26:03wait for the switches hammer to reach
26:05the bottom contact, which again reduces
26:07latency and travel times, giving the OP1
26:09AK V2 its industryleading click latency.
26:12These GX switches, as expected, are
26:14mechanical and are rated for an
26:16actuation weight of 55 to 60 g, which is
26:18an accurate estimate as both of my main
26:21clicks feel around the 60 g in their end
26:23to mid region, but they are slightly
26:24heavier, feeling around the 65 to 70 g
26:27at their top region, but this is to be
26:29expected. For cycle rating, these
26:31switches are rated for 80 million
26:33cycles, the expected cycle rating we'll
26:35find on many switches. But unlike most
26:37switches, given their modular PCB, these
26:40switches can be replaced or modded
26:41extremely easily. And we'll talk more
26:43about this feature in a moment. For
26:45stabilization, both the main clicks are
26:47well stabilized, having only a slight
26:49degree of play to them, even when
26:51actuated, but the buttons do have an
26:52ever so slight degree of wobble to them
26:54due to their wavelike shaping. But said
26:56wobble is extremely minimal and not
26:58noticeable during use. For travel, both
27:01the clicks have a low degree pre-travel
27:03and a medium degree of post-tra.
27:05Admittedly, these ranges are longer than
27:07you'd expect to find here. But remember
27:09that due to the GX switches, the
27:10pre-travel is the only factor that'll
27:12impact the click's performance when
27:14their speed mode is enabled. And both
27:15the main buttons have a very snappy
27:17rebound to them, which negates any
27:19downside to their travel ranges and
27:20allows the main clicks to be very
27:22responsive and spammable, especially
27:23with their speed mode enabled. And since
27:25these switches can be made hot swap with
27:27the OP1 switch pack, if needed, you can
27:30apply a multi-click filter to the
27:31switches via the driver to help prevent
27:34double clicking or other click related
27:35issues, but we'll talk more about that
27:37later as well. And as a final note, due
27:39to the low pre-travel on the main
27:41clicks, when you use SPDT compatible
27:43switches here on the OP1, the clicks can
27:45be rather sensitive, meaning you might
27:47find the clicks easy to misactuate
27:49initially, but you can toggle the SPDT
27:51state per click via the software. And
27:53after a couple days of use, you should
27:55acclimate to the buttons more sensitive
27:57nature in their speed mode.
28:00As mentioned earlier in this video,
28:02Endgame Gear offers two optional switch
28:04packs for the OP1 series mice, both of
28:06which can alter or refine the Main
28:08Clicks feel and performance. And since
28:10Endgame Gear was kind enough to send
28:12them over, I wanted to take a moment to
28:13talk about them as I didn't talk about
28:15them when I reviewed the V1. But as a
28:17quick preface to this segment, these
28:19switch packs are only compatible with
28:20the wired version of the OP1AK and are
28:23not compatible with the wireless
28:24versions. The first switch pack set is
28:26an extra set of the KLGX switches, which
28:28you can purchase for $6.99 USD. These
28:31switches are the same ones pre-installed
28:33in the OP1 AK, but these switches have
28:35been binned to have a slightly lighter
28:37actuation force as they are rated for an
28:39actuation weight of 50 to 55 g, whereas
28:42the stock ones, as we just talked about,
28:43are rated for 55 to 60 g. So, if one of
28:46your main click switches fails over the
28:48lifespan of the mouse, or you just want
28:50a slightly lighter actuation weight on
28:52the main clicks, you could purchase this
28:53switch set. The next switch set, and my
28:55personal favorite, is the OP1's
28:57universal switch pack, which includes
28:59two hot swap PCBs that support both
29:01three and two pin switches, an extra
29:03mounting screws, and seven sets of
29:05switches. This set retails for $19.99
29:08USD and allows the OP1 to be used with
29:10essentially every mechanical switch type
29:12as long as it's a two or three pin
29:14switch and shares the same dimensions as
29:16the stock GX switches. All of the
29:18switches within this set are also bin to
29:20ensure their actuation weights are
29:21within a 5 g force range. Specifically,
29:24the switches with wider actuation weight
29:26ranges, ensuring both the switches in
29:27the set have a similar click feel. Now,
29:30the first of the included switches here
29:31is the Omron D2FC-f,
29:34the mechanical variant, which are
29:36similar to the ones Logitech used in the
29:37GPX2. These switches are rated for an
29:40actuation weight of 45 to 70 g, which is
29:43a wider range than we see on most
29:44switches, but due to their binning, both
29:46of them feel around 60 to 65 g on my
29:49unit, and these switches are rated for
29:5180 million cycles. [snorts] These
29:53switches were one of my favorite
29:54switches included in the pack, as they
29:56had great performance. However, their
29:58wider estimated gram range does add a
30:00lot of variance to these switches, and I
30:02got lucky with a well- balanced set. But
30:04other sets might be heavier or lighter
30:05than the ones here, which will of course
30:07affect their click feel and performance.
30:09And here's how they sound.
30:19Next, we have a set of Wano transparent
30:21shell white dot switches, which are
30:23similar to many of Wano's other switch
30:25types, being rated for an actuation
30:27weight of around 50 to 55 g, which is
30:29accurate on my switches. But unlike many
30:31of Wano's other switch types, these
30:33switches have a cycle rating of 100
30:35million, not the typical 80 million we
30:37see. These switches, despite their lower
30:39actuation weight, do maintain the same
30:41mono click feel we've come to expect
30:43from their switches. Though it's a
30:44little softer in terms of its click feel
30:46due to the lighter weight, which gives
30:47these switches a lighter, more spammable
30:49feel with increased durability. And
30:51these gave the switches surprisingly
30:53good performance compared to the other
30:5410 switches. And here's how they sound.
31:07Next, we have the ever popular, albeit
31:10overused, Wano blue shell pink dot
31:12switches, which are rated for an
31:13actuation rate of around 55 to 60 g,
31:16which is accurate on my switches. And
31:18these switches also have the expected
31:19cycle rating of 80 million cycles. These
31:22switches feel like a slightly firmer,
31:24more tensioned version of the white dots
31:26we just talked about, but they have the
31:27most typical Wano click feel, and they
31:29do perform well. But I personally prefer
31:32the lighter, snappier white dot
31:33versions. But regardless, I'm glad to
31:35see them included here, as you can use
31:37them to give the mouse a normal quote
31:39unquote click feel compared to the other
31:41included switches. And here's how they
31:43sound.
31:52Next, we have the most unique switches
31:54included here in this pack in the form
31:56of two one of silent switches. These
31:59switches are rated for an actuation rate
32:01range of 50 to 60 g, which I'd say feel
32:03more akin to the 65 to 70 g force on my
32:06switches here, and they have the second
32:08lowest cycle rating of the switch pack,
32:10being rated for only 20 million cycles.
32:12These switches trade performance for
32:14acoustics as the switches are nearly
32:16silent which makes the switches to be
32:18frank god awful for gaming as the click
32:20feels extremely spongy. But they're
32:22ideal for using the mouse in an office
32:24or sound sensitive environment which
32:26while admittedly is a niche situation.
32:28I'm still glad to see them included here
32:30despite their poor gaming performance.
32:32And here's how they sound.
32:42Next, we have a set of TTC's dust proof
32:45gold switches, which are rated for an
32:46actuation rate of 55 to 65 g force,
32:49which are on the heavier side of this
32:51rating on my switches, feeling around
32:53the 65 g range, and they have the
32:55expected cycle rating of 80 million
32:57cycles. These switches were actually
32:59quite good as I had a nice crisp click
33:01feel with a good rebound and sharp click
33:03sound and they performed really well
33:05over my testing which has been my
33:07experience with most of TGC switches
33:09despite them not being very popular. In
33:11addition to their solid performance,
33:12they are fully dust proof which gives
33:14them superior long-term durability
33:16compared to other switch types. But they
33:18lack any SPDT support which did hamper
33:20their performance compared to the GX
33:22switches. But regardless, they're a nice
33:23option to see included here. And here's
33:25how they sound.
33:36Next, we have one of the most unique
33:37switches included here being these Zippy
33:40DF3-P1
33:41switches, which are rated for an
33:43actuation weight of 50 to 80 g, which
33:45feel more akin to a 65 to 70 g force
33:48range on my set. But oddly, these
33:50switches have the lowest cycle rating
33:52out of all the switches included here,
33:54being rated for only 5 million cycles.
33:56These switches actually have a very
33:58unique click feeling as they feel like a
34:00softer version of the Omron switches we
34:02talked about a moment ago. They also
34:04have a rather unique click sound and
34:05surprisingly solid performance, but
34:07their low durability does hamper their
34:09long-term usage. But they're a cool
34:11option to see included here as I've
34:12never used a Zippy Switch until now. And
34:14if these switches had a more traditional
34:16cycle rating, they'd probably be my
34:18favorite. But regardless, they're a cool
34:19switch to see included here, despite
34:21their lower cycle rating. And here's how
34:23they sound.
34:33And lastly, we have what is my favorite
34:35switch from the switch pack here, which
34:37are another rather unique switch called
34:39the HNC HK pink dot switches. These
34:42switches are rated for an actuation rate
34:44of 60 to 70 grams, which is accurate,
34:46though my switches are on the heavier
34:48side of this range, feeling around a 65
34:50to 70 gram force. These switches also
34:52have the highest cycle rating out of all
34:54the switches in the pack, as they're
34:56rated for 150 million cycles, giving
34:58them the best durability out of all the
35:00switches here. Now, these switches,
35:01despite their less than popular nature,
35:04are quite good, and they had a fantastic
35:06click feel and crisp acoustics and great
35:08performance. And on the Switch Pack's
35:10product page, EGG describes these
35:12switches as being exotic, and that's
35:13probably the best way I can describe
35:15these switches. But like the other
35:16unique switches in the pack, these ones
35:18had the best performance by far and the
35:20best durability. And I really hope we
35:22see other brands adopt these switches in
35:23the future as they're really damn good.
35:25And here's how they sound.
35:36And just to show the universal
35:37compatibility here, the hot swap PCB
35:40also works with ROG mechanical micro
35:42switch gen 2s, and they function totally
35:44fine over my testing, as did all the
35:45other mechanical switch types I tested.
35:56But overall, both of these switch packs
35:58are amazing offering from Endgame Gear.
35:59And these hot swap PCBs specifically are
36:02a fantastic and well worth the
36:03additional cost in my opinion. As not
36:05only do these PCBs allow you to
36:07customize the mouse's click feel, they
36:08also make the mouse's long-term
36:10durability and serviceability
36:12astronomically better than 99% of mice
36:14available on the market. And I hope we
36:16see EGG continue to offer these switch
36:18packs on their future products. And as a
36:20final note, keep in mind that the
36:21mouse's latency values will be affected
36:23by whatever switch you install to
36:25replace the stock GX switches. So keep
36:27that in mind as when it comes to the
36:28mouse's performance, the GX switches
36:30will always be the best in terms of
36:32performance as they're the custom
36:33switches developed by Endgame Gear and
36:35they're optimized for the OP1 AK.
36:39For side clicks, the OP1 V2 uses the
36:42same button design found on the V1 being
36:44the same thinner curved buttons with the
36:46same smaller forward button and larger
36:48rear button. Both of which have uniquely
36:50peaked surfaces towards their inner
36:52edges and a flattened surface toward
36:53their outer edges. Both of these buttons
36:55are slightly curved to match the top
36:57shell's profile, and the side buttons
36:59are positioned forward of the mouse's
37:0059.1 mm physical midline and slightly
37:03forward to the 62 mm sensor position,
37:06roughly at around the 63.5 mm mark,
37:09which is a nice attention to detail as
37:11it allows the side buttons to be usable
37:12with essentially every hand size and
37:14grip style. But due to the unique
37:16shaping of the side buttons, at their
37:18inner edges, they're quite pronounced
37:20due to the peak. But at their outer
37:21edges, they're quite flat, which makes
37:23the surface of the buttons quite uneven,
37:26which is a positive and a negative in
37:28some cases. As while the buttons have
37:30the same coating applied to them as the
37:31rest of the shell, the more pronounced
37:33regions are rather difficult to grip,
37:34whereas the flatter areas are much
37:36easier to grip. This is rather odd, as
37:38at a first glance, you'd assume they'd
37:40be the opposite given their design. And
37:42another questionable aspect to the
37:43buttons is the gapping. As while there
37:45is one, it's very thin. And if you
37:47actuate the buttons on their taller
37:49inner edges, it's very easy to
37:51misactuate the opposite button here.
37:52Whereas toward the forward regions, you
37:54don't have this issue. But due to their
37:56flattened nature, they're kind of hard
37:57to press. Now, to be fair, the side
37:59buttons, despite their uniqueness, are
38:02usable, but I do wish Endgame Gear would
38:04have redesigned the buttons here on the
38:05V2, as wider, slightly taller buttons
38:08with a flattened, even surface and a
38:10larger gapping between them would be far
38:12superior to the ones currently used by
38:14the mouse, in my opinion. In terms of
38:16click audio, here's a quick sound test
38:17of the OP1 AKV2 side buttons.
38:31inside. And just as we saw the OP1 V1,
38:34we'll find a PCB with two Kale GM 2.0
38:37switches installed on it, which just
38:39like the rest of the switches on this
38:40unit are bent to ensure consistency in
38:42their actuation weights. These switches
38:44are rated for an actuation weight of
38:46around 70 grams, but due to the binning,
38:48the buttons here are a little lighter,
38:50feeling more akin to a 65 gram range in
38:52my opinion, which is a nice improvement
38:54coming from the V1 side buttons as
38:56they're a little more spammable. And for
38:58cycle rating, unlike most brands which
39:00use switches with 3 or 5 million cycle
39:02ratings, these switches have a rating of
39:0420 million cycles, which is a great
39:06attention to detail. And something I
39:08think a lot of other brands would
39:09benefit from mimicking on their
39:10products, as the higher the cycle
39:12rating, the longer the longevity of the
39:13side buttons will be. For stabilization,
39:15the side buttons are decently
39:17stabilized, but the unique heights does
39:19introduce a surprising degree of wobble
39:21to the buttons, more so to the rear one
39:23than the forward one due to the
39:24differing size. But while this doesn't
39:26necessarily impact performance, it does
39:28make the buttons feel odd and an issue
39:30that would be resolved by flattening the
39:32buttons and keeping them consistent in
39:33their heights. For travel ranges, both
39:35buttons have a very low degree of
39:37pre-travel and a rather low degree of
39:39post travel. And due to them using full
39:41size switches here, the side buttons
39:42also have very snappy rebounds, which
39:44gives the side buttons a high degree of
39:46spammability. And just like we saw in
39:48the main clicks, if needed, you can
39:49apply a multi-click filter to the side
39:51buttons. So, if you run into any issues
39:53or mod the switch itself for alternative
39:55ones and you need to adjust the filter
39:56for compatibility, you can do so via the
39:58driver. And as a last note, just like
40:00the main click PCB, which connects to
40:02the mainboard via three pin JST
40:04connectors, the side button PCB also
40:06connects to the main board via JST
40:08connector, but this one is a larger four
40:10pin typing, meaning if a side button
40:12switch fails, if you want to mod the
40:13switch, you can do so very easily, which
40:15is yet another fantastic feature to see
40:17here.
40:20for scroll wheel. This is an area where
40:22Endgame Gear has made some interesting
40:24changes coming from the V1. As while the
40:26wheel physically is the same, the
40:28encoder is very different. But before we
40:30talk about that, let's talk about the
40:32wheel itself. As just mentioned, the
40:34wheel is the same typing we saw on the
40:35OP1 V1, being a plastic wheel with a
40:38very thick rubber texturing wrapped
40:40around it. This rubber has a linear
40:42texturing etched into its slightly
40:43rounded surface, which allows the scroll
40:45wheel to be very griable, just as we saw
40:47in the V1. And the scroll wheel is also
40:50rather pronounced in the mouse's top
40:51shell again, just like we saw in the V1,
40:53which allows the wheel to have a full
40:55scroll range of 10 points and makes it
40:57very easy to utilize. On the inside,
40:59instead of using the TGC white encoder
41:01we saw used on the V1, and Game Gear has
41:04swapped the encoder here on the V2 to a
41:06Kale gray dust proof 24step encoder,
41:08which is a unique change, as this
41:10encoder is significantly stronger than
41:12the TTC one used before, as the scroll
41:14voice is roughly double that of the TTC
41:17encoder. In addition to this, it also
41:19has stronger scroll points which allows
41:21this new encoder to feel very
41:22controllable, almost too controllable
41:24some might say, and it's free of any
41:26click related or scroll related issues
41:28from my testing. The reason for this
41:30change is durability, as TTC's encoders,
41:33as you heard me yap about many times
41:34already, are a little lacking in terms
41:36of longevity and durability. And while
41:38they perform well, they're rather prone
41:40to issues, just as we saw in the OP1 V1.
41:43This is why Engine Gear went for the
41:44more stronger, more durable Kale encoder
41:47here on the V2 to try and avoid the
41:48issues that plagued the V1. And for
41:50scroll wheel switch, inside we'll find
41:52the same Kale GM 2.0 fulls size switch
41:55we saw used for the side buttons, which
41:57just like those switches is binned and
41:59rated for an actuation weight of around
42:0070 g with the same cycle rating of 20
42:03million. This is another great attention
42:05to detail here, as just like the side
42:07buttons, many mice use pillar switches
42:09with three to five million cycle
42:11ratings, which on top of having that
42:12spongy click feel, aren't as durable as
42:15full-size switches. And I'm really glad
42:16to see Endgame Gear keep the full size
42:18switch here on the V2 for this reason.
42:20But this switch, unlike the side button
42:22switches, feels more akin to its rated
42:2470 g actuation weight. But it's actually
42:26a little heavier on my unit, feeling
42:28around a 70 to 75 g range, which isn't
42:31an issue per se, but it does make the
42:32scroll wheel click notably heavier than
42:34the rest of the mouse's buttons, which
42:36will take some time to get accustomed
42:37to. For travel, the wheel click has a
42:39very low degree of both pre and post
42:41travel. And because the switch is full
42:43size, not a pillar switch, the wheel
42:45click has a very snappy rebound and
42:46great click feel, which helps to offset
42:48the heavier actuation weight, making the
42:50wheel decently spammable. And just like
42:52the rest of the OP1 V2's buttons, you
42:55can also apply a multi-click filter here
42:57to the scroll wheel if needed, which is
42:59yet again another great attention to
43:00detail.
43:03For sensor and MCU, this is where we'll
43:05find the core improvement to the V2
43:07here, as the mouse's sensor has been
43:09significantly improved compared to the
43:11V1. But before we talk about the
43:12improved sensor itself, let's talk about
43:14its positioning. As I mentioned earlier,
43:16the sensor is positioned ever so
43:18slightly forward to the mouse's 59.1 mm
43:20physical midline, being positioned at
43:22roughly the 62 mm mark, slightly behind
43:24the mouse's 65 to 69 mm balancing range.
43:28Due to this positioning, and of course,
43:29depending on your grip style or hand
43:31size, there might be a small acclamation
43:33period when first using the OP1 V2, as
43:35the sensor is not only slightly
43:36disjointed for the mouse's balancing
43:38range, it can also sit very low in your
43:40grip style, especially if you have
43:41larger hands. But after a couple days of
43:43use, you should acclimate to the
43:45sensor's position and the mouse's
43:46balancing without issue. For the sensor,
43:49instead of using the PAW 3395DM-T6
43:52QU as the V1 did, the V2 is sporting a
43:55fully custom PA 3950 U + 1F95A,
44:00which is a heavily tweaked version of
44:01the Paw 3950 we see used by essentially
44:04every brand on the market. Now, this
44:06sensor has a DPI range of 10 to 30,000,
44:09which is adjustable by 10 DPI steps
44:11below 10,000 DPI and 50 DPI steps above
44:1410,000. And the DPI can be configured on
44:16both the X and Y axis, which is a great
44:19attention to detail skipped by many
44:20brands. For IPS, the sensor is rated for
44:23750. And for acceleration, the sensor is
44:26rated for 50 g, the typical ranges we
44:28see on most 3950s. The sensor also
44:31supports ripple angle snapping and
44:32motion sync. All of which can be toggled
44:34via the mouse's driver. But for LOD
44:37uniquely, instead of using the preset
44:39values we commonly see on most, if not
44:41all 3950 implementations, being 0.71 and
44:442 mm, Endgame gear has opted to use a
44:46custom range here, as the sensor
44:48supports LODs from 0.7 to 1.7 mm. And
44:52you can adjust the level by 0.1 mm
44:54increments, which is an amazing feature
44:56I've only seen on Razer Smice to date,
44:58and allows the LOD to be super
44:59customizable, something I'd love to see
45:01other brands adapt. This sensor, as
45:03expected, also supports sensor tilting.
45:06But instead of having the usual 66°
45:08range we commonly see, Endgame Gear has
45:10expanded the range to 254°,
45:13the widest tilt range I've seen on a
45:15mouse to date. This is an amazing tweak
45:17here as it allows the sensor to be fully
45:19compatible with any tilted grip style,
45:21and you won't be relying on third party
45:22programs like Raw Excel to tilt the
45:24sensor to certain degrees. And while not
45:26many people utilize the sensor tilt
45:28feature, it's a feature everyone should
45:30be trying out as it not only
45:31significantly improves your ergonomics,
45:33it also improves your aim and
45:35consistency. And if you want to learn
45:36more about sensor tilting and how it
45:38works and how it could benefit your aim,
45:39check out my full guide, which will be
45:41linked on screen here and down in the
45:42video description. And another unique
45:44aspect to this sensor is that since the
45:46OP1 is a wired mouse, this allows the
45:49mouse's sensor to run at its max
45:50performance at all times without the
45:52many power saving parameters you'll find
45:54applied to wireless mice's sensors, just
45:56as we saw in the V1. This further
45:58improves the V2's performance and is a
46:00big reason as to why Endgame Gear's
46:02wired mice feel so responsive, as the
46:04wired nature allows you to get the max
46:06out of the mouse's hardware. And lastly
46:08for MCU, just as we saw in the OP1 V1,
46:11the V2 is using the same New Vuitton
46:13M483 MCU, which is a unique MCU type we
46:17don't see used too often, especially
46:18when compared to the ever popular Nordic
46:20SOC's we see used in almost every mouse
46:23on the market. The reason that Endgame
46:24gear opted to use the M483 here is
46:27because this MCU supports 8 kHz
46:29natively, whereas the 52840 only
46:32supports up to 1k herz natively and
46:34requires a separate controller to
46:35utilize higher polling rates. As such,
46:37Endgame gear opted to use this unique
46:39MCU as opposed to traditional ones. And
46:41just like we saw in the V1, the
46:43implementation of the MCU here on the V2
46:45is perfect and delivers stellar
46:47performance across the board.
46:51For connectivity, as a surprise to no
46:53one, the OP1 V2 supports only wired
46:56connectivity as well, it's a wired
46:58mouse, so that's kind of to be expected.
47:00Whereas the WE variant of the OP1
47:02supports both wired and wireless
47:03connectivity types. But even though the
47:05OP1 only supports one connectivity type,
47:08as I've mentioned several times in this
47:09video, the performance offered here is
47:11second to none in my opinion, as all of
47:13the mouse's report rates are perfectly
47:14implemented with flawless performance
47:16across the board here.
47:19As a preface to this segment, several
47:21months ago, there was a malware issue
47:23with Endgame Gears software, but this
47:25issue has been resolved and there are no
47:26security issues with their software as
47:28of this video being recorded. However,
47:30when you launch the software, Windows
47:32Smart Screen will likely prevent the
47:33program from running, warning you about
47:35a virus. To be abundantly clear, this is
47:37not because there is a security risk
47:39from the program. This is because Smart
47:41Screen disables .exe downloaded from the
47:43web by running. So, if you see the Smart
47:45Screen notice pop up, just click
47:46continue and you can utilize the program
47:47without issue. All right, with that
47:49little preface out of the way, let's
47:50talk about the software itself. Now,
47:52compared to the software drivers we see
47:53from other brands, Endgame Gear's driver
47:55is a little basic looking, but despite
47:57its appearance, the driver is very well
47:59implemented, just as it was when I
48:01talked about the V1. Upon opening the
48:03driver, it will open to a large
48:04rectangular window, which has three sub
48:06menus. At the top of this window, the
48:08driver lists the mouse's firmware and
48:09software version, and there is a button
48:11at the top to factory reset the mouse.
48:13At the very bottom of the window, there
48:14is an apply button, which you'll need to
48:16click to apply any changes made to the
48:17mouse's settings, as it doesn't
48:19autosave, so keep this in mind. In the
48:21first tab, called basic settings, we can
48:23adjust the mouse's LOD levels from 0.7
48:25to 1.7 mm. We can also enable or disable
48:28angle snapping, ripple, configure the
48:30base LED settings, allow for differing
48:32XYaxis DPI values, and select the number
48:35of CPI levels on the mouse between 1 and
48:37four. And you can set each of these
48:38levels between 10 to 30,000. In the next
48:41tab called the advanced settings, we can
48:43enable or disable motion sync, adjust
48:45the mouse's polling rate from 1 to 8K
48:47hertz, enable or disable a slam click
48:49filter, which will be enabled by
48:50default, enable or disable the mouse's
48:52glass mode, which will allow the sensor
48:53to track on transparent glass with a
48:55thickness of 4 mm or thinner. However,
48:58this will cap the mouse's rai to 1 kHz,
49:00and you do not need to use this mode on
49:02traditional hard pad types, only
49:03transparent glass. Below these options,
49:06we have a bunch of click related
49:07settings, including the multi-click
49:09filters for the main, side, and scroll
49:11wheel. And we can also configure the
49:12main click's SPDT state between the
49:14three aformentioned modes, normal or
49:16off, GX safe, and GX speed. But keep in
49:19mind that the multi-click filter here is
49:21not the same as a debounce filter, and
49:23they don't affect the mouse's latency.
49:24And to tweak these settings, you'll need
49:26to check a little box at the base here.
49:28Now, by default, the mouse's SPDT state
49:30will be disabled. So, be sure to set it
49:32to the GX speed mode to take advantage
49:34of the Switch's fantastic performance,
49:36but if you swap the switches to ones
49:37that don't support these speed modes,
49:39this feature won't work. So, keep this
49:40in mind, and if you do so, make sure to
49:42set this feature off or use the GX safe
49:44mode. Lastly, for this tab, at the base,
49:47we'll find the mouse's sensor tilt
49:48feature, which allows the sensor to be
49:50rotated by 127° both positively and
49:53negatively, giving the sensor the
49:54affformentioned total tilt range of
49:56254°, which is the widest tilt range
49:59I've seen on a mouse to date. And in the
50:01last tab called mapping, we can adjust
50:03the mouse's key binds, and the options
50:05are pretty thorough, which is nice to
50:07see. And you can also set the mouse to a
50:08left-handed mode, which will swap the
50:10mouse's binds to make it optimized for
50:12left-hand usage. But overall, the OP1 V2
50:15software experience is great just as it
50:17was on the V1. And even though it is a
50:19very no frills approach to a driver, it
50:21is very well implemented. But in the
50:23future, I'd love to see Endgame Gear
50:24make a web driver for their products is
50:26that is becoming the new standard, and
50:28seeing a web driver as an option for
50:30their mice would be a great improvement
50:31in the future.
50:34And for repairability, just as we saw in
50:36the OP1 V1, the V2 serviceability is
50:39industryleading in my opinion, as not
50:41only is the mouse incredibly easy to
50:43open, the main click PCB, sideclick PCB,
50:46and power cable are all modular, meaning
50:48repairing or replacing its components is
50:50incredibly easy, and on top of that, the
50:52rest of the mouse is incredibly easy to
50:54service, which is awesome to see. And
50:56the mainboard, in addition to being much
50:57smaller than the V1's PCB, is modable,
51:00too, as we talked about earlier, which
51:01is yet another great attention to detail
51:03here. And as mentioned at the top of
51:05this video, the mouse includes a
51:06screwdriver, which isn't something
51:08unique to Endgame Gear, as other brands
51:10have included drivers with their
51:11products, but other brands drivers are
51:13less than usable. Whereas the driver
51:15here is sized quite well, and you can
51:17use it to fully disassemble the mouse
51:18without needing any additional tools,
51:20which is a really cool thing to see. And
51:22if you're interested in learning more
51:23about how to service the OP1 AKV2, or
51:26just want to learn more about the
51:27mouse's internals, how to repair its
51:29modular components, or learn about the
51:30mouse's modding options or component
51:32weights, get subscribed so you don't
51:33miss the OP1 AKV2's tearown video, which
51:36will be releasing in a couple days.
51:40And for stock skates, the V2, while it
51:42does use the same style of skates we saw
51:44used on the V1, have been notably
51:46improved. As the skates adhesive on the
51:48V1s were frankly a nightmare to remove,
51:50as their adhesive would stick to the
51:52base shell when torn off, and this
51:53residue was very difficult to remove,
51:55which made using aftermarket skates on
51:57the OP1 V1 a rather annoying process.
52:00But here on the V2, the skates adhesive
52:02have been updated to a thicker type that
52:04doesn't tear when removed or leave any
52:06residue behind, making the process of
52:08replacing the stock skates or using
52:09aftermarket ones significantly easier,
52:12which is a massive improvement over the
52:13V1. Now, the skates themselves, as I
52:16just mentioned, are the same type we saw
52:18used on the V1. One being the
52:19pre-installed hybrid set and the other
52:21being the larger full-size set. Both of
52:24these skates material is 100% PTFE,
52:26which allows these skates to perform
52:28very well on soft pad types. And to my
52:30surprise, the skates also perform
52:31decently well on hard pad types, but due
52:33to their PTFE nature, their durability
52:35was a little lacking. And because of
52:37this, I opted to use aftermarket skates
52:39over the majority of my testing. But
52:41I'll talk about that experience in a
52:42moment. But before I do, I have to
52:44mention what is probably my favorite
52:46skate related feature here, as Endgame
52:48Gear has designed their skates to ensure
52:49the base access screws are accessible
52:51regardless of the type you use. This is
52:54a very underrated feature as it allows
52:56you to open the mouse and swap the
52:57switches or repair a component or do
52:59whatever you want with the mouse without
53:01damaging the skates. Something you
53:02rarely find on the market as almost
53:04every brand on the market covers said
53:06access screws with skates, meaning
53:08you'll have to replace said skates if
53:09you have to service the mouse, leading
53:11to unnecessary waste. And I'm so glad to
53:13see this feature continue here on the
53:14V2. And I really hope to see it continue
53:16on Endgame Gear's future products.
53:18However, oddly, Endgame Gear still
53:20hasn't installed any skate removal ramps
53:22on the mouse's base, which thankfully
53:24isn't too much of an issue here as the
53:26skates are so easy to remove due to
53:28their improved adhesive. But on a future
53:30model of the OP1 AK, it would be nice to
53:32see these added to make the removal
53:33process even easier. And circling back
53:36to the usage experience of aftermarket
53:38skates, just like we saw in the V1, the
53:40V2 skate channels are extremely thin and
53:42they're quite wide, allowing the mouse
53:44to be fully compatible with essentially
53:46every type of aftermarket skate
53:47available on the market, which is very
53:49helpful as I used a hard pad for the
53:51majority of my testing. And since the
53:53stock skates, while they did perform
53:54well, weren't the most durable on hard
53:56pads, I was able to use the glass works
53:58dots that were included with the
54:00Polarity on the V2 without issue. And
54:02those skates felt and performed
54:03significantly better than the stock
54:05skates did on the Polarity. So
54:07regardless of the pad type you use your
54:08OP1 AK on, you'll be able to use some
54:10kind of aftermarket skate or the stock
54:12skates on it without issue. But while
54:14Endgame Gear has done a fantastic job
54:16improving the stock skates and the
54:18experience of using aftermarket skates
54:20here on the V2, I do have to critique
54:22them for not including any hard pad
54:23optimized skates as that is becoming the
54:25standard and I'd love to see hard pad
54:27optimized dots included on a future
54:29version of the OP1.
54:32And lastly, let's talk about the OP1
54:34V2's cable, which is the same flex cord
54:375.0 cable we saw used on the V1, which
54:39is a good thing as that cable was very
54:41well implemented. And the same can be
54:43said about the cable here. For length,
54:45the cable is 160 mm long and is a fairly
54:48thin cable which is wrapped with a soft
54:50paracord that's quite low friction,
54:52allowing it to glide over both soft and
54:53hard pad surfaces without too much drag.
54:56The cable, due to its thinness, is also
54:58quite flexible, allowing for even more
55:00freedom when using the mouse. And the
55:01mouse end of the cable is tilted
55:03upwards, which further reduces the
55:04cable's drag. But even though you can
55:07use the OP1 AK as is due to the great
55:09cable implementation, as I say, for all
55:11wired mice, I'd highly recommend using a
55:14bungee, of which the mouse is
55:15universally compatible, as that'll
55:17drastically improve the usage experience
55:18and give the mouse a near wireless feel
55:21with the proper bungee. Of course,
55:22personally speaking, I used a Pulsar ES
55:25bungee with the mouse over testing, and
55:26I didn't run into any cable related
55:28issues. So, I'd recommend getting that
55:30bungee for the best use case here on the
55:31OP1 or any other wired mouse for that
55:33matter. And as I mentioned earlier,
55:35since the cable is modular, being
55:37connected with this wider JST plug, if
55:39the cable fails or is damaged, you can
55:41replace the cable easily without having
55:42to replace the whole mouse, which is a
55:44great attention to detail. And you could
55:46purchase a replacement cable from
55:47Endgame Gear for $8.99 USD or from other
55:50retailers who offer modded cables for
55:52the OP1 series, of which there are
55:54several options.
55:57All right, in closing, overall, the OP1
56:00AKV2 is an incredibly impressive mouse
56:02from Endgame Gear with fantastic
56:04accessories, a great weight,
56:06significantly improved internals, and a
56:08fantastic shaping that's unchanged from
56:09the V1, which is very well weight
56:11balanced for a wired mouse. The mouse's
56:13coding performance is amazing, too,
56:15being one of the best codings you'll
56:16find on the market. The mouse's main
56:18click implementation is borderline
56:20flawless, and the Kale GX switches
56:22continue to deliver industry-leading
56:23performance. And the optional switch
56:25packs are an amazing add-on to the
56:26mouse, specifically in the form of the
56:28hot swap PCBs. And while the scroll
56:30wheel is significantly improved from the
56:32V1, the new encoder is much heavier,
56:34which might be too heavy from some
56:36users, but it is a good improvement. And
56:38Endgame Gear's custom 3950
56:40implementation is a notable aspect to
56:41the mouse as it has an incredibly wide
56:43tilt range and the best LOD
56:45implementation I've seen to date and it
56:47has great performance across the board.
56:49The mouse's pulling rates are perfectly
56:50implemented as expected and the mouse's
56:53software is good, but I would like to
56:54see a web driver released in the future.
56:56And of course, the mouse's repairability
56:58is superb and is industryleading in my
57:01opinion. The mouse's stock skates are
57:02significantly improved and perform great
57:04on soft pad types. And the mouse has
57:07fantastic aftermarket skate
57:08compatibility. And the cable is very
57:10well implemented. It performs great.
57:12Though I still recommend using a bungee
57:13with it, and if needed, it can be
57:15repaired or replaced easily. However,
57:17while there's a lot of great things
57:18about this mouse, it's not perfect. As
57:20the included grip aids are rather
57:22underwhelming, and the side buttons are
57:24the weakest aspect to the mouse in my
57:26opinion, as their shaping is rather odd
57:28and makes them a little awkward to use
57:30and hopeful to see these buttons
57:31reworked on a future OP1 series product.
57:34And lastly, the mouse doesn't include
57:35any hardpad optimized skates, which is
57:37disappointing. But overall, I am very
57:39impressed with the OP1 AK V2. And even
57:42though on the surface there don't appear
57:44to be any big changes here, under the
57:46hood, a lot has improved. And the V2 is
57:48more than capable of continuing the
57:50legacy set by the OP1 AKV1. And if you
57:53have the OP1 V1 and were considering
57:55upgrading, the V2 is a fantastic
57:57improvement over the V1. And it fixed
57:59every single issue I had with the V1.
58:01and the mouse feels, performs, and is
58:03overall a very solid offer from Endgame
58:05Gear. But with that, that's everything
58:06for today's episode of the Melon Review.
58:08Thank you very much again for watching,
58:10and thanks to Endgame Gear for sending
58:11over the OP1 AKV2 over for review. If
58:14you would like to support my efforts
58:15here on the channel with the super
58:17in-depth reviews and of course the
58:18Tearown Project, consider becoming a
58:20member here on YouTube, as that is the
58:21best way to directly support the
58:23channel, and being a member also gives
58:24you early access to all upcoming
58:26content. So, if you want to support what
58:28I do here on the channel, become a
58:29channel member today. Thanks again for
58:31watching my review of the OP1 AKV2 and
58:33I'll catch you all in the next episode
58:34of the Melon Review. Peace.

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