Return of the track (sorry).

Some things – wallet chains and Leisure Suit Larry, to name a few examples – are best left in the past. Not the iconic trackball mouse, though, which Logitech has announced they are bringing back in the shape of the MX Ergo, nearly a decade since its last new entry into the product category.

Prioritising comfort, the mouse features an adjustable hinge that can increase the angle from 0 to 20 degrees, and customisable cursor speed allows for faster, more precise navigation. Logitech Flow and Easy-Switch tech mean you can jump between multiple computers with one device, with a full charge giving you up to four months of juice, depending on usage.

The MX Ergo will be available later this month, and retails for $US99.

Customisable gaming comfort – but you have to bring the headshots.

It says a lot about Razer’s expansion into all things PC-gaming related that it’s a bit of surprise when the company actually releases a mouse – one of the peripherals the company built its reputation on. But here we are, looking at the new Basilisk gaming mouse, and it looks like another solid Razer rodent.

The Basilisk (which will not kill you by looking at you, thanks to a distinct lack of eyes) boasts 16,000 DPI 5G optical sensor, capable of tracking up to 450 inches per second. You can fiddle with the resistance on the scroll wheel to get it just right for swapping weapons in PUBG, and a removable/swappable clutch button that is – by default – set to lower to the DPI of your mouse. Or you can program it, along with eight other buttons, to do whatever you want.

If you take it off, it can be replaced with a rubber thumb grip for extra… er… grip. Yeah.

“The customizability of the Razer Basilisk sets it apart from other FPS mice, and is something that we’re incredibly proud of,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO, in a recent release. “This is a mouse designed for tweaking that last ounce of performance out of each gamer’s specific FPS playstyle. For games like CS:GO, PUBG, Quake, and the likes, there’s nothing better.”

The mouse also has Chroma lighting, because that’s just what we’re forced to live with these days. The Basilisk is available this month, and retails for $109.95.

All-optical, all-eSports – that’s where BenQ’s aiming its latest gaming keyboard.

Most gamers may be going mad about mechanical keyboards, but BenQ’s latest eschews Cherry and similar flavouring in favour of optical switches – and the ZOWIE Celeritas II isn’t aimed just at the usual punters, but at dedicated eSports players.

The Celeritas II’s optical switches have been tested by professional players and are designed to do away with the trouble of mechanical switches wearing out over time, thus ensuring a greater consistency of response in-game. And iron-spring in each key delivers precise feedback and travel distance.

It also features red back-lighting on the keys – remember, red ones go faster! – which can be turned up or down to suit. The Celeritas is also completely driverless, making it perfect for taking to LANs. 

The ZOWIE Celeritas II is available now for $189.

Complete with Cherry switches and lighting because that’s how 2017 rolls.

HyperX has just added to its growing keyboard lineup with the new Alloy elite gaming keyboard. Powered by mechanical switches (and, you know, your own fingers), the Alloy Elite is aimed at gamers looking for a little more bling and solidity in their lives.

Aside from being able to choose between Cherry Red, Brown, or Blue switches to suit your gaming style, the Alloy Elite also boasts a detachable palm rest, a USB2 pass-through, media buttons, and a volume wheel. The bling comes via lighting that can be customised straight from the keyboard itself, and the sturdiness from the rather excellent solid steel frame. 

And of course it’s backed by a CSGO pro-gamer.

“HyperX Mechanical Gaming Keyboards have given me a true competitive advantage from day one: the build quality and features give our team the consistency needed to game at our best each and every time we load in,” said Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, CSGO team leader, SK Gaming. 

The Alloy Elite is available now $149.

Claw or palm grip – it’s your pick!

There are two types of people in the world – those who calmly grip their mice in the palm of their hand in a relaxed, rational manner, and those who grip it with a twisted claw of hate, an intimation of RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome to come.

And Cooler Master, with its two new mice, lovingly embraces both halves of this eternal duality.

The MasterMouse MM530 (we’re guessing the MM stands for MasterMouse, making this technically the MasterMouse MasterMouse MM530) follows on from Cooler Master’s previous Mizar and Alcor mice. It’s ergonomically designed and molded for palm grippers, based around the well-respected Intelli design of Microsoft’s. Rubber side-grips and a finger rest make it great for FPS gameplay.

The MM520 follows in the cramped footsteps of the Spawn mouse, and features a longer body for claw-grip victims gamers.

Both mice use a Pixart 3360 12000 DPI sensors and Omron switches. And yes, before you ask, there’s RGB lighting in three distinct zones.

The MM520 and MM530 will be available next month, and retail for $59.

PS: I’m a claw grip gamer myself, don’t @ me.