

If the X8 isn't as sensitive as the Razer Mamba, the two have quite a bit in common in that they share a hybrid wired/wireless design. You can create universal macros, or make them specific to a particular game or other program. From there, you can assign further macros through the IntelliPoint software. Then, simply enter your commands for the macro and accept the recording by clicking the flashing, dedicated macro button. This can be the one of the vertical side buttons, the right-click button, or the scroll-wheel buttons.

The mini LCD instructs you to push the button that you want to map the macro to. A dedicated button in a niche on the left side of the X8 enables the recording mode. The macro recording process is actually quite simple. Using the screen as a battery life indicator would have been more informative, although it does give you cues to assist in recording macros. If you're ever unsure about the X8's sensitivity level, you'll know from either your preset dpi button assignments, or as soon as you use the mouse.

This isn't necessarily as handy as it sounds, because the real feature is the capability to change modes, not displaying their strength. The X8 also includes a small LCD screen that informs you of the current dpi setting. Rather than limiting you to three buttons and a fraction of the dpi spectrum at any one time, why not a slider or a secondary wheel that lets you select from a mouse sensor's entire dpi range? We've come to demand accessible dots per inch switching buttons on gaming mice, but it's also occurred to us that purely hardware driven scaling might be the next logical step.
#Microsoft sidewinder x6 how to macros software
You get three hard buttons running down the middle of the X8 to let you switch between DPI settings on the fly, and you can use Microsoft's IntelliPoint software to assign each button a particular setting. You also get three sets of different feet for the X8, which lets you tailor the tactile feel of the mouse to whatever surface you choose. A wooden desk, a book, and a marble sheet proved equally reliable. Some sites have reported that BlueTrack doesn't get along with cloth mouse pads, but used the X8 for an extended period on XTracPads' cloth RipperXXL mouse pad with no trouble. That improved performance lets you use the X8 and other BlueTrack mice on an expanded range of surfaces, including marble, carpet, wood, or most anything except for transparent or mirrored glass. BlueTrack debuted in a few Microsoft mice last year, and it offers better sensitivity and performance than traditional optical or even laser mice. A cross-hatch of metal ridges along wheel are supposed to provide some extra grip, but they don't get the job done, which results in a less certain, "soft" feeling to the scroll wheel than on other mice.īeyond the button layout, Microsoft distinguishes the SideWinder X8 most uniquely with its proprietary BlueTrack sensor. The X8's two primary buttons perform as expected, but we don't love the metal scroll wheel. That might sound inconsequential to nongamers, but we expect the first-person shooting twitch crowd will approve. This design lets you simply rock your thumb up and down to press the buttons, minimizing the need for a discrete thumb motion that takes you out of primary control flow. But instead of the older models' rounded nubs, the X8's side buttons slope inward, providing a cradle for your thumb. Like the earlier SideWinders, the X8's thumb buttons have a stacked, vertical layout. Right-handers will appreciate the layout and design of the two side-buttons.
