OCZ had entered the gaming market niche with the Equalizer mouse, which we already tested. Now the company strikes gold again by releasing the Dominatrix, a larger model with rubber grip and adjustable weight – a common feature among top of the line gaming-grade mice. You may think it’s a sex toy due to its somewhat inappropriate name (try asking for one at a friendly neighborhood gaming supply store) but if OCZ’s intention was to demonstrate its capacity to dominate and beat the rivals into submission, Dominatrix is a well-deserved name. Let’s see how it fares during our test.
The first noticeable thing is OCZ’s decision to abandon the oval shape and medium size of its earlier model, the Equalizer, to follow the industry trend of larger bodied mice with finger rests. Large body is the exact term here: the Dominatrix is a big mouse. But big doesn’t mean heavy or awkward. During our test, the device handled precisely and felt very comfortable due to the rubberized finger rests and to a large rear section that provided a good palm rest.
click to enlarge Figure 1: The Dominatrix besides the Equalizer.
The side buttons are pre-programmed for internet navigation. They’re big and easily identifiable by being grey colored against a shiny black background. Above there’s the 4-way tilt scroll wheel (up and down horizontally and vertically) that lights up according to the current dpi selection (turned off when at 400 dpi; green when at 800; blue when at 1,600 and red when at 2,000 dpi). You can reach 3,200 dpi by software adjustment only. Below the scroll wheel the user can find the resolution change switch and the “M” button, corresponding to three profile modes. They can be stored into the Dominatrix’ onboard memory so you don’t need to run the mouse software in every PC you plug the device into.
click to enlarge Figure 2: Button details and finger rest.
OCZ took a different approach to the weight adjustment feature: instead of an insertable weight cartridge, there’s an underside circular compartment with seven foam-covered holes in it. You can adjust the overall weight up to 40 g and also change the center of gravity of the mouse. It may be a bit too much but customization aficionados will cheer this feature. The compartment cover is a little fragile and can be a drag to open and close it.
click to enlarge Figure 3: The weight adjustment system.
