UtechSmart Venus Gaming Mouse RGB Wired, 16400 DPI High Precision Laser Programmable MMO Computer Gaming Mice [IGNs Recommendation]

Purpose: The reason that I originally bought this mouse was for gaming. And on that front the mouse has been great. Having all of those side keys on the single mouse has made gaming a lot easier. Now, I tend to use those keys while also using the computer for non gaming relater purposes. How the mouse feels in the hand: I think this comes down to everyones hand size but,for me the mouse is really comfortable and can use it to play games or work for many hours and not have an issue. The only thing I am not fond of on this topic is that at the top there is two types of finishes. Most of the mouse is this sandy plastic which feels really nice. put then there is this little smooth section right at the top. Definitely not a fan of that. Side Keys: The side keys was the main reason that I purchased this mouse. Just having the ability to 12 additional keys on a mouse is great. And there is also an additional key on the right side of the right clicker. Just from looking at the pictures I thought that the keys were going to be too small when purchasing the mouse but, the are actually quite large and I am able to use all of them while gaming. However, it does take a little getting used to and memorizing where all the keys on the mouse are with your hand from numbers 1-2. Again as these side keys were the main reason that I purchased the mouse, and I have been very happy with it. Battery: Battery lasts a fairly long time, and you can just charge it and use it at the same time. I dont know how many hours it actually lasts but seems long enough. Just keep in mind that while charging the mouse and using it does add a little bit of extra weight but should be an issue. Also keep in mind that battery drain rate will vary if you leave it on with the lights or turn them off while using the mouse. This is easily done on the bottom of the mouse where there is an option to turn ON or turn ON With Lights. Software: The software is really easy to use. It is really easy to assign the mouse keys to any key you want them to be. You can also create multiple key binding lists for differing purposes. And you can record macros and have a list of them as well. You are also able to see how much battery you have left as well. And you can configure the lighting on the mouse and change the speed settings. I personally never have the lights on the mouse on. Conclusion: I have had this mouse for a little over three months now and it has been great. As stated above I bought it because of the side Keys and because it was wireless. Iam not a fan of a wired mouse. So far the mouse has been working great. The keys are responsive when clicking them and you can change the DPI of the mouse depending on what your are doing and what game you are playing. Which the two arrows at the top of the mouse let you change the DPI easily. Personally I think this is a great product and would buy it again.

This mouse is well worth the price. The buttons are just the right size to click with your thumb and the pressure needed to press them make them easy enough to press in tense moments while also making mistakes fairly rare. I use the back of my thumb to press the last column and this even works pretty well. The rapid fire button feels quite nice to press as well. The scroll wheel is segmented but also smooth. Minor complaints include the fact that I am not a huge fan of the sandpaper feel on the left/right buttons and on the edge. In particular, I found that my ring/pinky fingers started to feel chafed by it when first using it, though I believe use of the device quickly wore it in and I no longer get this feeling. I do also wish the thumb rest was extended a bit further out from the mouse. I do not use it that often, but it is not really wide enough to fit the entire thumb without it hanging off the edge. I love that the mouse is wireless, as I could never get used to the cord snag that occurs with wired models, though it can also be used with a wire if that is your preference. The battery life is superb. I can forget to charge it for days at a time and it will still have juice. The sleep mode activates pretty quickly after not using the mouse for a period of time and will automatically awaken after any movement/button presses and will register said input. The two DPI buttons are placed in a nice spot and there are four red lights, or the absence of light, which indicate five different profiles. These are set to 1000/2000/4000/8000/16000 by default, but you can set them to whatever your preference is. As I find any lights on my mouse/keyboard distracting, I set my preferred DPI on the lowest profile. That said, the RGB lights on the mouse are great. The thumb buttons look particularly cool when it is shining through them. If you want to show off a cool new mouse, this is the one for you. The program for this mouse is also pretty great and easy to understand. The default profile for the thumb buttons sets them to 1-0 on the number row and -/+ on the number pad. Im not sure why they decided to use the numpad rather than the number row for the last two, as I have played games which contain item slots on the latter number row keys, though they are easily remappable in the program or in-game. The program allows for importing/exporting profiles, which is necessary if using more than two. The profile switch button on the bottom can cycle between the default, which is itself remappable, and an imported profile. The program also allows the user to design macros which is very convenient for the sake of productivity. For gaming, the number row mapping already makes perfect sense for many games. Even though I do not really play MMO games, I found that being able to swap weapons in GTA and items/shouts in Skyrim with the touch of a button was quite an improvement over using the number row, which takes fingers that could be pressing other keys and has an inconveniently placed second half for the left hand to reach. Of course, you can feel free to map it to whichever buttons you want. I also personally use this for video editing and general productivity shortcuts on my PC and I can report that it is excellent for both. My left hand has to move around far less than what it used to, and overall things feel more balanced. Overall extremely pleased with my decision to purchase this mouse and recommend it to anyone who wants a versatile instrument for any of a multitude of computing needs. EDIT: I have dropped this review to four stars because of an issue with the scroll wheel. After having the mouse on for some time the scroll wheel takes two notches to start scrolling in the opposite direction (for instance, if I am scrolling down and I try to scroll up the first notch on the wheel that is scrolled up will do nothing). If I turn the mouse off and then on again it will return to normal, but will, in time, begin to act up again. It is rather minor, but is quite annoying. And I can see this being a detriment in games. I have reached out to Utechs support and have not gotten a response. I am trying again. If my issue is resolved I will return the review to five stars. EDIT: I managed to get in contact with them through the email for the gift inside the box. They were very nice and sent me a new one. While the second one was on the way, my original somehow started working again. I can only surmise that it has something to do with being kept on for a long enough period of time, rather than being turned off and on again after acting up. Anyhow, I am pleased that it has started working again and that I now have a backup in case it messes up once more, and am now raising it back to five stars!

This mouse exceded my expectations. The side buttons are stiff enough that even with my claw grip I dont accidentally press them. The side buttons work great in game for 1-= buttons. No more taking fingers off the wsad keys. The mouse is also wide enough so that my hand doesnt cramp during long sessions. The controller app was easy to install with the provided USB card( very cool by the way, I showed my friends). The app is easy to use and straight forward. I recommend this mouse.

This is a comparison of the Razer Naga Chroma/Trinity and the UtechSmart Venus from a long time Naga user and someone with very small hands (7” from wrist to end of middle finger and 3” wide palm). Due to a lemon naga mouse and the cost differential I decided to abandon my decade long use of the razer naga and try Utechsmart’s venus. Mouse and software loaded easy. Software seems less bloaty than razer synapse. In all easy to figure and set up. Would be made sweeter if I could have imported naga settings and macros but that was probably too much to hope for. I love the mouse weight and the fact I can adjust the weight and the glide (points for Venus). For my hands, I feel like the Venus is too much mouse. I kept going back and forth and the main reason the Venus felt clunkier/larger (very little actual difference in size) is the slope of the left/right mouse click buttons forces your fingers to very specific locations where as the naga allows you to shift them side to side plus has a slightly narrower mouse wheel. The result of this design is my index finger and middle finger sit 5/8ths of an inch apart on the Venus and only 3/8ths of an inch apart on the naga. This feels awkward but could also be a factor of 10yrs of Naga use. The real issue in the right/left mouse buttons in my fingers fall about 1/2” short of the end on both the Naga and the Venus. However, on the naga the click of those buttons is roughly the same if you are at the end of the mouse or halfway up. On the Venus the click is notably firmer/longer 1/2” from the edge than on the edge. Points for naga on this (smaller hand) ergonomics. Next the side 12 buttons. I use these extensively every button is bound and most have a shift and an alt modifier. The actual 12 buttons seem nicely designed, where I prefer the naga’s less tilted buttons with increasing size as you go up I assume this is from long term use and with adjustment/practice I shouldn’t have any issue with the Venus. So, I’ll call this a push. However, on both the Naga and Venus I am forced to canter my hand slightly in order for my thumb to reach the 1 button and this is how my hand sits. The forced index finger and middle finger contours/buttons on the Venus makes this feel more awkward (and/or 10 yrs of comfort with the naga). On the Venus my middle finger crosses over the dpi down button (but not in such a way as to accidently click it). All that adds to the clunky feel and further spreads my index and middle finger which makes me feel less control in those fingers (though practice might overcome this). However, the real issue is the design of the palm rest on the Venus. The palm support peaks over the 9 key and then drops all the way to the mouse pad, leaving only the palm area under my little finger doing most of the mouse control --my palm barely makes contact with the lighted symbol. The naga palm area stays elevated to the 12 button and then only drops to 1/2” from the ground rather than all the way. It is a much gentler drop with more contact space allowing my entire palm to connect (even cantered to reach buttons) and thus providing far more control. An optional/changeable plate to offer different palm connection would go a long way to improving this mouse for small hands. Bottom line: Price (Venus); Software (Venus); Weight/movement (Venus); small hand button/mouse ergonomics (Naga)

I bought the wired version of this mouse in late 2016. I ran into a minor issue about three years in where I could not click the scroll wheel properly, but that problem seemed to fix itself after a short while. Today it has begun to stop working every few seconds, so I suspect its lifetime may be coming to an end for real this time. It has been a reliable and easy-to-use mouse for both MMO and FPS gaming (though it is a relatively bulky mouse for the latter, even with all the weights removed). My criticisms, having used this mouse for the better part of a decade: - The top surface of the mouse (where the hand rests) has many cracks and crevices where dead skin and oil/dirt can build up. These spots are somewhat tricky to clean and it gets kind of gross after a while. - The textured body is also difficult to clean without damaging the mouse. Rubbing alcohol seems to wipe away the black paint on the outside. - I have rather large hands. The 12 side buttons were generally easy to reach, but the bottom-most row can be awkward, particularly the 10 key in the bottom-left corner. - The 5 key feels mushier than the rest of the keys, despite me not having used it that much. It does not have much travel, and you may drop inputs if pressing it repeatedly. In contrast, the 1 key, which Ive pressed enough times to wear the paint off of, still feels responsive to press, as does every other key (very distinct clicks). - I use this mouse with 2 different computers. I was only ever able to program the mouse buttons on the first computer I plugged it into -- on the second computer, the software didnt seem able to update settings and was also sluggish. You may encounter the same issue. Overall, a very serviceable mouse I got a lot more use out of than I was expecting. Great cheaper alternative to some of the more high-end MMO mice on the market.

EDIT: Its been a month and a half since my initial review, and I will say that my complaint about the 4,5,6 line of buttons being unpressable/hard to press is no longer an issue! After regular use, they fell in line and became very good buttons. The whole keypad is wonderful to use now, I am happy to report! Ive been playing around with this mouse enough and liked it enough that I ordered two more as replacements for when this one eventually kicks the bucket. Its very responsive, easy to configure on the software, though the wording can be a bit hard to understand so bear with it. One of the biggest things that stood out to me instantly is that while the website was slow to load to get the install file for the software, once I had it running, the software was perfect. Light, quick, runs flawlessly, doesnt freeze, lag, or eff with the rest of my system (looking at you, Corsair ICUE). You can configure scrolling speed with the software itself versus having to find it in Windows mouse config, configure the light colors and how fast you want them to pulse. RBG-wise its not as fancy as a Corsair or Razer, but Im more than happy to sacrifice that to only pay $30 and still get high performance. DPI is perfect and FULLY configurable (with sliders, change from 9800 to 9900 DPI if you want to, or go to 14800 from 16500), click performance wasnt as slow as someone else mentioned on here, at least not that I noticed. Perhaps it was fixed with newer models. EDIT: This section is no longer relevant after a month and a half of use, but I will leave it for historys sake: ((My only possibly big complaint that lines up with another review is the buttons on the 4,5,6 line. All the rest of my buttons are great, but just those three are quite stiff and difficult to press. The others feel great, click great, and respond great, so perhaps I could just move abilities around in gaming, but I used to use 4,5,6 a lot on my old mouse (a Corsair) so it will be sad to have to change that.)) I will see if they wear down in time, perhaps theyll get better to press with heavy use. If you have large hands, as well, I cant see this mouse working well for you. Look at a mouse with adjustable side buttons like a Corsair Scimitar (good mice but expensive and you gotta deal with the BS that is ICUE, but Ill say they were solid overall)

I own two of the previous wired model of this mouse (work & home). I love it. My wife bough the wireless version recently and loved it as well. I then bought the wireless version for work so I wouldnt have to have my go to meetings mouse in addition to my main wired mouse. The pricing (on both versions) is also very reasonable. There are good & bad between the models. There are aspects to the new software that I like and some that I dislike. The wired version was hampered by having to use older software to get all the functionality. This one can use the new software. Lighting: There are additional lighting effects that were not available on the wired version. These features are still lacking in variety and options, but that is a minor complaint. Specifically, while plugged in it pulses a color (based on battery charge) rather than the light setting chosen. Id love to just use it wired when at my desk and wireless when off to meetings and such. I love the light color cycling and miss that when it is plugged in. Weight Compartment: The wired version had the bottom compartment with additional weights. This version is lacking that and thus a bit lighter than I am used to. While I liked the heavier weight it isnt a deal breaker for me. Software: The software, while newer, has fewer options for programming the keys compared to the older version. The older version had a ton of pre-made keys that were easy and available. You can get to the same functionality, but you have to add them as key combinations. An example was the old software had a pre-done entry for copy, paste, and other basic functions. On this one I had to manually create a ctrl + c hotkey. Again, not a huge issue for me, but I could see it being less useful for others who may not have an idea of what to put on all the keys. It certainly felt like a step backwards on that aspect. I suspect this has to do with them storing the profile on the mouse directly rather than in a file. Profiles: The software not having the profiles or way to toggle between them was odd. There is no indicator for which profile you are on. The button on the bottom to toggle profiles just felt odd as well. This might be worth the trade-off for having the two profiles on the mouse though. I absolutely hated that I couldnt convert my current profile onto the new mouse (.pdf profile in older version vs .jmk in this one). This forced me to re-create all my macros and re-assign them. Again, not a deal breaker as it is a one time setup and only impacts people with prior versions. Note, the software is PC only. You can set the mouse up on a Windows machine, it stores the profiles on the mouse, then you can use the mouse without issue on a Mac. Misc: The slot for the dongle on the bottom of the mouse is a bit odd. It sticks out just far enough that you cant use the mouse with the wired charger while the dongle is put in the mouse for storage. I dont understand why they didnt do the recessed tabs on top/bottom of it so you could grip it to pull the dongle out (like most other dongle storage layouts are). I suspect it is mostly a non-issue since you dont remove the dongle while you have it plugged in, it just seemed like an odd design choice (maybe something they can fix in the next hardware revision/version). The Good: Good size that fits hand very comfortably with the nice textured finish Good quantity of buttons to program High precision with adjustable DPI to get mouse movements just right Multiple profiles for different tasks Better lighting options compared to prior versions profiles stored on mouse (limit 2) The Less Good: no additional weight compartment in wireless version (wired version has it) lighting options, while better, are still underwhelming lighting option when plugged in is not existent less pre-created macro/key options in software compared to earlier versions (can manually create for functionality, just lose the ease of it) The Bad nothing that would sway my purchase decision Summary: This is a great mouse for the price. It is very comfortable to use and ticks off all the quality items needed for a functional mouse for gaming or customization of buttons. The software is its greatest weakness, but not detrimental to the point where it has a functional impact (just the area they should focus more effort on). I back this up with this wireless mouse version being my third of this style/brand of mouse for my own use (2 wired, 1 wireless) plus my wifes use of both the wired and wireless version too. Mac users need to be aware of the software limitation so they can get it setup on a Windows machine first, then theyll be ready to go.

Quick Note: the seller includes a sketchy usb stick to link you to a drop box to download the UI software and get some kind of reward for leaving a review. Its unnerving and you dont need to use it. You can go to the manufacturer website to download the same software file. I would recommend this just for best practice purposes. Battery Life: Wow I game and work remotely so Im using this mouse anywhere from 4-16 hours a day. Ive had it for a few months now and Ive charged it like 4 times. The battery life *if you dont have the lights on* is incredible. If you do have the lights on youll see it goes idle after about 30s of inactivity (might be programmable in the UI, cant remember). Lights and Customization: Colorful and bright, but I dont use them I never use the lights, but theyre cool. Theres plenty of customization options but I remember being a little underwhelmed with the options, like you cant have it cycle through custom gradients, but the UI is extremely user friendly. Buttons and Macros: All I need and more, but a little tedious to reach. I remember before I got the mouse, reading a couple comments mentioning the thumb keys felt weird to press? I have had no such experience. Easy to press but not easy enough to accidentally press. Although, the back two rows arent as easy to reach as the front two. Easy to setup keybindings or macros. You can get really creative with the macro settings. For work I created a Left Click, Home, Shift+End, CTRL+C to highlight and copy whatever line of text Im hovering over in a single click. Theyve also got both a timed and untimed macro maker so you can Only limitation is like 20 or 30 actions per macro (compared to Logitech which lets you bind entire sentences). In addition the trigger key (3 left clicks) is extremely useful and I use it soooo much more than I ever imagined I would. DPI and Accuracy: Hard to gauge? Im not gonna say anything is off, but I feel like Im having more trouble getting used to the mouses acceleration and movement patterns more than with previous mice. Havent had any issues playing ARPGs but in an FPS Id definitely need to be quickly toggling between DPI settings. That said the DPI button is easily accessible for the index finger. Size, Shape, Weight: Comfy and sturdy Nice wide mouse, shape is great, the tread on the wheel is nice, and its easy to click from far forward to far back. My hands are fairly large, so I think my perfect mouse would be a slightly scaled up version of this mouse, but the shape and size should be great for all but the largest hands. The mouse has a good weight to it, makes steady movements easy, definitely feels like a sturdy device.

So Im coming from a whole host of cheap no-name mouses, i am by no means the authority on mice! Ive never had anything remotely customizable as this. This mouse just oozes quality, even the packaging was beautiful and well thought out. The USB stick hiding inside of a business card is absolute genius. The cable is super strong, fits nicely into the USB outlet, and is instantly recognized by my computer. Okay UTechSmart, you have my attention! I am rather stunned by its performance considering how cheap it was, having no idea how useful it could possibly be to me. The software is very nice and you can really fine-tune your experience with it. I am an audio editor and graphic artist (and gamer, of course), and there seems to be no end to the uses I can put this to. Its completely streamlined my workflow when it comes to Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop. So many keyboard shortcuts are now at the tip of my thumb. I expected to only want this for gaming, but Im finding myself playing around more in my Adobe programs getting my creative juices flowing, all because its become more fun and streamlined by the programmable buttons on this mouse. Note: Be aware that with the software, its going to lag for a couple seconds when you switch from one profile to the next. This screwed me up for a few minutes before I realized that its shifting every single button, even the light settings over to a new profile, so it makes sense that its not instantaneous. I was concerned with the way it might fit me because of my rather large man-hands, but its like slipping on a pair of super comfy well fitting socks that feel like they just become a part of you. The rubbery grip feels amazing in my palm, and the thumb and middle finger rests fit me perfectly. Every last button is extremely easy to reach, even the ones that other reviewers had me thinking would be in an awkward placement. This mouse feels so natural and really has to be the most ergonomic mouse Ive ever held. At the time of purchase, this mouse was right around the same price ($33) as the heavily discounted Logitech G600, which is a famously awesome mouse (that Ive never tried.. and it should be awesome for 80 bucks..) I poured over reviews and comparisons of the two and was leaning toward Logitech just because it has a great reputation behind it. I honestly cant remember what made me choose this UTechSmart mouse, but Im so happy I did. My only regret now was not coughing up the extra 20 bucks and springing for the pro wireless version of this same mouse. If youre on the fence, you wont regret hitting the buy button!

So I bought this mouse about a year ago (May 2021) and used it pretty heavily since then. Im always looking for the perfect mouse though, whether wired or wireless, and have tried a few others since then. Ultimately I keep going back to this Venus Pro RGB wireless. Its very comfortable, and I have a smallish hand and tend to use something close to a claw grip. It feels good under my hand, with all the buttons pretty easy to reach. Ill admit, I dont really use all the side buttons --- it has a ton (12 specifically, with feels like a ton to me) --- using just the lower front and lower back (the 1 and the 10) for home/end shortcuts. I also have to use it on a mousepad with a wrist rest, and still feels nice to use. The software took a bit to figure out, as before this I had used a wired version of this mouse. I forget now which version of the software I had to use to access all the features for lighting and DPI adjustments, but once I had the right version its worked well ever since. It has a good range of DPI settings, the ability to change just about every button function (macros, keyboard keys like Home, forward/back navigation, etc), and several lighting options with preset and choose-your-own colors. (The side 12 buttons dont change to match the chosen color though, but they do seem to change to complement your color). The battery life seems to be really good as well. I have forgotten a few times to turn it off at night and come back the next day to find that it must conserve power pretty well by going into lower power mode, even though the lighting remains on. Overall, this wireless mouse was definitely worth the money. Every other mouse Ive used seems to lack something that this one has. Logitech, Corsair, and Razer mice always give me problems, but this one by a less famous company does it right.