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HP Omen Photon wireless gaming mouse, Outpost pad promise lights, speed and Qi charging

Clear desk, full battery, can't lose.

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
Joshua Goldman
2 min read
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Omen's Outpost mousepad with Qi can fully charge the Photon gaming mouse in 2.5 hours.

HP

With such a wide variety of great gaming mice already on the market, it would be easy to overlook options from the likes of HP's Omen brand. Its upcoming wireless Photon mouse and Outpost mousepad is worth your attention, however. 

The $130 Photon ambidextrous wireless gaming mouse (approximately AU$190 and £100 converted) uses optical-mechanical switches that allow for a click response time of 0.2 ms or three times faster than a regular mechanical mouse switch, HP claims.

Pivot hinges were used for the mouse buttons so you get the same click performance regardless of your grip type -- palm, fingertip or claw. To tailor the fit, though, there are removable magnetic finger rests and covers for the side buttons. The mouse has 11 programmable buttons overall, as well as the capability to switch DPI on the fly with a range from 100 to 16,000. 

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The Photon has removable finger rests and covers for the side buttons. 

HP

HP said the Photon's 2.4GHz Proactive Wireless Technology is as good as a wired mouse, and with a 50-hour battery life you've got a while before you need to recharge. Speaking of, the mouse can be charged wirelessly using a Qi pad like those used for phones. 

Don't have a Qi charger? For $100 (roughly AU$140 or £80 converted) the Omen Outpost Mousepad not only gives you a flippable soft/hard mousepad, but a Qi pad charge the Photon in 2.5 hours or your phone while you're gaming. A USB-A passthrough port gives you somewhere to plug the mouse's wireless adapter, too. Both the pad and mouse have customizable RGB LED lighting as well that you set up with the company's Omen Command Center software.

The pair arrive in July, but at the moment there are no plans to bundle them. Nonetheless, I could definitely see them paired up at a big-box retailer come holiday shopping season. 

Also read: HP Omen X 2S laptop sports two screens

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