We have received comments and questions regarding our lift distance on the Ikari mice - this blog post outlines the hard numbers and the reasoning for how they function. Very basically put, the lift distance and tracking in the Ikari Optical go hand in hand. One design decision we had to make during development was this:

1) Use a strong light source: results in better tracking, but lift distance increases.

2) Use a reduced light source: results in lower lift distance, but tracking goes down, possibility of skipping goes up.

The lift distance on both Ikari Laser and Ikari Optical were fine-tuned to provide the best possible tracking – and we spent a lot of time tuning this aspect of both products. Lift distance will vary from surface to surface as various factors influence the distance, such as reflection, texturing, material and optimizations of the surface (some of our mouse pads are optimized for optical, some for laser).

We have made a breakdown of lift distances on various surfaces - as the Ikari Optical is using the same technology as a number of other gaming mice in the market, some of these numbers might look familiar.

SteelSeries Ikari Optical (official lift distance: 3.5 mm)
SteelSeries Experience I-2, black: 1.2 mm
SteelSeries Experience I-2, white: 0.8 mm
SteelSeries 4D (rough side): 3.5 mm
SteelSeries 4D (shiny side): 3.5 mm
SteelSeries S&S: 5 mm
SteelSeries SP: 5.5 mm
SteelSeries SX: 3 mm
SteelSeries 5L: 3.5 mm
SteelSeries QcK-series: 3.5 mm

SteelSeries Ikari Laser (official lift distance: 1.8 mm)
SteelSeries Experience I-2, black: 1.1 mm
SteelSeries Experience I-2, white: 1.2 mm
SteelSeries 4D (rough side): 1 mm
SteelSeries 4D (shiny side) (not recommended for tracking with laser)
SteelSeries S&S: 1 mm
SteelSeries SP: 1.1 mm
SteelSeries SX: 1.3 mm
SteelSeries 5L: 1.8 mm
SteelSeries QcK-series: 1.8 mm

As you can see above, the differences between the optical and laser technologies we utilize are huge.

At the moment we are not planning a firmware update to Ikari Optical but if you would like to lower the lift distance by physically adding more distance from the sensor to the surface, we recommend to use no more than 0,5mm extra spacing to maintain consistent tracking at high speeds. This could simply be done by adding an extra pair of glides. For the rest of the year these are available at an introduction price from our webshop: SteelSeries Glide Ikari.

If you are looking for the lowest lift distance, we recommend the Ikari Laser. While previous laser mice (in our opinion) have had some performance issues for FPS-gamers, the Ikari Laser is a different animal as it sports 40.000 samples per second and CPI increments of 1. This is not really meant to be a sales pitch – talk to gamers who have bought the mouse, read the reviews, then make your own decision.

/Tino

Almost every day since we set the SteelSeries Ikari mice and the SteelSeries Neckband up for pre-order, a lot of people have been asking when they could expect the product to be on their desk.

Last Friday, after having received a load of products at our warehouse, we could begin sending out products to everyone who had pre-ordered in our shop. So guys; stop asking and start looking for the postman if you haven’t already received your package.

In the not-so-distant future we will put up a bunch of Ikari Laser profiles on SteelSeries.com, which you can download and upload to your mouse if you want to feel exactly how the mouse of a top notch gamer feels like. By the way, if you want to learn more about the Ikari mice you should really go check out the product pages - just follow the links below.

SteelSeries Ikari Laser
SteelSeries Ikari Optical
SteelSeries Siberia Neckband

/Crash_

This weekend SteelSeries was represented at the digital entertainment fair D3 Expo in the center of Copenhagen. It was a great experience like last year, and we had loads of people coming through to check out all the new products.

People tried to guess how many products we had stuffed into the huge SteelSeries Hummer H2.

All of our headsets lined up and someone trying to beat zone from Gravitas Gaming in the background.

You’re never too young to become a professional gamer.

The SteelSeries Siberia Neckband was hooked up with a bunch of Xbox’ - people loved them as soon as they figured out they had to go behind the head and not on top of it…

/Crash_

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move – Douglas Adams.

No, that quote doesn’t have anything to do with the following, but I heard somewhere that starting with a quote makes you seem smarter than you really are. Besides who doesn’t like Douglas Adams?

It has been a while since we updated this blogosphere with new reviews, and while this is hardly a satisfying excuse, there actually IS a reason. You see, we will be launching a couple of new products soon, products which might just end up being the most exciting products we have ever launched, in my humble opinion. Needless to say this has meant a lot of work for everyone, which leaves us where we are today; nearly ready.

My job will be taking care of reviewers all over the world, and making sure that they get everything they need to make the best reviews possible. That means that a lot of SteelSeries Ikari’s and SteelSeries Siberia Neckbands are going to be send out, and hopefully just as many positive reviews will find their way back to us.

Until then, here is the newest batch of opinions of our products:

SteelSeries Siberia In:Ear Headset
“If you need headphones for your MP3 or a headset for IP-telephony or the most important, a small and transportable headset with a good sound quality for your gaming SteelSeries Siberia In-Ear headset will be the best choice.”

SteelSeries S&S
“After tossing away my generic mouse pad and giving the S&S a whirl, I don’t think I could ever go back to a normal mouse pad. The surface is a hard, textured, plastic that enables you to use minimal but precise movements to excel in the games you normally play. The backside of the S&S is that of a soft, rubbery feel that firmly plants the pad and keeps it stationary on your desk. No more sliding mouse pads!”

SteelSeries SX
“That said, there’s no reason that a mat like the SX couldn’t last forever if you even gave it a little respect and the occasional wipe (you dirty buggers). The massive black slab is perfectly styled for those of us who like to have coordinated, all black desktops and I’ve never had a problem with my mouse on it in terms of tracking or response – everything has been perfect.”

SteelSeries S&S
“Although I started this review by saying that there is no perfect mousepad for everyone, the S&S is about as close to perfect as a hard pad can be. It is large, offers very little resistance due to the coarse texture, and grips the desk very well. It is thin, easy to clean of even comes with a carrying bag to protect it the next time you take it to a LAN. I haven’t seen another pad that has all these features and is this nice to use.”

\Thomas

Last Friday the Ikari mice were set for pre-order on the SteelSeries Online Shop and since then we have received a lot of questions regarding how the mice are in comparison with other mice out there.

Here are a few pictures with the Ikari Optical and a bunch of other well-known mice. Pictures only say so much but it’s better than nothing.

*Updated with a picture comparing the height of Ikari with the above mice - here you go Gill! :-)
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