Available now, the new NP93 Alpha Gaming Mouse and the B5 RGB Hard Mouse Pad are two of the newest items in hardware manufacturer Lexip’s lineup. As part of the 2021 range of options coming out of this young gaming brand both of these peripherals come in at under $50 and hopefully make a compelling case for some space on your desktop. The PU94 made a splash when it launched back in March of 2020, with not only a thumb joystick on the mouse, but also tilt controls built into the bottom of the device. This made it a fantastic choice for anybody looking to take on the far reaches of the galaxy in Elite Dangerous or other flight/space titles. The follow up in their line of mice is the NP93, aimed at those looking to get that thumb joystick without the base tilt typically used for flight type titles. This is a very smooth combo for anybody who considers themself a more wrist dependent mouse user, or simply want a smoother A to B across the desktop coupled with a great alternative for binds than typical MMO-inspired mice like the Logitech G600. With the ability to remap the thumbstick in a variety of ways, this mouse can be used for just about any title.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Optical Sensor: ADNS-3050, 250 to 12,000 DPI (Interpolated), 1:1 Up to 2,000 DP
Maximum Speed: 60 IPS
Maximum Acceleration: 20 G
Analog Thumb Joystick On The Side
USB Polling Rate: 1,000 Hz
On-The-Fly Adjustable DPI Settings
Customizable RGB Lighting
12 Programmable Macros
Personalized Mass And Balance With 2 Different Weights
Button Switches: Omron
Braided USB Cable
6 High-Performance Ceramic Pads
Includes 5 Weight Containers And Leaflet
The NP93 is a new clean take on the Lexip aesthetic, established first by the aforementioned PU94. Out the box, the NP93 keeps the same basic shape that we’ve seen before but takes things to a more refined place. This new addition does away with any obvious Lexip branding and tapers in the hard edges of the PU94 in favor of a more consistent feel. The RGB is equally subdued with an illuminated Lexip logo and a light strip set around the base of this device. This is all pulled together with a matte looking rubberized finish that is soft to the touch but doesn’t always deal well with sweat when you get into games.
Even with 16 million colors available to set your gaming session to, one of the few standout areas of this nearly uniform look is the side on thumb stick. As a result, this mouse looks and feels much more focused on general gaming use, having all the same thumb-stick functions as its predecessor, giving me plenty of options when getting to grips with Valorant, Outriders Beta, DoTA, and even Monster Hunter World.
APPLICATION & FEEL:
LEXIP has full feature software support for their products. You can easily download the custom control software from Lexip’s own support site and start customizing the functions of all the buttons and thumb-stick. I mainly utilized the basic remapping functions, which seem entirely intuitive, but there were still more options to set modifier keys and even input macros. If you visit their site they even have pre-mapped layouts already customized to download for quite a few titles. I tried the layout for DoTA, which took some getting used to and tried out some binds with the thumbstick for Valorant abilities. This might not be the sort of situation you’d imagine a thumbstick to come in handy but it was surprisingly useful along with the 2 thumb buttons for abilities bound typically to Q, E, and R in this shooter.
With LEXIP ceramic feet, the mouse glides effortlessly across the B5 Mouse Pad which is noticeable if you have a stiff wrist. The ceramic feet even work well with cloth pads and don’t ruffle like most stick on flat glide feet from other competitors. I was genuinely surprised just how well they felt, being that I’ve never used rounded gliders. The NP93 also includes two adjustable weight configurations that add either 18g 3.6g to the base weight of this mouse. When coupled with the friction free linear movement of the NP93 and the aforementioned ceramic feet, these weights can be somewhat interchangeable. However, that won’t be the case for everyone and while the different weight categories provide a little more or less resistance, more options is always better than none at all. When handling, the NP93 requires more of a claw grip than palm grip, due to how you need to place your thumb to utilize the joystick. For an average hand size it’s comfortable, but if you have a smaller or larger than normal hand, it could take some adjustment in your grip to feel comfortable. For very large hands, I would have to say the mouse is a no-go, because of how far back the thumbstick sits.
B5 RGB HARD MOUSE PAD
SPECIFICATIONS:
Product Length: 9.8 inches
Product Width: 13.8 inches
Product Weight: 49 ounces
Customizable RGB
Hard Plastic Surface
There are tons of mousepads to pick from and most people don’t understand the pros or cons of each type. Ron Rambo Kim does a great explanation of the differences. The short and skinny is that if you’re planning to use a Hard Pad, especially with Glide Pads/Feet on a mouse, it is meant to be used more with your wrist than arm or elbow, like with cloth pads. Hard pads have clear advantages in terms of durability, cleaning, and allow for quick micro corrections in your aim. The RGB is subtle with the ability to change it, allowing for a great lightning experience. The construction is solid, with plenty of space for general mouse movement. I do, however, really wish they offered an XXL variant.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I believe that this is an excellent choice for those looking for a clean and sleek mouse/hard pad RGB setup with the great functionality of the thumb-stick compared to other button based mice. Throughout the two weeks, the construction felt solid, no creeks, no noticeable wear even after 30 or more hours of use. Compared to other type mouse providers, the quality is on par and even better than mice or pads above the $50 USD mark. I plan to play with this mouse and pad more, to see if maybe I want to make the switch from cloth. My only real gripe other than wanting a XXL variant of the B5, would be that the texture on the mouse is fingerprint prone, so investing in a nice soft cloth to wipe down the pad and mouse would be highly recommended, maybe something LEXIP could offer in the future. Overall it was a great experience both on my standard cloth pad and the B5 hard pad. The construction is solid and the thumb-stick is enjoyable to use, an easy sell for an average retail price of $49.99 USD. Check out the Lexip website for more details on these new Lexip peripherals now.
