The Endgame Gear XM2we is marketed as a low-budget wireless gaming mouse. It's a no-frills pointer for the humble gamer who just wants to show off a super-wow no-scope 360° without the flashing RGB disco lights intruding on peripheral vision.

An odd product to review. It's on the lower end of the price range for a wireless mouse, but at $80, it's closer to mid-range and $40 more than our favorite budget gaming mouse, the wired Logitech G203 Lightsync (open in new tab). Of course, it is much cheaper than the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro (opens in new tab), for example, but this is not offered as a budget option.

However, despite the odd price point, there is something to really like about the humble XM2we. For those who aren't looking for anything fancy, it's a solid mouse that does a great job at a low price. It doesn't do anything particularly exciting, but it probably doesn't need to.

The XM2we almost completely eschews the gamer look: no RGB, no crazy jagged shapes, not even the company logo at the top. It's as if Endgame read "How to Get the Gamer Aesthetic" upside down. Without the USB-C port on the front, its everyday appearance would slip completely under the radar.

Although Endgame does not explicitly say so, the XM2we feels more comfortable in the palm grip than in the fingertip pose because the scroll wheel is small and placed well forward on the body. This is because the scroll wheel is smaller and placed much further forward on the body. If one prefers a fingertip grip and turns the fingers further back, the body may be stretched for the scroll wheel.

At the top are five buttons: left and right, a clickable scroll wheel, and two thumb buttons on the left side. At the bottom are buttons to switch between the four CPI presets. It would be better if these were on the top so they could be adjusted on the fly, but we can get by without them.

Endgame installed a Kailh optical switch below the five buttons on the top. They are a little stiff at first, but have a solid, satisfying click. Compared to my current mouse (a wired Razer Basilisk), the buttons on the Endgame seem almost assertive. When you click with this mouse, you are really clicking. Click.

But," every time you click on an enemy's head, every time a flash of blood and bone explodes (or in my case, hopelessly misses), you get this kind of loud tactile feedback, which is something to be glad about. It's solid, reliable, and there's little chance of accidentally double-clicking. That's what I'm here for.

Speaking of gross explosions, let's talk about XM2we's gaming performance, which is a mixed bag of excellent and unsatisfactory, with the XM2we's gaming performance being a little less than stellar and a little less than stellar.

The mouse weighs in at 63 grams and has large skates on the underside that glide seamlessly over mouse pads and desks; whether you're feverishly jumping around the screen in an RTS micromanagement frenzy or contracting a team of egotistical divas in Football Manager Whether you're racking your brains for a renewal, you'll love using this mouse (well, maybe not the contract a bit).

At the same time, however, the smoothness extends in an unwanted direction: the XM2we's surface has no grip, and it's noticeable. While it didn't jump out of my hand, especially in the middle of a heated battle, it didn't feel as firm a grip as I would have liked, especially when compared to the dimpled Razer Basilisk. But I didn't find that to be the case. Also, the lack of an ergonomic thumb-encircling ridge exacerbates the loose grip.

There is a companion app that records mouse macros, creates profiles, and checks battery level, but it is a bit less sophisticated. For example, when you first open this app, it asks if you want to load it every time you start Windows. Once you select it, you'll never find that option again. You will never find that option again. Thankfully, routine tasks like creating macros or adjusting CPI are easy.

Less of an issue is the mouse battery life. My review unit started at 70% and lasted just under 33 hours in 5 days before running out. Based on my numbers, I would estimate that if used from 100%, it would last about 48 hours. This is not as long as the 250 hours of the Logitech G305 Lightspeed (opens in new tab), which currently costs $32, but Endgame says it will last a week.

Just be aware that the mouse's software is rarely reliable. One day, when I turned on the mouse, it told me that XM2we had 25% remaining, but at the end of the previous night it seemed to have only 10%. Even when the mouse died, the app claimed it still had 5% battery left.

Endgame aims for a low-budget look, which means no fancy extras. But consider the Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed wireless mouse. It has a more ergonomic shape, a grippier surface, and great bonuses like configurable trigger buttons, and it's $10 cheaper than the XM2we (opens in a new tab). Sure, it's not as smooth or clicky as the XM2we. But it shows what kind of competition Endgame faces at similar (and often cheaper) prices.

And this is the main problem with Endgame's offering. Taken on its own, it is a solid device with a lot to offer, with a satisfying click feel and excellent build quality. But if it costs $80, it's probably not an automatic choice. If you can stand the extra bells and whistles and the grip-oriented coating, this mouse will shine. However, you may get a better deal elsewhere.