QuadraClicks RBT Gaming Mouse Review
They say you can’t reinvent the wheel, but that doesn’t stop car companies from doing something to make you think you need to buy new rims or tires. Computer mice are in a similar position. While I have come a long way from the old trackball style of mice I used to have, today it feels like most new designs are built around gimmicks to sell more units. QuadraClicks RBT gaming mouse can be a product that stands out from the crowd in the market.
So when I say you should definitely take notice of the unit I have in review today, I understand why you might think it’s a gimmick, but I can assure you there is way more going on with the original RBT Rebel than meets the eye.
This review will be pretty straightforward because there isn’t a ton of details to go over until the product officially launches later this year, but we can definitely test the RBT out and see how it compares to traditional gaming mice.
Closer Look at QuadraClicks RBT Gaming Mouse
The RBT doesn’t change the core function of having a sensor at the bottom of the mouse to move the cursor. What it changes is how your hand rests on the device and how you actuate the main right and left mouse clicks. The buttons are raised off the top of the mouse, giving it the “Rabbit” appearance over a typical mouse with a tail.
From the side view, I can really see how the actuation on the clicking works. Rather than having the button mounted towards the back with the front of it being the point for pressure, it’s the front of the clicker that’s mounted solidly to the base, while the back end is the part that you press to actuate the clicks.
In light of how this works with your hand, you end up using the base of your finger, instead of the tip, to click the button. The initial reaction to this would be to think it’s crazy, but I’ll go further into how natural it is when I get to the testing page. This is a pretty basic overview of everything I go over in more detail in my video below. It’s marked at the point where I talk about how I use a traditional mouse, proceeding by how that compares to using the RBT. I think this will help to understand the core, mechanical concepts so that the testing stage makes more sense.
Testing Results
There is no denying that using the base of your fingers for clicking takes some getting used to. Initially, you’ll feel like your brain is thinking through every click as a result. The good news is that it doesn’t take very long to get used to the concept though. I feel like if you had to spend a month on the RBT before you can “really” understand it, then we might be trying too hard to make it work. For me, after about 15 minutes of perpetual use, I’m already starting to feel the clicks more naturally than when I first started.
Spending about an hour or two on the QuadraClicks RBT got me to a point where I was no longer consciously thinking about clicking the buttons anymore. I was using the game Battlerite to test the performance. Battlerite is a great PvP game that doesn’t have long matches so people with tight schedules can still find time to play and rank up, but since every move is a skill shot, there’s a lot of clicking involved. I picked a particularly challenging champion to use, Jumong and played multiple matches.
Towards the end of my couple-hour session, I started really feeling like the RBT was a much more natural extension of my hand than even the best mouse I’d ever used. The final test came with me immediately going back to my previous “favorite” gaming mouse only to discover that it felt like a brick in my hand!
Considering I was currently in a stage of being used to the RBT, that could just be confirmation bias. Writing this review a week later, being stuck with my traditional mice again, I can easily say that the RBT has ruined me for normal mouse use forever. I am perpetually aware of the strain in my hand that was absent from just a couple of hours on the RBT.
Considering I don’t suffer from carpal tunnel or have ever experienced pain related to using mice, I personally see that as an incredible feat, thought I hope to work on more opinions down the road for understanding the physiology behind the ergonomics I’m feeling. Once again, check out the video portion as I go into further detail about my gaming impressions, then we can move on to the conclusion.
During my trip to CES last January, I got a little time to wander the show floors and see what I would randomly run across. I saw the RBT (pronounced “Rabbit”), put my hand on it, and figured it was a gimmick, but the designer saw me and stopped me before I could walk away. He explained what he had and while I wasn’t convinced, I decided to sit down and see if I could understand what he was saying. After trying the design out, it was beginning to dawn on me how this could be a huge benefit for gamers.
The RBT on review is a prototype and while QuadraClicks, the company behind the design, is still in its fundraising stages, they’ve already raised over 100% of their goal to kick off the project.
Conclusion
They say you can’t reinvent the wheel, but maybe it’s because the right person hasn’t come along and tried it yet. The RBT has the potential to revolutionize the way everyone uses a mouse. While many computer users are casual, not looking for performance improvement or pain relief, gamers and professionals should certainly keep an eye out for what QuadraClicks is offering.
I’m confident that if eSports competitors get a hold of these devices, they’d fall in love with them and feel a potential competitive edge.
There’s still a little time so you can pick up these spots while they’re there. Sure, that’s pricey for a mouse, but is it pricey if it benefits your health in a major way? Once again, I don’t suffer from carpal tunnel, but if I did, then this would certainly beat the price of surgery. While I might not see the cost worth it for gaming improvement at first glance, it would be very hard for me not to own this device having had the chance to get used to it and severely miss it while I wait for the manufacturing to complete.
