Endgame has made a name for themselves in the past two years and they’ve constantly gone back to revise the XM1. The shape has been acknowledged as one of the best modern claw grip shapes but the question remains if the XM1r is worth upgrading to if you already tried some of the past versions of the mouse. I was skeptical at first but after tons of hours of gameplay, I’m confident recommending the XM1r which has become one of my mains.
Measurements (L x W x H)
122 mm x 66mm x 38 mm
Weight
70g
Sensor
PixArt 3370 Optical
Unboxing and Extras
Endgame always brings a great unboxing experience with the mouse carefully packed in foam. A set of extra larger mouse skates come with the mouse. Nothing else really to note but right from the jump the XM1r gives off a feeling of quality.
Design and Build Quality
If you’re familiar with the XM1 at all, the XM1 brings the same great shape. The build quality is all the way there, offering up a shell that doesn’t rattle , creak or flex anywhere. The coating itself is quite grippy and the translucent look matches it a good match for many setups. I appreciate the minimal branding and lack of any sort of loud design flourishes. This cements the idea that this is a mouse made for performance.
The Kailh GM 8.0 switches are well implemented and the clicks feel very tactile, accurate and crisp. That hollow feeling of the clicks on the older XM1 models have been fixed on my copy of the XM1r.
The weight is well balanced and feels just right at 70g. While I do favor lighter mice, this hits that sweet spot of a high quality QC and stability with the speed offered by a lighter mouse. The coating itself feels very good in hand although it does pick up some oil and fingerprints with use. All in all this is the best build quality I’ve felt from an Endgame mouse and I can’t rave about it enough.
Buttons & Scroll Wheel
The Endgame XM1r uses Kailh GM 8.0 switches which are one of the more popular switches in the aftermarket. It’s nice to see them branch out and use such a quality switch instead of the usual Omrons. The implementation of these pre-sorted switches on M1/M2 is excellent making them feel absolutely fantastic here. Whether it was hitting one taps or accurately controlling sprays, the mouse felt consistent and accurate. The switch is well balanced , being light without being easy to accidentally actuate. Spam clicking is also easy to do accurately here.
The scroll wheel is also very well defined. With clear tactile steps that offer tight easy control for everything from scrolling your desktop to hitting bunny hops in game. The only downside is that the placement and smaller size of the wheel may not appeal to all gamers. The side buttons on the XM1 are also to be complimented. There is a tiny bit of pre-travel but they’re very clicky, crispy and well placed. They offer good feedback and a satisfying response in-game.
Shape, Performance and Software
The shape of the XM1 is it’s main asset. The coating on the XM1r makes it feel even better. I love using claw grip with this mouse and it’s what you should be using if you choose this shape. If you have small to medium hands this should work well for you. The shape and quality clicks meant that I aimed very well with it out the box. With more time put in with the XM1 I felt very accurate and in control throughout many in-game situations. From one taps to clicks and spray control, this is a great mouse for my main games: CS:GO and Valorant. I’d put it in my top 5 and in competition for my main when it comes to being one of my top performing mice.
The software for the XM1r isn’t out yet but luckily all the features you need to adjust DPI or polling rate are featured on the bottom of the mouse. The software will eventually release giving users the ability to assign macros and adjust the LOD.
Cable
The cable on the XM1r is excellent and is one of the best stock cables found on a mouse in 2021. That being said, I have to ding it a bit as it’s not as flexible as the one on my original XM1. The stated reason was that Endgame wanted to improve the durability of the cable but considering I didn’t have any problems with the more flexible cable on the older model I’m not quite sure it was a neccesary change. Regardless the mouse feels great paired with a bungee.
Sensor and Skates
Through my many hours of testing, I did not have any issues whatsoever with the PAW3370 sensor. The mouse felt very responsive throughout without any LOD issues, skipping or spinouts. The skates themselves are quite good and there is an extra pair found inside the box. The skates have been changed as now there are two sets of grooves for the original stock skates and the larger ones included in the box.
The PTFE skates aren’t as good as aftermarket skates and are merely above average. While they provide decent speed and smooth glide, there is a bit of scratchiness especially moving on the X axis when pushing down on the mouse. They somehow don’t feel as good as the stock skates found on the original XM1 in my opinion and if you look carefully the rounding on the skates could be improved. That all being said, these are still very usable for stock skates.
Pros
Excellent design and coating for claw grip
Some of the best feeling stock clicks out of the box
Excellent build quality throughout
Cons
Skates could be better rounded
Cable is not as flexible as the original
Rating
9/10
Bottom Line
For claw grippers the XM1r is near perfect and offers just enough improvements for owners of the XM1 to upgrade.
Where to buy the Endgame XM1r
USA
Canada
Newegg
Amazon
Europe
Amazon UK