Glorious Model O 2 Wireless review: Awesome software, average hardware
Dexerto The Glorious Model O 2 Wireless is an ambidextrous gaming mouse created for offering you the best performance possible. But, does it deliver in a crowded market full of excellent devices?
Gaming brand Glorious was quick to make a name for itself in the gaming peripheral scene, with everything from wireless keyboards to mice and much more. However, the performance peripheral market is looking crowded in 2023. With budget offerings and high-end mice all competing for that same slice of the pie, it takes a lot to stand out from the current crowd.
Glorious’s Model O 2 Wireless is the second interaction of the popular Model O. It retains stylings such as a perforated shell, and a lightweight design to keep everything nice and snappy for esports. But, does it still manage to impress when so many mice are gunning for the exact same market?
Key specs
- Weight: 68g
- Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth, 2.4Ghz
- Grip type: Claw, Palm, ambidextrous (right-handed side buttons)
- Buttons: 5 (Glorious Switches)
- Sensor: Glorious BAMF 2.0
- Maximum DPI: 260,000
- Polling rate: 1000Hz
- Battery life: 110 hours (RGB off)
- Features: PTFE skates, Ergonomic shape, adjustable debounce time, Glorious Core
- Price: $99.99
Included in the box: Glorious Model O 2 Wireless, 2.4GHz receiver, USB-A to USB-C cable, USB-A to USB-C converter
Design
Dexerto The Glorious Model O 2 Wireless echoes a time when gaming mouse companies realized that they could just put loads of holes into a mouse to make it lighter. While this trend seems to have subsided somewhat over the last year or so, Glorious returns with a perforated shell and underside in order to shave the mouse’s weight down to a mere 68g for the wireless model.
The mouse has an ambidextrous grip, which makes it relatively narrower than others on the market, such as the Deathadder V3 Pro and the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2. However, the relatively slim profile also makes it much easier to click each of the side buttons, which respond with nice, immediate feedback.
Once we got used to it over a period of around a week, we eventually got used to its slimmer profile. Each of the mouse clicks is responsive and snappy, thanks to Glorious’ custom switches. It felt easier to spam clicks than with some other mice we had used, and its scroll wheel felt incredibly lightweight but satisfying to use. You also have an adjustable debounce time for the mouse clicks, alongside a relatively standard 1000Hz polling rate. It doesn’t feel like the most modern mouse in the world, and we did wish that there was an option for higher polling.
However, one of the things that we wished was better was the implementation of RGB. While RGB is a nice addition to many mice, the two LED strips on each flank of the mouse feel wholly unnecessary. This is doubly so once you consider that the mouse is “esports” focused and serves no material addition other than to be an unnecessary source of battery drain.
We found that the battery drained after around 20 hours of usage, which is incredibly weak, and by far the biggest flaw with the mouse. Luckily, there are ways to get around that.
Features
Dexerto The Glorious Model O 2 Wireless has some pretty nifty premium features, baked within the Glorious Core software. Here, you can adjust the RGB all the way to off, because honestly, the lights are not worth the sacrifice you are making to its battery.
Other features also include adjustable liftoff distances, in addition to adjustable debounce times on your buttons. You’re also able to switch up the keybinds, and even create macros. We were pretty impressed with how fully featured it was.
One thing to note is that we had to install Glorious Core in order to pair the wireless dongle that came with the mouse, while it’s a frustrating setup experience, we wished that there was a way to have an out-of-the-box experience straight away as you would expect to with many other gaming mice.
Gaming performance
Dexerto We tested the Glorious Model O 2 Wireless while playing Fortnite and CSGO. The mouse’s chunky scrolls helped us switch weapons in clutch moments, and using the mouse at a low DPI with quick flicks allowed for precision aiming, all the while never spinning out of control.
Latency was imperceptible to us, however. As gaming mice get better, just remember to always use the 2.4Ghz mode and you’ll almost never be let down. The only things that we wished were present with this mouse are Nvidia Reflex certification in addition to a higher polling rate in order to cut down on any latency where possible. It’s just a shame that these were not included, and the RGB lighting that curses the battery is.
Should you buy it?
While not a truly ambidextrous mouse, the Glorious Model O 2 Wireless is a good gaming mouse. However, the outdated perforated design has been superseded by companies like Razer, and we wished that there were a few more considerations to make this mouse as good as it could have been.
The verdict – 4/5
With some potential left on the table and a terrible battery life with RGB on, the Glorious Model O 2 Wireless is saved by the strength of its shape and the great performance you get on the mouse. Light clicks, lovely skates, and its slim design will make it an appealing option for many, especially at the $100 mark.
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