The Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) is a lightweight wireless gaming mouse part of Vaxee's XE lineup. It shares the same symmetrical shape as the full-sized Vaxee XE and Vaxee XE Wireless but is smaller. It uses PixArt's flagship PAW3950 sensor and supports a maximum polling rate of 4000Hz. Like other Vaxee mice, it's driverless, so you can adjust all of its sensor settings using buttons on the mouse instead of having to install companion software.
Our Verdict
The Vaxee XE-S is adequate for work use. It has outstanding build quality and wireless connectivity via a USB receiver. That said, rather than sitting flush with a USB port like most, its receiver only connects using an extender cable, so it's awkward to bring with you on the go. It also lacks bells and whistles like Bluetooth connectivity, multi-device pairing, free-scrolling, and left/right tilt inputs.
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Outstanding build quality.
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No Bluetooth connectivity.
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Scroll wheel lacks free-scrolling and left/right tilt inputs.
The Vaxee XE-S is an outstanding FPS gaming mouse. It has remarkable sensor and click latency performance, delivering a highly responsive gaming experience. It's also driverless, so you don't need to install any companion software to adjust its settings. That said, it's on the smaller side and may be too small for larger hands and certain grip types.
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Outstanding build quality.
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Fantastic click and sensor latency.
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4000Hz maximum polling rate.
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Very light.
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Limited to four CPI presets.
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Small size may be uncomfortable for larger hands.
Although not designed for it, the Vaxee XE-S is decent for MMO gaming. It has outstanding build quality, exceptional raw performance, and a comfortable symmetrical shape. That said, it doesn't have nearly as many side buttons as dedicated MMO gaming mice.
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Outstanding build quality.
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Fantastic click and sensor latency.
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Limited to four CPI presets.
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Fewer side buttons than a dedicated MMO gaming mouse.
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Small size may be uncomfortable for larger hands.
The Vaxee XE-S has fantastic raw performance. It has remarkably good click and sensor latency and reacts extremely accurately and quickly to your inputs. It also has a maximum polling rate of 4000Hz.
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Fantastic click and sensor latency.
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4000Hz maximum polling rate.
- 6.8 Work
- 9.2 Video Games (FPS)
- 7.0 Video Games (MMO)
- 9.5 Raw Performance
- Updated Oct 15, 2024: Review published.
- Updated Oct 08, 2024: Early access published.
- Updated Oct 01, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 19, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Sep 06, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) is available in Black, White, Yellow, Blue, Orange, and Pink. We bought and tested the Pink version. See our unit's label here.
There's also a larger model of the mouse, the Vaxee XE Wireless, which we've also bought and tested. Note that it uses a different sensor.
Compared To Other Mice
The Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) is a lightweight wireless gaming mouse that continues Vaxee's XE lineup. Like other Vaxee mice, it's driverless and doesn't have any companion software. You can change its settings by using button combinations directly on the mouse. This is beneficial if you don't want to install a resource intensive companion software or if you're a competitive player not allowed to use software during tournament play.
It has a familiar shape that's identical to the Vaxee XE but smaller. It's a fairly flat, symmetrical shape that's well-suited for all grip types if you have small- to medium-sized hands. Compared to other Vaxee mice that we've reviewed, it has fantastic build quality. It also has superb raw performance that's on par with flagship gaming mice. Overall, it's a great choice if you're a fan of driverless mice, but options like the LAMZU MAYA, the Pulsar X2V2, and the Ninjutso Sora V2 offer similar performance in a lighter package for less.
For more recommendations, see our picks for the best mouse, the best gaming mouse, and the best lightweight mouse.
The Vaxee XE and the Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) are gaming mice in the same lineup. The XE is a wired mouse that's designed for both gaming and productivity and features a configurable function button behind the scroll wheel. The XE-S is more focused on competitive gaming and features an updated PAW3950 sensor with a 4000Hz maximum polling rate and better overall performance. The two mice have the same shape, but the XE-S is smaller. It's also significantly lighter and has better build quality.
The Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2 and the Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) are lightweight wireless gaming mice with symmetrical shapes, with the Vaxee being smaller. The two have similar performance, but the Logitech has a higher, 8000Hz maximum polling rate. The Vaxee, on the other hand, has better build quality and mouse feet.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01S Wireless (4K) and the Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) are lightweight wireless gaming mice. The XE-S has a symmetrical shape while the NP-01S has a right-handed shape with a supportive hump towards the bottom right side. The two perform similarly, but the XE-S has a newer sensor and marginally lower sensor latency.
The Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) and the Razer Viper V3 Pro have similar symmetrical shapes, but the Razer is significantly larger and suitable for a wider variety of hand sizes and grip types. The Vaxee, on the other hand, is smaller and better suited for smaller hands and claw and fingertip grips. Both deliver superb gaming performance, but the Razer has a higher maximum polling rate of 8000Hz. The Vaxee is driverless, with settings controlled directly on the mouse, whereas the Razer uses the resource-intensive Razer Synapse software.
Test Results
The Vaxee XE-S looks identical to its bigger siblings, the Vaxee XE and the Vaxee XE Wireless. It has a clean aesthetic and a smooth matte plastic finish. We bought and tested the Pink colorway, but it's also available in Black, White, Yellow, Blue, and Orange.
There isn't any RGB lighting, but there are two small LED indicators on the top of the mouse that display battery levels. There's a very small logo on the function button on the top of the mouse, but it's hard to notice.
This mouse has superb build quality overall. It has a very smooth matte finish with a chalky texture. It feels high-quality and pleasant to the touch.
There's no creaking or flexing to speak of when pressing into the mouse, even with intentional force. The left- and right-click buttons have no side-to-side play, and the side buttons feel tactile and satisfying to click. You can't actuate them by pressing on the side underneath the buttons, which is possible on the Vaxee XE and Vaxee XE Wireless.
There is a very quiet rattling sound inside the mouse if you shake it aggressively, but it's not noticeable during normal use.
This mouse is very lightweight and is significantly lighter than the larger Vaxee XE and the Vaxee XE Wireless.
This mouse has the same shape as the Vaxee XE and the Vaxee XE Wireless but is smaller. It has a symmetrical, gently rounded shape with a fairly low-profile, centered hump. It has flat sides that widen towards the rear of the mouse. It's well suited for a palm or claw grip if you have smaller hands or a claw or fingertip grip if you have larger hands.
You can connect to this mouse wirelessly using its included 2.4GHz USB receiver. It has a 400 mAh battery with the following advertised battery life figures:
- Standard mode, 1000Hz: 110 hours
- Competitive mode, 1000Hz: 38 hours
- Competitive mode, 2000Hz: 34 hours
- Competitive mode, 4000Hz: 30 hours
This mouse comes with a flexible and lightweight rubber cable. Despite it being rubber, it has very little drag across surfaces, and it doesn't retain any kinks from its packaging either.
This mouse has excellent feet that glide smoothly across most surfaces. That said, they're somewhat thin and slightly scratchy when gliding across hard mousepads or directly on desks.
You can't reprogram any of the buttons on this mouse without third-party software. The power switch and an additional button on the underside let you adjust the CPI, polling rate, debounce delay, lift-off distance, and more. The function button underneath the scroll wheel displays the battery life and activates the page-down key. You can find more information and a full list of button combinations in the user guide.
This mouse has fantastic click latency, delivering a highly responsive experience suitable for casual or competitive play.
We conducted this test using the maximum wireless polling rate of 4000Hz, with the lowest debounce setting of 2 ms and with competitive mode on.
This mouse has superb CPI performance. It delivers extremely good tracking accuracy that translates the physical movements you make with your mouse closely to your cursor movements on-screen.
The Vaxee XE-S Wireless (4K) has outstanding sensor latency. It reacts to your movements incredibly quickly and consistently.
This test above was conducted at 4000Hz, with Motion Sync off and with competitive mode turned on.
For comparison, we also tested the sensor latency at 2000Hz, 1000Hz, and wired 1000Hz and found the results to be very similar.
The available polling rate options are 500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz, and 4000Hz. The maximum wired polling rate is 1000Hz.
The mouse wheel has a grippy rubber coating with a dotted texture. The steps are well-pronounced and tactile. It's quiet when scrolling normally but is a little noisy when scrolling aggressively. The middle click is tactile and on the heavier side.
This mouse is driverless with no associated software.