The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is a very good and straightforward wired gaming mouse. This solid-feeling mouse has two buttons on the left side, a glossy white finish on most of its body, and a matte black finish on the left- and right-click buttons. It has a very flexible paracord-like cable and very smooth-gliding mouse feet. Its right-handed design is suitable for almost all hand sizes with any grip type, but small hands may struggle to reach the front side button when using a fingertip grip. Performance-wise, its lift-off distance and click latency are very low. There are buttons on the underside to cycle between the four debounce settings, three polling rates, and four default CPI presets. Unfortunately, there's no customization software to easily reprogram the buttons or adjust your settings.
Our Verdict
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is mediocre for office use. It feels well-built and comfortable, with a right-handed design suitable for almost all hand sizes with any grip type. However, people with small hands may struggle to reach the front side button using a fingertip grip. Unfortunately, you can't easily reprogram any of the buttons since there's no customization software, and its scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt inputs and a free-scrolling feature.
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Feels well-built.
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Suitable for most hand sizes.
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Can't be used wirelessly.
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No customization software.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is very good for FPS gaming. It has a low click latency, although some gamers may prefer a lower option. That said, it's fairly light, with a flexible paracord-like cable and very smooth-gliding mouse feet. Also, its sensor is consistent, and the lift-off distance is very low. It has a comfortable right-handed design that's well-suited for most hand sizes using any grip type, though people with small hands may struggle to reach the front side button with a fingertip grip. Unfortunately, it lacks customization software, so you can't easily reprogram any buttons or customize the settings. There are only four preset CPI settings to cycle from using a button on the underside of the mouse.
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Feels well-built.
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Fairly lightweight.
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Low click latency and lift-off distance.
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Suitable for most hand sizes.
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Limited to four preset CPI settings.
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No customization software.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is unremarkable for MMO gaming. It doesn't have nearly as many side buttons as dedicated MMO mice do, and you can't easily reprogram any of the buttons it does have since it lacks customization software. However, you may be able to use third-party software to reprogram buttons, but this isn't something we test. Also, there are only four preset CPI settings to cycle through. On the bright side, it has a low click latency, a low lift-off distance, and a comfortable right-handed design that's suitable for most hand sizes using any grip type.
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Feels well-built.
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Low click latency and lift-off distance.
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Suitable for most hand sizes.
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Limited to four preset CPI settings.
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No customization software.
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Doesn't have as many buttons as MMO mice.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is a great option for fans of ultra-light gaming mice. It's fairly light, its mouse feet glide incredibly smoothly, and its paracord-like cable is very flexible. The lift-off distance is very low, so the sensor shouldn't track your movements when you reposition your mouse, and the click latency is also low, though some gamers may prefer it even lower. Its right-handed design is suitable for almost all hand sizes with any grip type, but people with small hands may struggle to reach the front side button with a fingertip grip.
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Feels well-built.
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Fairly lightweight.
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Low click latency and lift-off distance.
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Suitable for most hand sizes.
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Limited to four preset CPI settings.
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No customization software.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is inadequate for travel since it's a wired-only mouse, making it annoying to use in small spaces like buses, trains, or planes. Also, it's fairly bulky, so it may not easily fit in most laptop cases.
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Feels well-built.
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Suitable for most hand sizes.
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Can't be used wirelessly.
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Bulky; may not fit in most laptop cases.
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No onboard memory.
- 6.2 Office/Multimedia
- 8.3 Video Games (FPS)
- 6.7 Video Games (MMO)
- 8.2 Ultra-Light Gaming
- 5.1 Travel
- Updated Dec 09, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update simplifies our Weight test and expands on our CPI test from Test Bench 1.1, resulting in changes to test results in both sections. For more details, you can see our complete changelog here.
- Updated Nov 17, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update revamps our Click Latency test and results in changes to test results. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Sep 03, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Aug 30, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 18, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 06, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 in Glossy White, but there's also a Matte Black variant. It's similar to the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01S, but the NP-01 is larger and heavier. You can see our unit's label here.
Compared To Other Mice
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is the first mouse released by Vaxee. It shares a similar shape with the Vaxee OUTSET AX, although the ZYGEN is slightly lower profile. Unfortunately, when compared to other mice, this model falls short since it doesn't have a very wide CPI range nor an adjustable CPI. Like the BenQ ZOWIE FK2-B and other mice in its lineup, you can't manually adjust the CPI, and you can only cycle between four preset settings via a button on the underside of the mouse. Also, there's no customization software and no RGB, although some gamers may prefer this.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best cheap gaming mouse, the best gaming mouse, and the best wired mouse.
The Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT is an excellent ultra-light wireless mouse, while the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is a very good wired gaming mouse. The Logitech is significantly lighter, and you can use the Logitech wirelessly with its USB receiver or wired with its cable. It has smoother-gliding mouse feet, a much wider CPI range, an adjustable CPI, and significantly lower latency. On the other hand, the Vaxee has a narrow CPI range, and you can only cycle between four preset CPI settings.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 and the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01S are very similar straightforward gaming mice, but the NP-01S is smaller and lighter. Otherwise, the NP-01 feels better built since you can't actuate its side buttons by applying pressure to its body like you can on the NP-01S, and its sensor is slightly more consistent. Neither mouse has software, so you can't remap any of the buttons, and you can only cycle between four preset CPI settings.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 and Vaxee XE each have their own advantages. The ZYGEN NP-01 feels better built than the XE we tested, and its feet provide a marginally smoother gliding experience. On the other hand, the Xe is noticeably lighter. The biggest difference between the two lies in their shape: the ZYGEN NP-01 has a right-handed ergonomic shape, whereas the XE is symmetrical.
The Endgame Gear XM1r and the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 are comparable wired gaming mice. Neither has customization software available, so you can't program any of the buttons or customize the CPI, and both mice can only cycle between four preset settings. However, the Endgame has a lower click latency, making it a better choice for gaming.
The Vaxee OUTSET AX and the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 share the same right-handed shape, but the OUTSET AX is slightly taller, and it has much lower latency. On the other hand, the ZYGEN accommodates more hand sizes using a claw or fingertip grip, and its paracord-like cable feels more flexible. Neither mouse has customization software, so you can't easily reprogram any of the buttons or adjust the CPI, so you can only cycle through four preset settings. On the bright side, both have a very low lift-off distance.
The Razer Viper Ultimate is an excellent wireless gaming mouse, while the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 is a very good wired gaming mouse. The Razer is a bit lighter, and you can use it wired via its cable or wirelessly via its USB receiver. It has much lower click latency, and it has customization software to reprogram its buttons and adjust the CPI to your liking. Comparatively, the Vaxee has no software, and you can only cycle between four preset CPI settings via a button on the underside of the mouse. However, it feels sturdier than the Razer.
The Razer Viper Mini and the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 are both wired gaming mice, but the Razer performs better overall. It has a lower click latency, a wider and adjustable CPI range, and it's much lighter. Also, it has software to reprogram all of its buttons, unlike the Vaxee, which lacks any software. Comparatively, the Vaxee has a lower lift-off distance and a more consistent sensor. You can cycle between four CPI preset settings only.
The BenQ ZOWIE EC2 and the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 are comparable wired gaming mice, but the Vaxee is better overall. The Vaxee has a lighter weight, a more flexible and better quality cable, smoother-gliding mouse feet, and a lower lift-off distance. Otherwise, neither mouse has customization software to reprogram buttons or adjust the CPI, and you can only cycle between four CPI presets on each.
The GLORIOUS Model D is a better gaming mouse than the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01. The GLORIOUS has a lighter weight, an even more flexible cable, and customization software to program most of its buttons. Also, it has a wider and adjustable CPI range, unlike the Vaxee, which has only four preset CPI settings to cycle through. However, the Vaxee has a lower lift-off distance, and it's better suited for people with small hands using a claw grip than the GLORIOUS is.
Test Results
If you're interested in a gaming mouse that has similar attributes but an ultra-lightweight body with honeycomb cutouts, check out the Dream Machines DM6 Holey S.
For a wired gaming mouse with similar performance but a range of modular pieces to change the look and feel of the mouse, check out the Pwnage Ultra Custom Ergo.
For a very similar mouse that's better suited for small hands using a fingertip grip, check out the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01S.
There are three buttons on the underside of the Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 to cycle between four preset CPI settings, three polling rates, and three debounce time options, which adjust the time before a second mouse click can be registered. The debounce options are 2 ms, 4 ms, and 8 ms.
The Vaxee ZYGEN NP-01 has only four CPI settings, which are 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. These settings are color-coded with an LED light on the underside: red, purple, blue, and green, respectively. The polling rate options are 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz.
