COUGAR 600M Gaming Mouse Review

A good keyboard needs a good mouse to accompany it. COUGAR knows this. The German gaming peripheral company wants to make sure gamers are fully taken care of in how they interact with their gaming PC. We reviewed their 600k gaming keyboard not that long ago, and now we’re go to take a look at its partner COUGAR 600M gaming mouse.

Let’s Dive Right In

Like the 600k keyboard, the 600M mouse sits in COUGAR’s mid-range of peripherals. It doesn’t quite have the same high end extras of the 700M, but its core functionality is still top notch and it has a few spec bumps from the 200M. For full specs you can check out the product home page.

Basically, the 600M has the same structure and backbone as the 700M, but doesn’t have its extreme adjustability. It has the same 8200 dpi sensor as the 700M, with on-the-fly adjustable dpi by way of two buttons.

Just Pressing Buttons

I actually appreciated the position and ease of use of the default dpi adjustment buttons. I’ve used a number of dpi-adjustable mice, and they all seemed to have some clumsy ideas on how to implement dpi adjustment. The COUGAR 600M dpi adjustment was easy to reach and worked reliably. 

The only real puzzle on the COUGAR 600M was the 45 Degree Sniper button, which rests directly under your thumb. When switched into Sniper mode during gameplay, it’s supposed to provide quick access to a more precise aiming mode. I tried to use this in Battlefield 4, Team Fortress 2, and Planetside 2, and didn’t see any appreciable difference from just using the normal mouse functions.

This isn’t really a big deal though, as each and every one of the 8 buttons on the COUGAR 600M can be programmed with any number of different functions. This is done through the COUGAR UIX software.

COUGAR UIX Can Customize All The Settings

All customizations on the COUGAR 600M gaming mouse are controlled through the COUGAR UIX System software. This resident application gives you access to button customizations, DPI and performance adjustments, and lighting controls from one panel. The software itself didn’t come with the mouse; rather you have to go to the COUGAR homepage and download it. Once installed, you can program up to 3 different modes with different customizations for each mode, including a different colour LED band for each mode.

Now if you’re like me, you might not like the idea of having to install a piece of software onto your computer just to run a mouse. Whatever your reasons (mine are just holdovers from a bygone era where RAM and CPU cycles were at a premium), you’ll be happy to know that UIX isn’t completely necessary to run the 600M. Once you’ve programmed it with your desired functions and profiles, the onboard memory stores those settings so they travel with you from computer to computer. The 512KB of onboard memory is enough to store all three profiles.

Performance in the Real (Gaming) World

So with everything tweaked, tuned, and turned on, it was time to do what needed to be done and spin up some games. Over the period I’ve had this mouse for review, I’ve used it in many games and multiple systems. Whether it was a frantic 3D shooter on my LAN-ready gaming rig, or a decade old nostalgia-fest RTS on my HTPC, I was not disappointed with the 600M. I’ll touch on the former situation in a moment, but first let’s talk about that rather odd thing I just mentioned.

I quickly threw together a table to house a small wireless keyboard and this mouse so I could play the original Star Trek: Armada on my big screen. While a wireless mouse would have been preferable, I only had the 600M and USB extension cord available to use at the time. The 600M didn’t hinder this setup though, as its small size and loose grip really helped keep my wrist from being strained in what isn’t exactly an ergonomic setup. I was able to clock a couple good hours on this classic RTS before having to retire.

As for use on my gaming computer, the benefits of the 600M tagged along with its programmed profiles. Having a loose grip didn’t hinder my use of this mouse in any one of the 3D shooter matches I got into, and I wasn’t left searching for the additional function keys when I needed them. A more subtle touch is needed when you get to the higher DPI settings, but that can be mitigated by some adjustments in UIX and just simple practice.

Final Thoughts

In the end, the COUGAR 600M Gaming Mouse betrays its position in the middle of its product line. This mouse is effectively the 700M wearing business attire. It’s a turbo-charged, high-horsepower engine parked in a sensible station wagon body. It’s not boring by any measure, and has all the performance of its bigger sibling. The COUGAR 600M just does it in a smaller more reserved package, with a flashy orange version available if you still want to make a statement.

When it comes down to it, for the $59.99 MSRP, it would be hard to find another mouse as good as the COUGAR 600M for your gaming needs.