Zowie EC2-CW gaming mouse review – peak esports performance

As a long-suffering fan of Counter-Strike, who has never been able to match their love of the game with any real talent, looking at the gear I use can often be a way of hiding the skill issue. When Zowie offered to send the EC2-CW for testing, alongside the EC1 and EC2, it was quite an enticing offer, given that top-level pros in CS2 are known to use it as their primary clicker.

When looking for the best gaming mouse, wireless or otherwise, assessing the gear that pros use is more of an indicator of quality than most people think. Given that elite players like ZywOo, ropz, and device all use the EC2-CW mouse to pop heads on the server, it’s about as impressive as approvals get. Unfortunately, it didn’t elevate my game to their level, but I’ve certainly found a mouse that is the most comfortable and natural feeling in my palm than any other I’ve tested.

Pros

• Glides seamlessly on any surface
• Ergonomic shape
• Lift adjustment
• Click responsiveness
• Enhanced wireless receiver

Cons

• Heavy for a modern gaming mouse
• Price can be hard to justify despite performance
• Low max polling rate
• DPI switch on the underside of the mouse

Zowie EC2-CW features

Box-listed features aren’t where the Zowie EC2-CW shines. It is the first wireless iteration of the hugely popular EC mouse, named as such for Zowie’s collaboration with Counter-Strike legend Emil ‘HeatoN’ Christensen.

A 1000 Hz polling rate, 3200 max DPI, 70-hour battery, 77g weight, and five buttons all scream ‘average gaming mouse’. I would love to say that despite the average features the performance comes through clutch, but that isn’t really the case and the EC2-CW always left me wanting more.

Across the entire range, the EC1, EC2, and EC3-CW are far easier to appreciate when they’re in your hand, gliding across whatever surface you can muster, and you start taking it to the enemy team.

Zowie EC2-CW design

The ergonomic design of the EC2-CW is a huge win and easily sets it apart from virtually every other esports-centric mouse I’ve used. Granted, the modern trend that puts light and ultralight mice in the spotlight left the EC2-CW feeling chunky in comparison.

Having recently looked at the Corsair M75 Air, a 17g difference is so noticeable, and even the ergonomic fit can’t help with that adjustment period. The scroll wheel is also very loud and doesn’t quite move as freely as I would like.

A DPI button is present but is situated on the bottom of the mouse. This is a personal pet peeve that I can never understand. DPI is something that players like myself will sometimes change on the fly, so why place the button in an unreachable position? I would rather have no button than one I can’t use, the EC2-CW isn’t the only mouse to fall into this trap, but it’s an issue I can personally never overlook.

An extra set of pads is included and can be used when the factory-fitted pads wear too thin, but I found no fault with these pads across multiple surfaces that would suggest they wear quickly, but it’s a clever consideration from Zowie to include these pads, just in case.

Zowie EC2-CW performance

I wish that I could wax lyrical about the performance of the Zowie EC2-CW but the truth is that it’s solid, and that’s by no means a bad thing, but ultimately the value takes a big hit when you can’t back it up with at least one major game-changing feature. The click latency and sensor responsiveness are also a class above most general gaming mice, but this is another aspect of the EC2-CW that narrows down its appeal to competitive play, as it’s a lost feature for many other aspects of gaming.

For comparison, when I reviewed the Corsair M75 Air, it completely took me by surprise and practically converted me to ultra-light mice from now on. The EC2-CW has no such effect and, when moving between different gaming mice, it really failed to stand out in any way apart from it’s insane comfort. Even its battery life falls into the typical category, with around 75 hours per charge.

The EC2-CW fails to offer anything I’ve never seen before in other esports-focused mice, which is such a shame given the pedigree it holds among CS2 pros. I will praise the enhanced wireless receiver, which secures the connection of the EC2-CW to ensure there’s no interference to create any lag issues. It is driverless in nature, however, which results in no bloat software required to change the settings, they’re all hardwired into the mouse, and as frustrating as this is for DPI, it was a relief not to have to download yet another launcher.

On top of this, the adjustable lift-off distance is incredibly useful if you play on low sensitivity and often need to lift your mouse to reposition, you can ensure that the detection distance is tailored to you and that’s an often overlooked aspect of gaming mice.

Should you buy the Zowie EC2-CW?

I’ve never been so conflicted over the recommendation of a gaming mouse. In this case, I would not recommend the Zowie EC2-CW as there are better options on the market for half the price, and that’s just too hard to ignore. However, if you are dedicating your use to competitive esports games, its super responsive sensors, and long-use comfort should be a strongly considered factor.

The high price point may be a step too far for many people, and due to this, I would instead recommend the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed for general gaming as it’s almost half the price and comes packed with a few extra features when compared to the EC2-CW.

Verdict

The Zowie EC2-CW great esports mouse but it is simply too expensive and feature-thin compared to other general gaming mice on the market.

However, if comfort is a major factor in your decision, the EC2-CW is easily one of the most natural-feeling palm grip mice I’ve ever used.