In testing we paired the MS-3 with two different mousing surfaces: Func's own Surface 1030XL, and a more traditional fabric mat with rubber backing. Although the latter are far more common, the former should also allow us to assess if the large base surface area of the MS-3 makes a difference to drag. Our review of the Surface 1030XL can be found here, but to bring you up to speed we'll mention that it's essentially a dual-sided mat with frame which provides either a smooth surface for Teflon feet or harder acrylic surface for ceramic feet.
General Performance
The four Teflon feet of the MS-3 allow very smooth mousing over the Surface 1030XL's smooth effect surface, and manufacturing precision results in a mouse which doesn't wobble when on a flat, hard surface. As suspected, and no doubt augmented a little by the ample 127g weight, the larger than normal surface area presented to the mat does result in slightly more drag than usual when paired with a fabric mat, though not as much as we had feared. In this respect gaming which tends to promote small hand gestures will we well suited to the MS-3, whereas FPS-type games will tend to want a suitably slippery mousing surface which is rigidly backed, such as the aluminium offerings currently on the market.
With respect to the overall housing, the MS-3's rubberised matte black finish is grippy and tends to whisk sweat away from the palm quickly. However it will attract dirt both on the surface and the grooves, necessitating frequent and liberal cleaning to keep it spick-and-span. At a portly 127g - more than some mice with customisable weights - and with quite large housing it naturally feels like a mouse designed for hands on the large side of the Bell curve. Ergonomic finger rests on the right cradle the pinkie and ring fingers, but their slightly indented shape makes it uncomfortable in long gaming sessions if fingers are wide.
Button presses are something of a mixed bag on the MS-3. The main four are excellent, especially the shoulder buttons which actuate almost immediately from only a little pressure and don't have much movement distance following that. The feel of the InstantAim button is a little different - actuating immediately but able to be pushed right back into the housing rather than having a back-stop. The final thumb button (fourth for those counting at home) is quite stiff, and in order to keep control over your mouse pointer can only really be pressed when the mouse is stationary. None of these factors impinge on the MS-3 as a mouse for the office environment however, with the 15 macro's and range of bindable keys having the potential to markedly improve productivity.
Users who make extensive use of spreadsheets - or significantly more user-defined macros - will see the difference these buttons can make when bound to applicable macros. For an office environment, or streaming with a sensitive microphone the MS-3 will be fine choice.
Gaming Performance
The MS-3 begins to shine in gaming; its ergonomic shape and button layout is logical and consistent with market norms as they pertain to the standard button set, far reducing the learning curve after picking up the mouse for the first time. Of course left-handed gamers who are unable to use such a right-hand biased mouse will feel a little put out - the MS-3 isn't the sort of mouse you can cludge to work with your left hand.
The shoulder buttons feel proud and clearly differentiated, aiding precision a little compared to some others on the market right now. As is often the case DPI switch buttons are a little difficult to reach with claw and palm grips, but those aside button positions are within reach to most users. Learning to make use of the button just off the left mouse button does take a little while, and changing profile on the fly is a little clunky because of that, but being able to rebind to any other function is exceptional.
Once again the Japanese Omron switches are a surprising highlight; each button press is precise and satisfying, with no rocking of the button in the housing except the shoulder buttons in a amount so minuscule amount it barely bears mentioning.
Current DPI is represented by the three LEDs on the side, enabling at-a-glance assessment of current DPI, with similar results for Profiles presupposing you know which lighting scheme corresponds to which. That is often overlooked by manufacturers, and so we shouldn't overlook it here.
FPS Gaming - Team Fortress 2
FPS gamers will probably see the MS-3 as slightly less suitable by virtue of having greater drag on fabric mousepads than much of the competition, though the instant aim functionality more than makes up for this. Alternatively if you choose a hard surface mat - aluminium, smooth plastic, plastic treated fabric etc - movement over the mousing surface will be much smoother at the expense of cushioning for the hand (depending on your grip). Whichever solution you choose the mouse will tend to be very good, but perhaps not allow you to zip over a surface quick as freely as more smaller and more lightweight mice.
Setting up hotkeys for FPS functions is a trivial matter, allowing alt-fire and similar actions to be bound to one of the four thumb buttons or additional middle-finger button. The stiffness in the wheel can make cycling through weapons more of a chore than it should be, although may will preach setting up distinct hotkeys for each weapon anyway. By the same token the wheel is fairly precise - you shouldn't have difficulty selecting the right item in a weapon list, even if the stiffness makes getting there a chore.
Only three gaming profiles may be an issue for some with very wide taste in games. Furthermore, from a hardware standpoint at no point did we feel that 'only' 5670DPI wasn't enough: the sensor performed very well with no skipping or other problematic movement dynamics. A singular word of caution would be over reliance on the thumb button over the thumb rest - it tends to require too much force to actuate in the middle of a firefight, reducing accuracy.
RPG/RTS Gaming - Torchlight 2 & Starcraft 2
MMO/RPG gamers should feel particularly at home with the MS-3. It's a standard 5-button design for the most part, but includes two additional buttons which can be bound to a plethora of keyboard commands. With only 15 macros to able to be created and recognised by the mouse with the current version of the software you may need to be a little more streamlined in your choice of macros than would be on certain competitor mice.
Adding three more buttons to your fingertips over a standard gaming mouse, even buttons which could be a little unwieldy upon first use, should be of great value to RPG gamers who thrive on this expanded functionality. The individual idiosyncrasies of the buttons are swiftly swept aside by the glory of options, allowing you to have access to much more of your available toolset than would otherwise be the case. Once again OMRON switches will come into their own as in-service lifetime increases in the notoriously click-heavy hack'n'slash genre.
For RTS gamers precision will be valued above almost any other feature, and we certainly found the MS-3 to be a precise tool. The only slight niggle may be the size and weight, and should necessitate trying the mouse for a couple of weeks before committing to it entirely.
All in all the MS-3 is a very good all-rounder for gaming and productivity in general.
