Wallhack M-001 Review: When Fun Overrides Specs

With a tactile dongle for on-the-fly customization and a metal chassis, the Wallhack M-001 is the most fun I've had reviewing a gaming mouse in a long time. $190 at Wallhack Save this story Save this story Rating: 9 /10 Open rating explainer WIRED Magnesium shell. Hot-swappable, rechargeable batteries.

Functional and innovative dongle. Satisfying tactile experience. Great styling and design language.

TIRED High price point. Slightly outdated sensor. Only 2.4G wireless connectivity with dongle; no Bluetooth or USB-C connectivity on mouse.

They're not typically thought of as a significant source of innovation. Most companies have spent the last few years removing mice in favor of more lightweight designs. That's what's made the return of the replaceable and rechargeable battery surprising—something I once thought to be a lost technology from a bygone era.

A few companies have recently realized that the ability to pop out and replace your battery in seconds is a great way to extend mouse life without needing to increase battery size or efficiency. From the handful of mice I’ve tested with hot-swappable batteries so far, Wallhack does it best.

The mouse is designed around the function’s ease-of-use, and everything else comes together to make a mouse that feels not only competitive for gaming, but also well thought-out and satisfying to use in everyday life. Effective Shape The M-001’s shape is a standard right-handed, symmetrical design.

This means the mouse’s left and right sides are shaped identically, but only the left side has thumb buttons. There are two main buttons, two side buttons, a standard ratcheting scroll wheel, and a power switch on the underside.

Photograph: Henri Robbins Photograph: Henri Robbins With a length of 120 mm, the M-001 is slightly shorter than contemporaries like the Razer Viper V4 Pro (125 mm) and Logitech Pro Superstrike X2 (127 mm). The overall width and height are comparable, at 63.5-mm tall and a 39-mm wide.

The largest difference is the profile of the mouse: The front end sits significantly lower than other mice, and the rear has a more significant hump, which creates a more angled shape overall. When using a palm grip, this puts your hand at a slightly more aggressive forwards angle, with your palm sitting higher and your fingers pointing more downwards.

It’s a slight difference, but I found this angle to be better for quick movements compared to a more “flat” design. Like most shape-related choices, this is ultimately down to individual preference.

(To compare mouse sizes, I typically use a website like eloshapes) The two main buttons are lightly sculpted, with subtle concavity for fingers to comfortably rest in. Similarly, there is a subtle taper at the bottom center of the mouse which makes lifting and moving easier.

The side buttons use a simple, rounded shape placed just above the taper, making it easy to rock your thumb upwards to press them without getting in the way. They’re just elevated enough that the buttons don’t recess into the shell when pressed.

The only shape-related issue I had was the scroll wheel, which is a good bit more elevated than other mice. This isn’t a huge issue, and I adapted to it after a few hours of use, but it’s something I could see being off-putting for users accustomed to a lower-profile scroll wheel.

(Not) Heavy Metal The most important part of this mouse’s construction is the magnesium shell, which provides significantly more rigidity than the plastic shells used on most mice.