Ninjutso emerged late last year with their announcement of the Origin One X. It promised a lightweight, wireless ergo that boasted a modern design without holes with a shape that was a more accessible version of the Microsoft Intellimouse Pro. The Origin One X was designed to be smaller, lighter and faster and this review will explore whether it achieved those lofty goals. This review is based on an early review sample provided by Ninjutso, this won’t impact my review but keep in mind that I have been using a pre-release sample for the past week.
Measurements (L x W x H)
121.4 x 55.5 x 39.9mm
Weight
66g
Design and Build Quality
Since this was a pre-release copy, I did not receive the normal retail packaging with it. My mouse did come with a USB-C paracord style charging cable and a USB wireless receiver.
The Ninjutso Origin X (OOX) was inspired by the Microsoft Intellimouse Pro shape but they’ve made it quite a bit smaller. This takes it from a big palm mouse to one that can be comfortably claw and fingertipped by smaller hands. I’ll be upfront that I have a bias towards ambi mice and I don’t find many ergo shapes I like but I have to say I found the Origin One X really comfortable in-hand. My hand size is 18.5 x 10 and it felt really easy for me to claw this mouse. Being roughly the same length as the GPW , I can also palm this mouse. I don’t like many ergo shapes but this is one of the rare ergo mice that I was instantly comfortably with. The narrow grip width and lower front height make it easy for me to track as well as flick with the mouse. I can tell there was a bit of thought put into the shape and that shows the more time you spend with it.
In terms of build quality, I was pretty impressed by how solid it felt at a weight of just 66g. The coating and feel in general of the mouse instantly reminded me of the GPX Superlight. It has a similarly smooth coating that offers enough grip that grip tape isn’t necessary. There isn’t much texture on the coating at all but it was easy for me to maintain a comfortable grip on the mouse. There was no side flex, creaks or rattle at all on the mouse. There was a bit of bottom flex if I pressed in hard but it isn’t something that ever came up in game. At the bottom of the mouse there’s an on/off switch and a DPI switch button. The one issue that actually impacted gameplay was that there was some scratchiness as the textured DPI button had a tendency to scratch against the pad when I made larger vertical movements on the pad. The coating did have a tendency to pick up some fingerprints with use but it can easily be cleaned and it shouldn’t impact the longevity of the mouse.
Clicks and Scroll Wheel
Ninjutso should be given some credit for equipping the mouse with Kailh GM 8.0 switches. The main clicks offer a nice clean response with a nice satisfying crisp sound. The clicks are relatively light but I didn’t experience any accidental clicks. Click timing with these switches was really easy and I felt really confident in that aspect of my aim with the mouse. There was minimal pre-travel but there was some noticeable post travel on the clicks. There can be a tiny bit of creaking and sideplay when I click lower down on M1 and M2. This was an occasional issue in-game when spraying but one taps always felt very crispy and satisfying. The combination of the arched ergo shape made arm adjustments and controlling sprays quite efficient in game.
The scroll wheel I’d describe as a mix between the one on the Logitech GPX and the Razer Viper. It has nicely defined steps and a relatively low profile and it was generally great to use both in game and on the desktop . It has a medium amount of resistance and the middle click was satisfying with just the right amount of tactility.
The side buttons themselves feel quite good in-game but their placement leaves a little to be desired as I had to move my thumb off its resting position in order to reach them. I’m not super reliant on side buttons in the games I play but that is something to keep in mind. There’s some pre and post travel on the side buttons but they’re still pretty clicky.
Sensor, Cable and Skates
The OOX uses the PAW3335. I didn’t have any issues with the wireless receiver and the tracking and movement felt pretty snappy. I do get the feeling there’s some DPI deviation and it feels a bit faster than usual on 800DPI but its not a drastic difference. The feet are a bit of a letdown. While they are virgin PTFE, they do feel quite thin and were a bit scratchy out of the box.
They’ve gotten better with some breaking in but I think this mouse would benefit from aftermarket skates if I stick with it and main it. There also is an issue with the DPI button scratching against my mousepad on vertical mouse movements. This may have been caused by the DPI button sticking out a bit combined with the thinness of the feet. I spoke with Ninjutso and they said they are aware of the issue, so I’m hoping this will be sorted out by release. In my opinion the skates are one of the few weaknesses that really impacted my enjoyment of the mouse, but its a super easy one to fix.
The USB-C charging cable included with the mouse is paracord style and it’s light enough to use with ease in a bungee. It’s about on par with what you might find on the corded Razer Viper or the Coolermaster MM710.
Battery, Performance and Software
I’m happy to report that the stated battery life of 48 hours is reliable and may be an underestimate of the battery life you can get out of the mouse. I’ve charged it only once after heavy usage and keeping the mouse on 24/7. I think you can easily get a week of battery life with the mouse easily and that’s really encouraging to see as I’ve had issues with battery life with other budget mice of late. Of course in this case you are losing out on any RGB lighting but I’d take longer battery life and lower weight over pretty lights any day.
In terms of in-game performance, I was able to hit some shots I’d usually miss with it already. I felt really accurate in Valorant and CS:GO. The combination of the light weight for fast flicks and the comfortable shape which allowed my claw grip to rest meant that both tap and spray firing felt consistent and reliable. Ultimately that’s what I want in a mouse, is something that is both comfortable and allows for hours of gaming without strain or discomfort. This has jumped to the top of the list when it comes to how well I aim with it at least when it compares to other ergo mice.
At the moment there is no software for the Origin One X and you’ll have to rely on using button shortcuts and the DPI selector to manually change settings. For me this is not an issue at all, although you won’t be able to see your battery
Conclusion
At $79.99 the Ninjutso Origin One X offers fantastic value. The ergo shape will appeal to a wide swath of gamers and it offers a top of the line feature set with great battery life in a shell that doesn’t have holes. There’s not much competition in the light wireless ergo space right now so Ninjutso does fill that niche nicely if that is what you’re looking for. It’s currently available for pre-order on the Ninjutso website with a March ship date.
Pro
Excellent shape that works with multiple grip types
Comfortable coating and lightweight, no holes
Great battery life
M1 and M2 clicks feel great out the box
Cons
Thin PTFE feet could be improved with aftermarket replacements
Side buttons are placed high up on the shell
Bottom Line
Excellent blend of features at a budget price point. If improvements can be made by the time this reaches retail production, the NInjutso Origin One X is one of the best wireless ergo mouse on the market right now.
Rating
8.5/10
Where to buy the Ninjutso Origin One X