Shogun Bros Chameleon X1 Review

Shogun Bros are new boys to the Vortez.net labs. We take a look at their innovative Mouse/Gamepad/Presenter combo device to see if it’s up to scratch.

Product on Review: Chameleon X1
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Shogun Bros
Street Price: SRP: £34.99

Is it a mouse? Is it a gamepad? Is it a wireless presenter? No, It’s a Shogun Bros Chameleon X1 Wireless Gamepad Mouse!

Shogun Bros are a new company to the world of PC peripherals, with the Chameleon X1 being their current flagship and only product. Their site is incredibly professional though, with a structure already in place for a number of new products.

The Chameleon X1 uses a unique design, which partners together the functionality of a mouse along with the functionality of a gamepad and wireless presenter. This should help to reduce desktop clutter, unifying 3 devices into one. This should also appeal to gamers that travel a lot – they will no longer have to go without a gamepad when on the move.

Spec:
Mouse Type: Optical Mouse
Connection Type: Wireless
Transmission Band: 2.4GHz
Buttons & Keys: Mouse: 7 Keys, 1 Scroll Wheel
Joypad: 14 Buttons
Interface Type: USB 1.1 Version/ Plug & Forget/ Intelligent ID Link
Rated Operational Voltage: 1.5v
Rated Operational Current: 30mA
System Platform: Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME/XP/Vista/Win7
Weight: 115g (without battery inside).

Looking at the spec there’s nothing too out of the ordinary – apart from the 14 joypad buttons. Everything else is pretty much as you’d expect from a modern wireless mouse, with 2.4GHz wireless the current transmission frequency of choice.

For those of you sitting there still wondering how exactly these 3 products have been mashed together (they didn’t use a blender… honest!), then fear not, the wait is over – head on over to the next page for my initial impressions.

Packaging & Up-close

The Chameleon X1 arrived in attractive, two tone packaging with nice, clean styling. The plastic centre allows the mouse to be visible from the outside of the packaging, which is a neat little touch. Down the side it lists the 3 modes with which the mouse can perform.

Inside the box things are fairly empty, with only the necessary accessories included: A Users Guide, Software Disc, AA Battery and USB Receiver. All the accessories are incredibly petite – the USB receiver in particular is tiny. It’s also nice to see batteries are included with the mouse – big thumbs up to Shogun Bros for that.

Looking from above the mouse looks fairly standard – there’s a left and right click, along with a scroll wheel. Unfortunately, there’s no forward/backward buttons on the side of the mouse for browser use, which is something I really missed. At first I thought there was a second scroll wheel just below the main one, but it’s actually a lock for the left/right mouse click. This means they don’t click when using the mouse as a gamepad, which would no doubt get annoying.

Down the right hand side we find some extra buttons – which are used as the left/right bumpers when in gamepad mode, or scrolling when in presentation mode. They can also be used for DPI adjustment when in normal mouse mode – blimey!

Underneath the mouse is where all the exciting stuff happens. The start/select buttons in the center are used for selecting which mode you wish to use the mouse in. Once you’ve selected a mode the optical sensor switches itself off and the buttons are all reassigned. One of the nicest features is the ability to use the analogue sticks as a mouse when in presentation mode which means you still have a reasonable amount of cursor accuracy.

You can also peel open the rear of the mouse to reveal a compartment for the Battery, USB dongle and a mini-USB port. The manual didn’t actually cover the USB port, so I’m unsure as to its actual use. I thought it may be for using the mouse in a wired mode, but it didn’t seem to have any effect.

Testing

Mouse Mode

As a mouse the Chameleon X1 is very comfortable. It’s a tad on the large side (which suits me as I have large hands), but those with smaller hands might find it a tad uncomfortable. As already stated, the lack of forward/backward browser buttons is a little annoying and something I really missed. Apart from that everything else was great. The left and right buttons have a positive click, and the scroll wheel also has a nice, smooth feel to it. My only other criticism is that the battery cover for the mouse tends to rattle/creak when you initially grab the mouse – but it’s only minor.

Presenter Mode

When I first received the mouse this was the mode I was most skeptical about- I couldn’t really see the need for it. However, the more I’ve used the mode the more I’ve grown to like the features it has to offer and find myself using it more and more. I’ve never been a fan of media remotes and certainly wouldn’t consider spending money on one, but the commands the mouse offers are just perfect. Sitting back and scrolling through songs or using it with the HTPC was an absolute breeze. No drivers were needed and it even worked on my Mac!

Using the analogue stick as a mouse was a little iffy – it takes ages to navigate around and isn’t terribly comfortable to use. Two scrolling buttons are quite a neat feature though, reducing the reliance on the cursor, increasing the usability.

Gamepad Mode

Initial impressions of using the mouse in gamepad mode weren’t great. The way the ergonomics are worked make it very awkward to hold as a gamepad – I certainly can’t see long gaming sessions being all that comfortable.

The buttons and joysticks actually feel quite good though, with a nice amount of travel and feedback. Unfortunately, they don’t map onto games all that well – In a couple of test games forward was backwards and vice versa. This was happening when using the default Xbox controller map in the game, which had a few other buttons out of place, but on the whole it was workable (you can always go in an edit the controls).

Once everything had been setup, I managed to get a reasonable amount of gaming done, but to be honest, the Chameleon X1is a long way from your conventional gamepad. It’s a shame that they didn’t make some sort of compromise with the design, perhaps sacrificing a little comfort when used as a mouse in exchange for making it more usable as a gamepad.

Conclusion

The Chameleon X1 threw up a mixed back of results – on the one hand it’s a comfortable, easy to use wireless mouse but on the other it really leaves a lot to be desired in its secondary gamepad mode. As a wireless presenter it’s a little stronger, being genuinely useful and having some very handy controls, but it’s still not hugely comfortable to use for extended periods of time.

There are other positives though – the mouse felt solid enough, the packaging was clean and well thought out and the wireless worked flawlessly throughout the review. Battery life also seems very good, with the original AA battery still going strong after a few weeks of pretty heavy usage.

Priced at £34.99 the Chameleon X1 sits pretty much in line with other premium gaming mice out there. Is it worth buying over another premium gaming mouse? Not really, no. However, the Chameleon X1 is a lot more than just a gaming mouse, and if Shogun Bros can re-work it (to make it a little more comfortable to use as a gamepad) then it could be a very tasty proposition indeed. If this is exactly what you’ve been looking for in terms of portable gaming, it could be worth a look, just make sure you can try before you buy to make sure you get along with the ergonomics!

Ultimately though, the Chameleon X1 just doesn’t quite accomplish the tasks it was created for, with a lack of gaming comfort being its major downfall. It’s by no means a disaster – it’s still a good product and a comendable first effort. It’s good to see Shogun Bros trying new things, and with a bit of polish they could be on to something here!

Pros:
+ Good Battery Life
+ Driverless setup
+ Comfortable to use as a mouse

Cons:
– Not comfortable for long term use as a gamepad or presenter
– Some of the buttons don’t map correctly (gamepad mode)