Model D – The Glorious PC Gaming Race Mouse

I had a chance to get my hands on the Glorious PC Gaming Race Model D mouse. Since that’s a lot of name there, we’ll just go with ‘Model D’ for the remainder of this review. I’ll be pitting the Glorious Model D against my crimefighting partner, the Logitech G502. But first, let’s detail the features of the Glorious Model D.

Engines Started

The Model D is a light and smooth mouse, built for quick flicks and high-speed action. Weighing in at only 68 grams, this mouse makes you feel like you’re not holding on to anything as it glides easily over any surface with its 100% Virgin PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) mouse feet. You can also increase the area of the mouse feet with the extras included. Doing so will fill the gap between both the top and bottom feet. Ergonomically designed to fit in the right hand, the Model D comes with two programmable thumb buttons to provide quick action commands when you need it the most.

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How does the Model D Stack Up – What about the Numbers?

Sensor	Pixar PMW-3360 Sensor
Switch Type (Main)	Omron Mechanical Rated for 20 Million Clicks
Number of Buttons	6
Weight	Matte: 68 grams Glossy: 69 grams
Acceleration	50G
Max DPI	12,000
Polling Rate	1000hz (1ms)
Lift off Distance	~2.0mm
Connector	USB 2.0
Cable Length	2 m/ 6.5 ft
Default DPI Settings	400 (yellow), 800 (blue), 1600 (red), and 3200 (green)
Remappable DPI	Yes (Software required)
LED Color	16.8 million color RGB (8 effects)

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The Model D is ready to go right out of the box. It comes pre-configured with 4 default DPI settings. Although you can cycle through those with a simple button press below the scroll wheel, the cycle indicator is located on the underside of the mouse. During my use of the Model D, I found it a little difficult to know what DPI speed I selected. If I don’t have time to look at my keyboard, I surely wouldn’t have time to look at the bottom of my mouse to verify a setting.

Model D Add-on: Software

If you want to tweak the mouse more to your liking, Glorious has decent software to fill that void. The software allows users to reconfigure up to 6 DPI speeds and assign it to a profile. Another nice feature with the DPI configuration option is X and Y-axis customization. If you prefer a faster X-axis scroll, you can change that in the settings. You also have lighting, lift-off distance, polling rates, and debounce time at your fingertips. Debounce is an advanced user feature that allows you to change click time latency. So, if you wanted to increase the time to register a second click to a double-click due to a twitchy finger, it’s possible to do so.

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More Power!

While I messed around with the software, I discovered a click command called “Fire key.” It’s a command you can assign to one of the Model D buttons and press it to execute an action multiple times. You can also change the interval speed for how fast that action is executed. Thinking with my first-person shooter hat on, I was able to configure a fire key to press the left button up to 255 times and change how fast I fired, for instance, a handgun. It basically turned my gun into an auto-fire.

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The Glorious software for the Model D also includes macros. I don’t use macros often, but in cases of certain games, I’ve worked with some. For example, in the case of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Warzone, I configured a macro to execute up, down, and space bar commands to confirm a selection at the buy stations. I hovered over the selection I wanted to make, then hit the macro and it immediately approved the selection. This makes the mouse a fine alternative if your keyboard does not have the capabilities of doing so.

Model D vs G502 – Battle of the Mouses

I spent about a month switching from my Logitech G502 to the lighter Model D mouse. While using the G502 mouse for the past two years, I had five additional thumb buttons that I was accustomed to using in a lot of the games I played. This was something I had to sacrifice with the Model D since it only had two extra thumb buttons. Of course, if you’ve never had a mouse with that many buttons, you won’t have a problem adjusting to the Model D. Another change I had to deal with was the DPI display. As I mentioned earlier, the only indication of which DPI setting I was on could only be seen by looking underneath the mouse.

Feel the Waves

The Model D lacks curves. Well, it has curves. Just not enough of them to provide the right level of comfort for a user holding a mouse. The matte texture of the Model D did help me grip the mouse better, but it still felt like something was missing. Compared to the G502, which has indentations for your thumb and ring finger, the Model D had only one for the thumb and just a tad for the ring finger but I wanted more. I wanted to feel it already worn down from years of use, as if it had molded itself from the wear of my grip. I felt like I didn’t have full control over the Model D at times. Although I was still able to use it, I’m hoping this can be something Glorious can improve on in future products.

Kinky Cables

One feature that left me in awe was the Model D’s cable and it’s flexibility. The feel of the cable and the way it behaves remind me of shoelaces. It’s light, smooth, and moves like string. It’s the perfect feel for a mouse cable. The G502 is much stiffer and remembers its composure even when you try to adjust it for a new angle or different location on your desk.

Model D’s Biggest Uppercut

There are users who like a heavy mouse. The G502 is one of those options for those users. They even have weights you can add to it. I, however, do not add any. I’ve debated if a heavy or light mouse is the better solution. For me, lighter is better. I just didn’t know that SUPER light was the BEST, until now.

The Model D weighs 68 grams, whereas the G502 weighs 121 grams. When using the Model D, I initially overshot my targets in first-person shooters. I was used to a heavy mouse, but the Model D felt like I could throw it across the room with a quick flick. At first, I thought I was going to dread the next few weeks using the Model D. However, that changed after about a week. My performance in games increased, and I was much faster with my reactions. I could make smaller movements more accurately because I didn’t need a sizable force to move the mouse. It was making movements much easier for me.

Almost There…

After my extended use of the Model D, I have to say I really enjoyed using it even though my G502 had the upper hand in some of the use cases. But in the end, I’m still wanting a little bit more from the Model D before making a solid commitment to using it as my full-time mouse. I loved the light feel, software customization, and cable. However, I’m left going back to my G502 because I have more programmable buttons that eliminate the need to memorize the location of keys with my left hand, primarily the number keys. But — if the G502 and Model D had a baby that inherited all the best features from each, I’d adopt that baby in a heartbeat.