The ‘90s are making a comeback. Microsoft today announced that it’s remade the IntelliMouse, which debuted in 1996, as a Pro IntelliMouse that’s meant to appeal to the gaming market.
This new focus is immediately made clear by the Pro IntelliMouse’s design. It doesn’t mar its predecessor’s legacy with a red-and-black color scheme or the sharp angles with which manufacturers insist on adorning many gaming products. Instead, the mouse’s textured, gradient-dominated look is simply reminiscent of Microsoft’s recent Xbox hardware.
The Pro IntelliMouse’s hardware was also updated, of course, to improve upon the Classic IntelliMouse released in 2017. It now features a PixArt PAW3389PRO-MS sensor, a braided cable, and keys that are supposed to be more reliable than before. Because it’s 2019, the iconic tail light can also be customized “to match your mood, your surroundings, or your custom setup.”
The rest of the Pro IntelliMouse is pretty tame: it features the same ergonomic design as its predecessors, offers just five buttons (including the scroll wheel button) and relies on a USB connection. Microsoft obviously wasn’t targeting the high end of the market with its bajillion buttons, removable weights, and countless other fiddly options for the most serious gamers.
There are people who have used some variation of the IntelliMouse for 23 years. It seems like the Pro IntelliMouse is less about bringing in a bunch of new buyers and more about making loyal customers happy that it’s better for gaming now. These folks know what they like, by golly, and would probably tell someone with another mouse to get off their lawns.
Microsoft said the Pro IntelliMouse will ship in May in the U.S. and Canada; it will start to reach Europe and Asia in July. The mouse is available now for pre-order from the Microsoft Store for $60.
