Review — Zalman FG1000 “FPS Gun”
If you’ve never actually handled a firearm before, then you might wonder what it would actually feel like to handle a Desert Eagle or M1911 as featured in popular FPS titles like Counter-Strike and Call of Duty 4. In an effort to bring Jack Thompson and the anti-gaming lobby to an even greater level of frothing madness, Zalman has given us… the FG1000 FPS Gun.
According to the Zalman website, “Zalman Tech strives for a joyous and comfortable future with its innovative technologies.” A major part of this joyous and comfortable initiative is the FG1000 “FPS Gun”.
Supposedly, this peripheral provides an optimized FPS experience because it is… well… shaped like a gun. Well, kind of.
I took this innovative “mouse” for a test drive with some of my favorite PC titles and was completely surprised at what I discovered.
Unboxing the FPS Gun was pretty unremarkable. The mouse, the Quick Install guide, and the installation CD were all that I needed to worry about, here. But this was also the first source of frustration.
I was about to put the installation CD into my drive when I noticed that it said “Windows XP, WIndows Vista (32bit)” right there on the label. Ugh. Yeah, so I figured “alright, I’ll go out to Zalman’s website and download the 64-bit version of the software.” Except there is no 64-bit version of the software, for XP or Vista. Which is really too bad, because a product like this is really only gonna be picked up by hardcore PC gamers. These are precisely the kind of gamers that will install a 64-bit OS.
Nevertheless, plugging the FPS Gun into my 64-bit Vista system didn’t cause a lot of pain. It pretty much worked immediately and I really didn’t have to adjust anything. I just wish I could evaluate the performance qualities of the FPS Gun software on my 64-bit OS.
Despite that, I’ve been using the FPS Gun for all sorts of tasks and games. Getting used to the unique ergonomic qualities of the FPS Gun has taken some time. To help me with the process, I’ve decided to use the device for all of my PC tasks including web surfing, web programming, etc.
After playing several hours of TF2, UT3, and Crysis, I must say that it’s rather difficult to judge whether my aim has improved. That being said, I do feel that the FPS Gun has helped, if only slightly. I find myself jerking and flailing about much less than I normally do. The secret is how the FG1000 actually works. The pointing apparatus is actually a couple inches in front of where your hand is, instead of directly below your hand. This allows a much wider range of motion.
I also used the FPS Gun with World of Warcraft and while the “FPS Optimization” did little to improve my grinding abilities, the controller remained comfortable and the extra buttons did help my overall WoW experience.
A nice feature of the FPS Gun is the ability to change the sensitivity of the mouse on the fly. The mouse wheel lights up with purple, blue, and red, indicating settings of low to high sensitivity. I also found the overall response to be accurate and precise.
The software (even though it doesn’t come in a 64-bit flavor) does allow an amazing amount of customization. You can adjust the DPI for each setting, as well as configure the polling rate.
The buttons themselves feel responsive without being too mushy or too stiff. The teflon pads on the bottom of the device also allow smooth motion over your desk. The FG1000 is sturdily built and doesn’t feel cheap.
Overall, I find that the FPS Gun stands up well against other “professional” gaming mice. And since you can pick one up on newegg.com for about $70, it comes in much cheaper than some of the higher end Logitech and Microsoft gaming mice.
If you’re looking to drop a big chunk of money on a gaming mouse, then I’d suggest you at least consider the FPS Gun. I thought for sure this thing must be nothing but a gimmick, but it actually works. And unlike the latest Razer Boomslang, this device actually has a very real advantage besides just better pointing precision.
I’m not going to give an “Aeropausonaut” score to this, but if you buy this device, I don’t think you will be at all disappointed. It’s a great pointing device.
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Having the position reader ahead of your hand sounds like it might be a key reasy it works as well as it does. Interesting.
And as far as 64bit software goes I wouldn’t bet on consistent support until Microsoft makes the 64bit versions cheap enough that every PC maker will default to them. Why should driver makers spend money developing 64bit drivers and software when 95% of the PC gaming public won’t have it installed? Plus as you saw Microsoft bundled basic support in anyway.
You’re absolutely right. The most recent Steam survey results only had about 2% of users with 64-bit Vista. But I do think those 2% of users are going to basically be hardcore gamers, the perfect market for a device like this.
It looks like some kind of Star Trek taser…not that I watch it.
I’d buy that, but it reminds me of a stapler for some reason.
i am currently building a new gaming computer witch should run about 2.5 to 3 thousand dollars, and have been looking into this mouse. in your opinion is this mouse an all around good pick for any game and internet activity, or is it more for special purpose. and one more question is if i dont want to mess with liquid cooling then what cooling system do i want for a great silent efficient system?
i am currently building a new gaming computer witch should run about 2.5 to 3 thousand dollars, and have been looking into this mouse. in your opinion is this mouse an all around good pick for any game and internet activity, or is it more for special purpose. and one more question is if i dont want to mess with liquid cooling then what cooling system do i want for a great silent efficient system?….this is gunna be a big big computer
And excellent question, Matt!
I’ve been using my FG1000 for all my computing on my desktop. So, I use it for surfing, web development, as well as gaming.
On the cooling, I would have to defer to Joe Haygood on that question. I think he knows a lot more about that than I.
I have had this mouse for a few months and while it took about a week or 2 to get comfortably used to this one, it has been quite a good mouse. It keeps your hands and wrist in a more natural position and I have not had any issues with fatigue or strain. I’m using vista ultimate x64 but it has not given me any problems other than most features on the software not working (forward and back buttons can’t be reprogrammed) but I do believe the DPI custom settings work even though it is 32bit compatible software, but I have not tested this fully.
Agreed, Terence.
FYI, the DPI settings DO work just fine, by hitting the button on the device, itself.