BenQ ZOWIE U2 Review (2024)

Tested using Methodology v1.5

• 6.6 Work
• 8.6 Video Games (FPS)
• 6.7 Video Games (MMO)
• 8.9 Raw Performance

The Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2 and the BenQ ZOWIE U2 are lightweight, wireless gaming mice. Both mice have a symmetrical shape, but the Logitech is more accommodating to a wider range of grip types, whereas the BenQ is explicitly designed with a claw grip in mind. The Logitech also has better raw gaming performance and supports a higher maximum polling rate. On the other hand, the BenQ is driverless, which can be preferable for tournament play, where software often isn't permitted. It also includes an Enhanced Receiver, which doubles as a charging dock and is advertised to limit interference in congested wireless spaces like LAN events.

The BenQ ZOWIE EC2-CW and the BenQ ZOWIE U2 are models in BenQ ZOWIE's broader ecosystem of wireless gaming mice. These mice share the same design approach and internal components; the only major difference is their shape. The EC2-CW has a right-handed 'ergo' shape and is best suited for palm or claw grip types. On the other hand, the U2 has more narrow sides and is designed specifically for claw grip.

The Razer Viper V2 Pro and the BenQ ZOWIE U2 are lightweight, wireless gaming mice with symmetrical shapes. The Razer's shape has a lower profile and is best suited for claw or fingertip grip types, while the BenQ has a narrower middle and is designed specifically for claw grip. Overall, the Razer offers better raw performance and supports a higher maximum polling rate with the separate purchase of Razer's Hyperpolling Dongle. Conversely, the BenQ is driverless, which can be preferable for tournament play, where software is often restricted. It also includes an Enhanced Receiver, which doubles as a charging dock, and the manufacturer advertises it to limit interference in congested wireless spaces like LAN events.

The Vaxee XE Wireless and the BenQ ZOWIE U2 are wireless gaming mice aimed at competitive gamers. Both mice have a symmetrical shape. The Vaxee is a bit smaller, and its side flares out toward the bottom. It's best suited for palm or claw grip types, while the BenQ has narrower sides and is designed for claw grip. The BenQ is also somewhat lighter and has better build quality. However, the Vaxee offers better raw gaming performance and supports a higher maximum polling rate with the separate purchase of Vaxee's VXD02 Receiver.

The BenQ ZOWIE U2 has a subdued look with a body made of matte black plastic. There's a small red accent piece on the front left near the bottom (that appears to be for aesthetics only), and ZOWIE logos are printed on the palm rest and underside. The side buttons are made of glossy black plastic, and the scroll wheel is black plastic with a rubberized coating.

There's no RGB lighting, but small LED indicators on the bottom of the mouse indicate your currently selected CPI and polling rate settings. An additional set of three small LED indicators on the top of the mouse between the two main click buttons shows the battery status.

Note: There are small white flecks visible in the textured view of the 3D scan file. These aren't visible on the mouse out of the box but are from an aerosol spray we applied to ensure a visually accurate texture scan.

This spray doesn't affect the dimensional accuracy of the scan and only aims to represent the textured view as faithfully as possible.

LEARN ABOUT SHAPE

This mouse has excellent build quality. The plastic is sturdy, and the slightly textured finish feels pleasant and provides a good grip. There's no unexpected flex or wobbling parts and no rattling if you shake the mouse or creaking sounds when you tightly grip the mouse.

If you press very forcefully directly into the side panel, you can actuate the side buttons. However, this is a fairly common issue encountered on other mice and isn't an issue when using the mouse normally.

Palm Grip Hand Recommendation

Claw Grip Hand Recommendation

Fingertip Grip Hand Recommendation

The BenQ ZOWIE U2 has a symmetrical shape with curved sides that narrow toward the middle and widen to a back end that provides good support for a palm or claw grip type with palm contact.

While BenQ ZOWIE specifies that this mouse is designed specifically with claw grip users in mind, the shape accommodates a wide range of hand sizes and grip types.

LEARN ABOUT HAND SIZE RECOMMENDATION

BenQ ZOWIE advertises a battery life of 70 hours of constant movement. There's a set of battery life LED indicators between the left and right-click buttons.

This mouse includes a standard 2.4 GHz receiver, a receiver extender, and what BenQ ZOWIE calls an Enhanced Wireless Receiver, which also acts as a charging dock. BenQ ZOWIE indicates on the product page for this mouse that the Enhanced Receiver is designed for better signal reception directly in front of the receiver with reduced range behind the receiver, the idea being that this minimizes possible wireless interference from other sources.

For more details about the performance difference between the standard and Enhanced receivers, see the Click Latency and the Sensor Latency section.

The mouse feet glide very smoothly on mousepads and desks. They produce minor scratching sounds when gliding directly on desks, but this is normal and doesn't impact the gliding performance.

These feet are advertised as 100% pure Teflon (also known as PTFE). However, our methodology considers them non-virgin-grade, as suggested by their color, marking the presence of added dye. BenQ ZOWIE's website indicates that the black feet on the mouse have a 'controlling glide.' They also sell 'speedy glide' alternate feet, which are advertised as 100% pure Teflon but are white, suggesting they may be virgin-grade.

• USB-A 2.4GHz wireless receiver
• Receiver adapter
• Enhanced Wireless Receiver
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• USB-A to USB-C cable for Enhanced Receiver
• Extra mouse feet
• User documentation

The BenQ ZOWIE U2's click latency is excellent. It provides a very responsive-feeling experience for gaming in any genre and at any competitive level.

We tested this mouse connected with the Enhanced Receiver, at its maximum polling rate of 1000Hz, and with the Fast Response Time (lowest debounce) setting enabled via button combinations.

For reference, we also tested the click latency using only the standard 2.4 GHz USB receiver and, as expected, found it has a minimal but measurable impact on performance. You can see the click latency results with a standard 2.4 GHz USB receiver here.

LEARN ABOUT CLICK LATENCY

LEARN ABOUT CPI

The BenQ ZOWIE U2 has impressive sensor latency. The sensor reacts quickly to the physical movements you make with your mouse, matching closely to the cursor movements you see on-screen.

We tested this mouse connected with its Enhanced Wireless Receiver, at its maximum polling rate of 1000Hz, and with Motion Sync disabled. Motion Sync is a sensor setting that attempts to improve the synchronization of sensor data with polling events. It can improve how closely your mouse movements are matched on-screen but may add a small degree (typically ~1 ms) of motion latency.

We also tested sensor latency with the standard 2.4 GHz USB receiver. As expected, we found it has a minimal but measurable impact on performance. You can see the click latency results with the standard 2.4 GHz USB receiver here.

LEARN ABOUT SENSOR LATENCY

The polling rate options on the BenQ ZOWIE U2 are 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. The CPI preset options are 400, 800, 1000, 1200, 1600, and 3200. You can cycle between polling rate and CPI presets with buttons on the underside of the mouse.

You can toggle Motion Sync on or off and adjust the button response time using button combinations listed in the user manual. See the user manual on BenQ's website here.

LEARN ABOUT SENSOR SPECIFICATIONS