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Glorious Model I 2: Two-minute review
The Glorious Model I 2 is a wired gaming mouse with some useful features and pro-level tweaks, making it ideal for all kinds of play styles and genres.
There’s no mistaking the Model I 2 for anything other than a gaming mouse, thanks to its brash but tasteful design. Its profile is sleek, while the honeycomb back portion allows for the RGB lighting underneath to shine through in all its glory. The thin RGB strips on both edges are also a nice touch.
It has quite a long profile, longer than many of the best gaming mice. It also slopes away to the side, adopting a slightly ergonomic form. The thumb slot has a prominent floor, which fitted my thumb rather well – although I can well imagine some users not finding it to their liking – while the central hump was ideally placed for my palm. What’s more, that aforementioned honeycomb texture is pleasant to grip on to.
The scroll wheel on the Model I 2 has prominent spikes and a soft rubber material, both of which make it very tactile. However, it’s placed further forward than usual compared to other gaming mice, making it slightly more of a stretch for me than usual.
Another untypical feature of the Model I 2 is the DPI selector, which is split across two topside buttons rather than one. This makes adjusting the sensitivity much more convenient.
It also has three side buttons, all of which are conveniently placed; I found them easy to actuate with the various parts of my thumb. Additional button caps are included for the side button closest to the back: one has a more prominent poke, while the other is a blank to block off the switch altogether if you don’t plan on using it.
The Model I 2 features a sniper button as well, which is likewise well-positioned and can be swapped out for other caps included in the box, each of which have varying profiles.
The construction of these buttons – and the rest of the mouse for that matter – is quite solid. However, I found the skates a weak point in this regard, as, on my unit at least, they weren’t installed with as much care as I would’ve liked. Some of the corners weren’t adhered to the underside fully, resulting in them spiking upwards. Thankfully, this was my only grievance in terms of build quality.
The Model I 2 comes with customization software, called Glorious Core. Here you’ll find many of the usual gaming mice tweaks. There are a few performance-related settings to tinker with, including lift-off distances and debounce times, as well as a Motion Sync toggle.
The polling rate can be increased up to 1K, while there are five stages of DPI to configure, with a range between 100 and 26,000. There are also some rebinding options available, although these lack the selection of system and media shortcuts of other software. I also found the UI too small for optimal viewing, which made it harder to use.
In action, though, the Model I 2 performs better. The clicks are snappy but have a relatively long travel, as well as a little more dampening than usual, which provides more cushioning than I was expecting.
Glides are a little rougher compared to other gaming mice I’ve tried, though. This is perhaps at least partly due to the aforementioned installation issue with the skates. However, I still found them smooth enough to be usable, helped by the fact that there are quite a lot of them, so they cover a wide surface area.
At 66g, the Model I 2 is hardly the lightest gaming mouse around, but the weight is distributed so evenly that you don’t really feel it ever weighing you down. The integrated USB cable is also light and malleable enough to not cause any dragging issues.
I was also quite fond of the scroll wheel, as I found its notching provided plenty of security and precision when moving it slowly, yet was quick and light when performing fast flicks. The scroll click is also very satisfying, providing plenty of dampening and feedback with an incredibly sturdy feel, so I had no concerns about triggering misscrolls.
For the outlay, however, I’m not sure the Model I 2 performs significantly better than its cheaper rivals, such as the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air and the Cooler Master MM311. It’s a solid choice, and it has some unique features that make it more practical, but ultimately there are better value alternatives if you can live without these.
Glorious Model I 2 review: Price & availability
- $64.99 / £59.99 (about AU$101)
- Available now in black and white
- Expensive for wired gaming mouse
The Model I 2 costs $64.99 / £59.99 (about AU$101) and is available now in two colorways: black and white. It comes with various spare caps for the sniper and rear-most side buttons. A wireless variant is also available.
This is reasonably expensive for a wired gaming mouse. It’s more expensive than the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air, for instance, which we reckon is the best lightweight wired mouse for gaming at the moment. This does lack the feature set of the Model I 2; it doesn’t even have RGB lighting. However, at just 50g, it’s quite a bit lighter than the Model I 2.
The Model I 2 is also more expensive than the Cooler Master MM311, which even has the added benefit of being wireless, and that’s partly why we rate it as the best budget gaming mouse around. It doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, though, nor does it have as many buttons as the Model I 2.
Glorious Model I 2 review: Specs
Interface | Wired (USB-C-to-A) |
Ergonomics | Right-handed asymmetrical |
Buttons | 9 |
DPI | Up to 26,000 |
Switches | Glorious Switches |
Weight | 2.3oz (66g) |
Should I buy the Glorious Model I 2?
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
Value | The Model I 2 is expensive for a wired gaming mouse – you’ll have to decide whether its extra buttons are worth it. | 3 / 5 |
Design | The Model I 2 looks good and is comfortable in the hand. The software has some nice tweaks, but it’s limited in terms of remapping. | 4 / 5 |
Performance | All the buttons and scroll wheel perform very well, and glides are quite smooth. However, it doesn’t exactly exceed the competition when it comes to precision and speed. | 4 / 5 |
Overall | The Model I 2 is a competent gaming mouse that’s comfortable to use with some nice features. However, the software lacks versatility, and the performance isn’t outstanding, so its relatively high price might not be justified. | 3.5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Glorious Model I 2 review: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Glorious Model I 2 | Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air | Cooler Master MM311 |
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $64.99 / £59.99 (about AU$101) | $49.99 / £39.99 / AU$76 | $39 (about £31 / AU$59) |
Interface | Wired (USB-C-to-A) | Wired (USB-C-to-A) | Wireless (2.4GHz), wired (USB-C-to-A) |
Ergonomics | Right-handed asymmetrical | Right-handed symmetrical | Right-handed asymmetrical |
Buttons | 9 | 6 | 6 |
DPI | 26,000 | 16,000 | 30,000 |
Switches | Glorious Switches | Kailh GM 4.0 | Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 |
Weight | 2.3oz (66g) | 1.8oz / 50g | 2.2oz / 64g |
How I tested the Glorious Model I 2
- Tested for a full day
- Used for gaming and working
- Extensive gaming mouse experience
I tested the Model I 2 for a full day, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general browsing.
I played Counter-Strike 2, a good test for gaming mice given the demands it places on quick and accurate movement and aiming.
I’ve been gaming on PC for over a decade, and during that time I have experienced a large number of mice. I’ve also reviewed a broad range of models from multiple brands, with varying price points, designs, and feature-sets.
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