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Xtrfy M42 RGB Mouse Review

Xtrfy's M42 Mouse is one of the best lightweight gaming mice I have ever tested.

Updated: Oct 19, 2023 11:52 am
Xtrfy M42 RGB 9

Today we are reviewing a personal favorite of mine, the Xtrfy M42 RGB gaming mouse. I have slowly but surely been transitioning to lighter mice over the last year or so and while it was a struggle at first, the M42 has helped me over the line by executing every aspect near-perfectly, ensuring a consistent, high-quality gaming experience.

The safe shape, indentations, grooves, and even the texture of the plastic make this a supremely comfortable mouse for a wide selection of hand sizes and grip styles. The M42 ticks so many boxes it is easy to see why it caught a few eyes on release, this is small, symmetrical, lightweight, modular, brimming with features, and all for an affordable price.

Let’s take a closer look

Highly Recommended
Xtrfy M42 RGB Gaming Mouse
xtrfy m42
Sensor PMW 3389
Shape Symmetrical
Weight 60g
Size Small (118mm x 38mm x 54mm)

Tech Specs
Sensor PMW 3389
Shape Symmetrical
Weight 60g
Size Small (118mm x 38mm x 54mm)
Buttons 6
Polling Rate 1000Hz
Type Wired
Cable Length 1.8m
Software No
Side Buttons Left

PROS
  • Accurate
  • Lightweight
  • Extra skates
  • Modular backplate
  • Affordable
CONS
  • Cable could be slightly more flexible

What’s In the Box

The box is vibrant, much like the M42, and is a real delight to open thanks to all the nice little extras they include with the mouse. With additional skates, an alternative mouse backplate, and some matching keycaps, Xtrfy isn’t skimping on features here.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 12

Inside we get:

  • Xtrfy M42 Gaming Mouse
  • Extra Backplate
  • Replacement Skates
  • Two PBT Keycaps

Design

Let’s just take a minute and look at how nice this mouse is aesthetically. Sure, if you hate RGB then you may be repulsed but there are few mice out there that can match the Xtrfy M42 in terms of looks. The M42 is Xtrfy’s ambidextrous model, which follows on from the ergonomic M4 in their “Project 4” series, and is a new contender as the best lightweight gaming mouse ever created. The M42 is small, nimble, and features grooves in all the right places to keep this comfortable for a variety of hand sizes and grips.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 28

The M42 saves weight with its perforated-hole design and while you can feel the holes, you forget about them when you start gaming. I don’t mind mice with holes in as they tend to offer a little bit of extra grip along the sides. The mouse also protects the internals from dust and sweat, while feeling solid, and I have to say the build quality is truly immense. My copy is in pink but the mouse is available in four other color options –  Black, White, Miami Blue, and Retro. The vast amount of color options means no matter your setup, you can find an M42 that will match or, like me, contrast heavily for a bit of extra flare.

As you can probably tell by the name, the mouse features RGB and it is superb, going all the way around the front half of the mouse. The middle of the scroll wheel and the Xtrfy logo which sits inside the mouse also features RGB, all of which is defused to enhance the brilliant aesthetics further.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 24

Size & Weight

Taking this out of the box, you instantly notice this is a small gaming mouse, with its dimensions making it compete with the likes of the Glorious Model O- and Cooler Master MM710. One thing that massively surprised me and my medium-sized hands was how comfortable this was to palm. It is no secret that I used to exclusively use large ergonomic mice before switching out to try and master the lighter options on the market. This mouse has essentially completed my transition and there is no looking back.

The M42 is 118mm in length with a max height of 38mm, regardless of which backplate you use. The grip width sits at just 54mm, with the front flare at 57mm, and the rear flare at 63mm across. In the hand, the M42 feels similar to the likes of the SteelSeries Sensei but noticeably smaller and the ergonomic indentations improve the grip ten-fold compared to the competition (for my hand). The mouse weighs in at just 60 grams with cable, which isn’t the lightest on the market but I feel this is the sweet spot for gaming mice, as anything lighter just feels silly to me.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 15

The M42 comes with an extra backplate that makes the hump of the mouse feel slightly more prominent when gripped. I’ve opted for the replacement as I prefer to palm/claw grip mice and I can certainly notice the difference, with it feeling a little closer to the MM710 in this configuration than the DM3 Mini, XM1, and Sensei. While this mouse is comparable to a number of ambidextrous mice, once you get hold of it, it feels like nothing else.

Shape & Texture

As previously mentioned, the M42 shares some similarities with other symmetrical mice on the market. From some angles it’s the MM710, others it’s the Zowie FK1/FK2 but it is almost as though the Xtrfy has taken everything we loved about these ambidextrous mice and rolled them into one amazing model.

The shape, while feeling familiar, is truly unique with subtle curves and slopes to make it comfortable no matter your grip style or hand size. Despite being small, it sits in the hand perfectly and is an ideal option for small-medium hands to get a firm palm grip. The shape accommodates for every style, in particular my palm/claw hybrid grip, with the front flare offering a great little spot for my ring finger.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 26

The M42 slopes gently towards the front and features indentations in the split trigger primary buttons for your fingers to naturally nestle in. The shape at the back can be altered thanks to the included modular backplate design. This feature is a brilliant one of the price, one of the backplates allows you to keep the mouse feeling low profile like the zowie FK, while the other makes the hump a bit more prominent in your palm like the MM710, allowing you to configure this perfectly to your needs.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 17

The texture to the M42 is a smooth, perforated plastic, with every inch of the mouse featuring holes apart from the front half of the primary buttons. The sides taper in to provide you with a narrow grip width but one that is very easy to get hold of and stay in complete control of at all times.

Buttons

We have a total of eight buttons on the M42, with six on the top and two underneath. The primary buttons feature a satisfyingly crisp and responsive click, with little to no side movement whatsoever. Underneath are standard Omron mechanical switches with a 4 millisecond debounce and are rated for 20 million clicks. There appears to be minimal pre-travel, no noticeable post-travel, and almost no chance of any accidental clicks or double clicks, these are solid and work well.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 20

The side buttons are probably some of the best I’ve seen in some time, with minimal pre and post-travel on the front and back. These are solid and they are of a generous size, so I can roll my thumb easily into position without really thinking about it. The best part of these side buttons is the tension, I can rest my thumb on them without accidentally actuating them, great job.

The scroll wheel is brilliant and rubberized around the RGB strip for extra grip. The middle button itself is actually quite firm but that is something I favor to prevent any accidental clicks, which just isn’t going to happen on the M42. The tension in the scroll steps is superb without being too loud, giving you a tactile response that is very smooth.

Just behind the scroll wheel is where you would normally see a DPI button on many mice but here this is for the RGB lighting and effects. No software required with this mouse, so you can change the speed and color by pressing mouse two or mouse four. The DPI switch sits on the underside of the mouse, with eight color-coded steps between 400 and 16000 DPI. The DPI steps are in the manual but the LED flashes twice in red when you reach 400 DPI, notifying you that you are at the start.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 22

Finally, the polling rate switch sits underneath towards the rear of the mouse, giving you the option to have the M42 in 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz.

Cable

The cable is Xtrfy’s EZcord, their name for the lightweight cable, and is yet another flexible one to feature on recent mice that I simply love. The cable is a soft braided one, measuring at 1.8m, and is a bit stiffer than the one we saw on the Cooler Master MM710 but Xtrfy stated they are going for longevity, so this should last for quite a long time.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 3

The “stress-relief” cable housing at the front of the mouse has a slight upward angle, helping you eliminate cable drag when combined with a mouse bungee. The only negative I can think of is that the cable could be a bit more flexible but the color matches the rest of the mouse, it’s of high quality, and when it is in a bungee, the mouse feels wireless anyway.

Sensor & Performance

The Xtrfy M42 RGB gaming mouse features a top-of-the-line optical sensor – the 3389. While it is hard to find inaccurate or defective sensors in mice nowadays, the reliability of this one speaks volumes for those that rely on accuracy. While the PAW 3370 is better on paper at the moment, there is no noticeable difference in the end results, this is flawless.

No matter what mouse pad I tested the M42 on, it remained accurate throughout, tracking everything with pixel-perfect precision. I play a lot of competitive FPS, so naturally, put mice through their paces in my day-to-day gaming. While this shares the same sensor as the Razer Viper, this hasn’t crashed or failed once, even while throwing it around the pad at high speeds, something which the Viper cannot boast. Everything feels crispy and I love the fact that this is softwareless, everything is handled onboard, no bloatware, no problem.

Xtrfy M42 RGB 14

The performance and my experience with the M42 were increased thanks to the 100% PTFE skates that feature at either end of the mouse. Initially, there was a slight scratchy feel but this went after an hour or so of usage. The feet cover the width of the mouse on either end and are slightly tapered at the edges. Just like we saw with the Cooler Master MM711 and Mountain Makalu 67 mice, there are spare skates included with the M42, a great feature that more manufacturers simply must follow.

Final Word

Lightweight gaming mice appear to be taking over and I’m fully behind this. While making the transition from larger, heavier mice, it has been a struggle to find the perfect model but thanks to the Xtrfy M42 RGB, I’ve made it. The aesthetics are magnificent, the performance is flawless but on top of that, we see a mouse here packed with features to satisfy even the biggest of mice critics.

I may be a little biased as this is now my main mouse but if you are in the market for a lightweight small model, the M42 RGB needs to be considered, it’s fantastic.

Highly Recommended
Xtrfy M42 RGB Gaming Mouse
xtrfy m42
Sensor PMW 3389
Shape Symmetrical
Weight 60g
Size Small (118mm x 38mm x 54mm)

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