Microsoft has done quite well for itself in the past where gaming peripherals are concerned, and their latest effort would be the SideWinder X3 gaming mouse. The SideWinder line has had a pretty decent history as all of them were able to hold their own against other established gaming mice including the range from Razer as well as Logitech. This time round, the SideWinder X3 shows the world that Microsoft has a heart for ordinary gamers who might be caught up in the current global economic downturn, hence catering to a budget-conscious crowd by merging gaming performance and versatile design at price that surely won’t turn you into a bankrupt overnight – we’re talking about $39.95 here, folks.

A major gripe that many people have about gaming mice would be some of the more expensive ones cater only to right handers, leaving left handers out in the cold or having to force themselves to adapt to a right handed mouse as there is no other alternative. The SideWinder X3 takes on an ambidextrous design, coming with eight different buttons to offer not only comfort but performance that users of SideWinder mice in the past have come to know and love. You will be able to take advantage of the 2,000 DPI laser tracking engine whenever you’re hunting down your latest foe in the game, but for less stressful environments such as at work, the SideWinder X3 is equally at home by lowering its DPI on-the-fly to 800 DPI or even 400 DPI, depending on the situation.

Other features of the SideWinder X3 include IntelliPoint software to create and assign macros , a wide, dented scroll wheel for more precise click movement, low-profile lateral side buttons for easy access during gaming and everyday computing, wide-glide feet for smooth handling and a light, balanced feel. Expect to see this puppy hit stores sometime next month.

Press Release