Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air: Two-minute review
The Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air is a large gaming mouse with some useful features aimed at improving the user experience for players. It stands out due to that size and its shape, with its concave sides, the left of which juts out at the bottom to accommodate the Easy Shift button. The body is very smooth with no texturing.
The white colorway features some subtle gray accents on the buttons and scroll wheel, and overall it looks relatively mature compared to other gaming peripherals, although it still isn’t exactly elegant.
Compared to the best gaming mouse out there, the RGB lighting on the Kone 2 Air is relatively large, with two stripes running along the top, as well as the usual LED on the scroll wheel.
The Kone 2 Air adopts a wide, squat stance and features a relatively flat top, so those with larger hands will likely find this fills their palms more substantially than other gaming mice do. With that large size, though, comes a heavy 110g weight.
By contrast, the clicks are light and snappy, yet well damped, and the same is true of the two side buttons and the DPI cycle button on top. The scroll wheel feels smooth to the touch and features 4D scrolling, allowing you to tilt it left and right for horizontal navigation. It also has a free spin function, activated by pressing the button above the DPI cycle. This allows you to disengage the notching to scroll much faster, yet it still feels reassuringly weighty and smooth.
However, without free spin activated, there’s a little too much play in the wheel, making it hard to get a feel for single flicks. The scroll click, however, is reassuringly solid and easy to press in the heat of the moment, as well as providing satisfying feedback and a clearly audible click.
The included USB cable is braided and light, so there’s next to no drag when using it. However, it doesn’t seem as thick or as durable as those on other gaming mice. It’s also quite short, so you’ll need your machine relatively close by if you want to play in wired mode.
Turtle Beach’s peripheral software, Swarm 2, allows for numerous adjustments and customizations. There are numerous rebinding options, such as keyboard keys (including in combination with modifiers) and media controls, but there’s only two system level shortcuts available: one for shutdown and one for sleep. There’s also a wholly separate layer for assigning secondary inputs courtesy of Easy Shift, and naturally, you can also customize the RGB lighting in Swarm 2.
Swarm 2 features some useful adjustments for gaming too, such as Motion Sync and Angle Snapping, as well as a debounce time slider between 0-10 (no unit is given here).
However, there’s no setting labeled lift-off distance; instead, there’s what Swarm 2 calls DCU Calibration. You have settings for low and very low, as well as a custom setting which takes you to a calibrator, asks you to make circular movements with the cursor, and automatically selects an appropriate lift-off distance for you – although it doesn’t tell you what this distance is.
There’s also the typical DPI settings, with five predefined points for you to adjust for cycling. There’s a DPI calibrator too, which asks you to hit a series of targets in order to automatically pick what it thinks is the best DPI setting for you.
Macro recording is possible, and Swarm 2 even includes a range of default macros for a number of popular games and productivity software, including Microsoft Office and Photoshop.
Gaming with the Kone 2 Air is a mixed experience. All buttons are responsive and satisfying to use, but the overall form isn’t the most ergonomic, as the sides don’t offer enough grip, even if you apply the included grip tape.
The indentation of each side only occurs towards the rear, and flattens out immediately, which meant my thumb and fingers couldn’t set in place for greater security. As a result, I had to squeeze tighter than I normally would for, which naturally compromises movement speed; I never truly felt comfortable holding the Kone 2 Air.
That hefty weight the Kone 2 Air is saddled with only adds to the problem. It prevents glides from being smooth and seamless. The weight is also concentrated towards the rear, which makes the mouse feel unbalanced as it has a tendency to tilt backwards when lifting off.
Thankfully, the Easy Shift button is easy to reach and hit with your thumb. The RGB lighting also changes color when held, which is a useful indicator that I was just able to make out in my peripheral vision, without it being distracting.
When it comes to connectivity, using the Kone 2 Air via Bluetooth or the 2.4GHz is as quick and easy as can be, and switching between two devices on the fly works pretty much flawlessly, merely requiring a flick of the switch underneath.
Turtle Beach states a very long battery life for the Kone 2 Air: 350 hours via Bluetooth and 150 via the 2.4GHz wireless dongle. Although I wasn’t able to test its limits during my time with it, I can say that after several days of varied use, it only dropped a few percentage points, so its claims would seem to hold water.
The Kone 2 Air is a divisive gaming mouse, then. Those with larger hands may prefer it more, thanks to its size and weight. However, those after speed and comfort will be better served by lighter, higher-performing mice, such as the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro – and, if saving money is a top priority, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed and Cooler Master MM311 are better alternatives.
Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air: Price & availability
- $119 / £119 (about AU$182)
- Available now in black and white colorways
- Undercuts some popular brands
The Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air costs $119 / £119 (about AU$182) and comes in two colorways: black and white. A wired only version is also available for considerably less, at $59 / £59 (about AU$90).
Compared to the best wireless gaming mice, it sits towards the lower end of the market. It’s cheaper than popular offerings from Razer, including the DeathAdder V3 Pro. That mouse, though, is capable of polling at 8K (albeit requiring an additional adapter).
There are some that undercut it, including mice in Logitech’s Lightspeed range, such as the G305 Lightspeed and G309 Lightspeed. However, the former can only connect wirelessly via the Lightspeed USB dongle (there’s no Bluetooth), and both have no rechargeable battery, requiring a AA each instead.
Then there’s the Cooler Master MM311, our pick as the best gaming mouse for those on a budget. It massively undercuts the competition, and although this too has no rechargeable battery or Bluetooth connectivity, it still offers brilliant gaming performance with wireless capability.
Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air: Specs
| Interface | Wireless (2.4GHz and Bluetooth), wired (USB-C-to-A) |
| Ergonomics | Right-handed asymmetrical |
| Buttons | 7 |
| DPI | Up to 26,000 |
| Switches | Titan optical switches |
| Weight | 3.88oz (110g) |
Should I buy the Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air?
| Value | The Kone 2 Air is priced well for a wireless gaming mouse with multiple connectivity options and a rechargeable battery, but there are better performers for even less. | 3.5 / 5 |
| Design | The Kone 2 Air is large and thick, so those with smaller hands may want to look elsewhere. It’s not the most ergonomic, either. | 3 / 5 |
| Performance | That size and weight inevitably affect performance, making fast movements and swipes hard to achieve. The Easy Shift feature is a boon, though. | 3 / 5 |
| Overall | The Kone 2 Air certainly isn’t a gaming mouse for everyone, as its large size and heavy weight impact ergonomics and performance. There are some nice features here, but only those with large hands should consider it. | 3 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air | Logitech G305 Lightspeed | Cooler Master MM311 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $119 / £119 (about AU$182) | $59 / £59 / AU$99 | $39 (about £31 / AU$59) |
| Interface | Wireless (2.4GHz and Bluetooth), wired (USB-C-to-A) | Lightspeed wireless | 2.4GHz wireless |
| Ergonomics | Right-handed asymmetrical | Right-handed asymmetrical | Right-handed symmetrical |
| Switches | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| DPI | 26,000 | 12,000 | 10,000 |
| Switches | Titan optical switches | Mechanical Button Tensioning | Not specified (mechanical) |
| Weight | 3.88oz (110g) | 3.49oz (99g) | 2.71oz (77g) |
How I tested the Turtle Beach Kone 2 Air
- Tested for several days
- Played FPS titles
- 10+ years PC gaming experience
I tested the Kone 2 Air for several days, during which time I used it for playing games, productivity, and general use.
I played Counter-Strike 2, the litmus test for gaming mice, as well as Black Mesa. I made sure to try as many features and functions as possible on both the mouse and in the GG software.
I have been PC gaming for over 10 years, and during that time I have experienced a variety of mice. I have also reviewed numerous units, ranging in size, weight, performance and price.
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lewis.maddison@futurenet.com (Lewis Maddison)
