What you’re looking at right now isn’t a Bluetooth speaker. It isn’t even a pint-sized Roomba. What you see in the photos and videos here is actually Logitech’s newest MX Vertical mouse.
While older users of computer peripherals are no strangers to mice the shape of actual rodents (some early computer mice were even bigger than many human hands), the MX Vertical is unique since it is set 57 degrees vertically from the surface it rests on. This makes it look like a miniature air humidifier, but the real purpose of the design choice is to alleviate the pressure on your hand and reduce muscle strain.
To this end, the mouse has a number of features which aim to keep your working hand comfy and cozy for long hours. For starters, the vertical nature of the MX Vertical allows for a thumb rest to keep your biggest finger out of harm’s way. Chiseled grooves on the side of the mouse re meant to help reduce physical activity in your hand. The shape of the mouse should cut down muscular activity by 10% compared to regular mice, but seeing as you’re sitting at a computer all day, you could very well do with some exercise, anyways.
To help lessen your hand’s activities even more, the mouse features a button at the top which allows you to easily change the cursor sensitivity on the fly. The MX Vertical has a 4,000 DPI sensor, meaning it requires fewer hand movements to set your cursor where you want it to go.
For those who might work between a workstation and a personal computer, the MX Vertical even removes the need to connect your mouse to different devices. Using Logitech’s Flow technology, the mouse can switch between three devices through the tap of a button or by moving the cursor from screen to screen.
The MX Vertical connects to your computer using either Bluetooth, the Logitech Unifying Receiver, or through its included USB-C charging cable. According to the company, the wireless options allow the mouse to last for four months on one full charge and three hours from a one-minute charge, but we’ll have to see it for ourselves to validate that claim.
This oddly-shaped mouse definitely isn’t for everyone, but for those suffering from muscle strain due to working on CAD designs all night (or just playing video games), this $99.99 mouse might be just one to look out for when it launches in September of this year.
