Turtle Beach Kone II Air review: Perfect for MMOs

Best Prices Today: Turtle Beach Kone II Air

The Roccat Kone Air gaming mouse was a looker, but since it had no RGB it wasn’t great for playing with in the dark. The Turtle Beach Kone II Air changes that up with flashy, well-placed RGB that really revs up the styling.

It also gets a sensor upgrade to 26,000 DPI that provides a nice uptick to speed and tracking. The winning design that made the Roccat Kone Air so comfy makes a comeback but now there are two buttons behind the mouse wheel that make settings changes on the fly much easier.

Additionally, the Kone II Air gets easier charging than its predecessor. A USB cable does the job, with no need for AA batteries. The price tag hurts a little though: Right now you’ll pay $119.99, that’s more than double the price of the Kone Air.

Turtle beach Kone II Air design and build

Some Roccat mice (now Turtle Beach mice) make big impacts with their all-in RGB styling. They’re the kind of mice that make me switch off the lights to get the gaming vibes happening. The Kone II Air is one of those mice.

Sporting two RGB light strips on the top and one in its scroll wheel, it’s remarkably bold and flashy. The RGB comprises two programmable zones, which are tweakable in the Swarm II companion app, so you can flex your creativity.

The mouse’s overall shape looks clean, and fresh. The design is almost a replica of the Roccat Kone Air except there’s now an extra button behind the scroll wheel above the DPI switcher. This switches scroll-wheel modes.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best wireless gaming mice to learn about competing products.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

These two buttons combine with five more to make a total of seven, while a four-directional mouse wheel adds left/right functionality to the usual up/down you see in most other mice.

The chassis is really big even by MMO mouse standards. It measures 5.20 x 3.23 x 1.69 inches, which gives you plenty of space to relax your hand and stretch out. A quick comparison with the Razer Naga V2 Pro (4.7 x 2.97 x 1.72 inches) gives an indication of just how big it is.

That size difference makes it ideal for large hands, although everything is still within reach if you have more of a medium-sized hand.

A weight of 3.88 ounces (110 grams) bestows a hefty feel, which has advantages. It means the Kone II Air feels powerful and tangible — unlike the feeling you get from ultra-light esports mice.

Turtle Beach Kone II Air connectivity

Unlike the Roccat Kone Air which lacked wired connectivity, the Kone II Air has a full set of connectivity options, and these are very easy to use. The lowest-latency wireless option is 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, accessible via a small USB-A dongle.

Bluetooth connectivity is easy enough to switch to, requiring just a flick of a toggle on the underside.
When you’re finished playing you can store the mouse’s USB dongle in an open compartment underneath if you wish, which can help save it from getting lost.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

You can also tether the Kone II Air to your PC with the flexible USB-A to USB-C cable, which has the benefit of charging it at the same time. Once fully charged, you get approximately 130 hours in Wi-Fi mode and 350 hours in Bluetooth mode, which is a lot less than the Kone Air’s 800 hours. But on the plus side, you no longer need to replace AA batteries.

Turtle Beach Kone II Air performance

The Kone II Air is powered by a 26K Owl-Eye optical sensor. Among its technical specifications are a maximum resolution of 26,000 DPI, maximum speed of 650 inches-per-second (IPS), and maximum acceleration of 50 g. Suffice it to say, it tracks like a dream and is both quick and sensitive.

The mouse’s ergonomic design gives it great handling. I got excellent leverage from the high back that allowed me to drive quickly from the center of my palm but slow down just as fast so that I didn’t overextend shots. It proved equally maneuverable in a palm, claw, or fingertip grip.

On the left flank is a thumb rest. It’s more of an alcove really, since there’s a paddle — the mouse’s Easy-Shift [+] button — at its lower border that prevents you fully resting. Pressing this paddle down allowed me to access extra programmable commands: Seven commands became 21, which was plenty for accessing a smorgasbord of abilities in WoW.

Using the alcove did take some getting used to, though. That’s because my thumb was wedged between three buttons. I soon found a good workaround to this was to simply adopt a lighter grip.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The Kone II Air may be a little heavier than some mice, but its big PTFE feet save it from being sluggish. The glide feels remarkably fluid. Tackling micro movements is surprisingly easy for a mouse this size, too.

The mouse’s weightiness is an advantage when making large sweeping movements. It provides just the right balance between acceleration and stopping. So, if you like to hit targets at the farthest corners of maps, like I do, this mouse is ideal for that.

The buttons, which feature Titan Optical switches, feel very soft. They have a distinct clickiness that you can hear above your game sound. For me that sound became an ever-encouraging reminder of the shots I fired, attacks I blocked, and spells I released.

Should you buy the Turtle Beach Kone II Air?

The Turtle Beach Kone II Air embodies a bright and flashy RGB look that distinguishes it from the Kone Air.

It forges new ground with its wired connectivity, and a rechargeable battery too. Its current price tag of $119.99 does make it more than double the price of the $50 Roccat Kone Air, however.

Regarding performance, this mouse is a real gem. It’s both fast and precise, and with a total of seven buttons and 21 commands accessible via its Easy-Shift [+] paddle, it’s just ideal for games where you want quick access to a revolving list of abilities.