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Let’s Talk About the XPG ALPHA Gaming Mouse

The XPG ALPHA is XPG’s debut into wireless peripheral products. It’s been a long time coming and admittedly took longer than original planned. But we believe we’ve delivered something that was absolutely worth waiting for. This Red Dot Design Award winning gaming mouse brings the quality, aesthetic, and performance that XPG strives to deliver with every product we create. We are so proud of the XPG ALPHA that we wanted to take the time to give you an inside look at the product and the inspiration behind it. Thankfully, we were able to sit down with one of the key team members that helped bring this amazing product to life for an exclusive interview.

Ken Liu is the Project Manager for all mouse and keyboard products at XPG. He has a long history of experience in the PC peripherals industry and is also an avid gamer that has a personally vested interest in creating gaming hardware that suits the needs of players. Because he uses them himself.

1. Just so we know you’re legit, what’s your favorite PC game?

A: I’m dating myself, but I’ve been playing CSGO since the beginning. I still play. And I’m still not that good. I’ll admit that I also play a lot of Fortnite. I have a passion for shooters.

2. What was the design philosophy during development of the XPG ALPHA?

A: We wanted to create a mouse for all gamers. Not a mouse that any gamer could use but with a specific target audience in mind. Instead we wanted to create something that all gamers would genuinely find appealing for their own grip style and genre interests. Our :Exoskeleton design language aims to synergize the strengths of both performance and function with aesthetics. That’s why we developed an ergonomic curve for the palm rest that works for all grip types. ALPHA is a mouse for every gamer.

3. How did it feel to win a Red Dot Design Award for the mouse you created?

A: It’s always really nice when people recognize what we’re trying to do with our product designs. A lot of people don’t fully grasp just how intentional product designs are. Not just for mice but for any product. Each curve, bend, and line is intentional and usually calculated for a specific reason, whether it be aesthetic or practical. We put a lot of time into designing a mouse that look and feel a certain way with intentional goals in mind. To have won a Red Dot Design Award for this mouse was a really gratifying experience.

4. What type of games would you say the ALPHA is best suited for?

A: As a person who plays predominantly shooters, I often think in terms of what features a mouse needs to create the best FPS experience. But I also feel like that sort of mentality is very limiting in how companies build gaming mice. The truth is that there are many genres of games other than shooters and many of those players want a solid gaming mouse as well. Of course there are MMOs, but there are also plenty of other types of games that require a solid gaming mouse to fully enjoy the experience. So while we have definitely created a mouse that would be great for shooters like CSGO, COD, or Apex Legends, I do not want the ALPHA to be thought of as just a mouse for gamers who like shooters. If the game works best with a mouse, it’s meant to be played with an XPG ALPHA.

5. What made you go with the PIXART PAW 3335 sensor and OMRON switches?

A: Sometimes it really is as simple as picking the best internal components for your needs and target price point. The PIXART PAW 3335 sensor is great because it delivers both great performance and a high level of precision. It allows us to offer 6 preset DPI settings that can be easily scrolled with a button on the mouse, making it great for plug and play. But this sensor also lets gamers customize their DPI settings in a range of 100 to 16000. It really allows the user to play any type of game they want the way they want to.

Similarly, we chose OMRON switches because they’re basically the best in the market. This mouse is meant to last you a long time. You can take it with you on the go and use it for several hours a day. So we needed to make sure the switches could handle that sort of lifestyle for a long time. It’s because of the OMRON switches that the XPG ALPHA can boast an MTBF of over 60 million clicks.

6. As this is XPG’s first wireless mouse, what makes it stand out from other wireless mice currently in the market?

A: This was a really challenging aspect of the project for us. We’ve always had an interest in wireless products. Wireless is the future and it’s clear that eventually all peripherals will be wireless for a majority of users. But wireless is only half the battle. It’s doing wireless well that really matters. One of the reasons this project launch later than we originally intended it to is because of the wireless features.

We think the delays were worth the wait. XPG ALPHA is a solid wireless product. The 2.4G wireless mode offers high performance and low latency. But we’ve also included a Bluetooth connectivity for a low-energy battery saving mode. I’m glad to be able to say that this product offers up to 60 hours of battery life.

7. Why did you decide to create both wired and wireless models rather than committing to wireless?

A: Wireless is the future, but today we live in the present. Not everyone wants a wireless mouse right now. But this product is so much more than its wireless connectivity. Just like with our overall design philosophy, we didn’t want to make a mouse that only some gamers would want to use. We wanted to make something that everyone could find real value in. But we also didn’t want to increase the price for wired users by making them buy a hybrid mouse with a wireless feature they would never make use of. That’s why we decided to create a wired version with no added cost for wireless features.

8. Tell us about the software features ALPHA’s XPG PRIME compatibility includes.

A: The first thing I want to say about XPG PRIME is that this is just the beginning. XPG as a whole has big plans for PRIME. That software has the potential to be so much more than a simple product customization application. But for now product customization is the main selling point. For starters, connecting XPG ALPHA to XPG PRIME allows users to customize the 6 buttons built into the mouse. But it also lets you turn those buttons into macros that can be saved to user profiles. Those user profiles are stored within the mouse, allowing you to keep your settings even when you’re using a different computer. PRIME also lets you monitor the ALPHA’s battery life. It’s great software that will only continue to improve over time.

9. If you had to sum up the XPG ALPHA in one word, what would it be and why?

A: I’d like to be able to say this for all our products, but that would be inaccurate. Thankfully, with the XPG ALPHA the best word to describe it is our own :Exoskeleton. As I’ve already said, this is a product that blends performance, function, and aesthetic design to deliver a premium user experience. There’s really no better word to describe this amazing gaming mouse.

10. Are there plans for a wireless keyboard and headset to accompany this wireless mouse?

A: I can’t say anything definite at this point, but it’s definitely something we’re discussing internally.

We hope you enjoyed this look behind the curtain of the XPG ALPHA gaming mouse. Let us know if there are other products you’d like to see interviews about or if you have any additional questions about the ALPHA in the comments. You can find out more about the XPG ALPHA, and other peripherals from XPG, at xpg.com.

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