SteelSeries, a leading manufacturer of innovative professional gaming gear, today announced the SteelSeries Ikari Optical and SteelSeries Ikari Laser professional gaming mice. The new, ergonomic, right-handed, multi-grip mice mark the company’s entry into the market for gaming mice. The scheduled Q4 2007 release of the gaming mice line compliments an existing portfolio of professional gaming gear that consists of headsets, keyboards, surfaces, accessories and security software designed for competitive gamers.

The SteelSeries Ikari mice are the result of extensive research of ergonomics, technology, shape, motion, hand grip and play styles by gamers. The SteelSeries Ikari mice set a new industry standard for input, research and co-development with professional gamers for gaming mice. The shape, materials and specifications of the SteelSeries Ikari mice are based on input from professional players from Team 3D, compLexity, mousesports, SK Gaming, Team NoA and other world-class gaming organizations, who collectively represent the world’s most accomplished gamers in Counter-Strike and other gaming disciplines. The development of SteelSeries Ikari was also driven by community input and feedback from more than 5,000 gamers from the competitive gaming segment.

The SteelSeries Ikari chassis is shaped to accommodate the three predominant methods of grip utilized by gamers today: Swipe, Claw and Palm. The chassis features five buttons, each with high quality gaming grade contacts. The SteelSeries Ikari mice also have an anti-sweat and slip-resistant surface coating to improve mouse control during intense gaming sessions. The SteelSeries Ikari mice boast the largest glide surface ever utilized on gaming mice (more than a 300% increase over traditional gaming mice), and is specifically designed to reduce friction between the pressure points on the mouse and the surface under the mouse.

Both models of the SteelSeries Ikari mice feature plug-and-play features that will allow gamers to play at LAN events and tournaments without the need to install specific mouse drivers. The SteelSeries Ikari mice operate at 500 Hz and feature "on-the-fly" DPI settings.

Special features of the two SteelSeries Ikari models . . .

SteelSeries Ikari Optical
The SteelSeries Ikari Optical was designed as a no-"BS", top performer for FPS gamers. The research and development emphasized a "no nonsense, no crap" approach with proven optical technology that allows gamers consistent, fast movements without technical difficulties of any kind.
•    Specific design for FPS gamers
•    Driverless, plug-and-play feature for LAN gamers
•    Pressure points that reduce friction for optimized glide
•    Ability to toggle between 2 DPI settings

SteelSeries Ikari Laser
The SteelSeries Ikari Laser mouse was specifically designed for RTS and MMO gamers in mind. It features programmable macros and custom settings designed to increase the users Actions Per Minute (APM) count. The mouse can be programmed from your main computer and will remember the settings for tournament use (other computers) without installing drivers.
•    Specific designed for RTS & MMO gamers
•    Programmable macro buttons with driverless plug-and-play feature
•    Pressure points that reduce frictio for optimized glide
•    Ability to toggle DPI range with LCD readout