Reviewed: FUNC KB-460 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard & MS-3 Mouse

MS-32 Gaming Mouse

Firstly, I don’t like the name – it’s not catchy and it doesn’t sound like a gaming weapon of dominance. That is the only thing I could find about this mouse that I didn’t like. The MS-32 is a brilliant gaming mouse packed with features and stealthy aesthetics. The branding is even stealthy and you need to literally lift the mouse up and study it to find the ‘Func’ name on the left side of the mouse in grey letters about 5mm tall. The non-slip coating covers the entire mouse and due to it’s matte finish, makes it almost disappear on a black mouse pad. 

Unique T+4TM Thumbzone button placement

N-Key Rollover was confirmed with AquaKeytest. I was able to activate more than 20 keys at the same time deliberately with my fingers and even more in a far less practical test with my forearm. I won’t buy a key board without this feature after being burned a few years ago with a wireless keyboard.

Customisable LED-light system with profile indication

When setting this up, I used a green LED profile for Battlefield 4, blue LED for War Thunder and red LED profile for general windows use. it was very easy to identify which profile was active even with my peripheral vision.

Plug and Play, no need for installations

To be clear, you need the software to setup the profiles but once this is done, the profiles are stored on the mouse and you can switch it between PCs/Laptops without needing to install the software of copy the profiles across to have the MS-32 behave consistently between rigs. 

Ergonomically designed Grip IntelligenceTM

Func state: “The MS-3 is ergonomically designed to minimize hand strain and stress in order to allow you to keep your eyes focused on the screen and not on your grip.”

After switching between mice for the past 8 weeks, I’d have to agree that they are onto something here. The wider grip was initially quite foreign to me but when I wasn’t using the MS-32, I felt the need to rest my pinkie and ring fingers somewhere on other more narrower mice. The wider grip does feel more restful but if you have been using a narrow mouse for a while, your muscle memory might take a while to get used to it.

Instant AimTM

This sounds like a cheat or hack doesn’t it? It’s really a ‘sniper’ button that allows you to change your DPI while you hold down the mapped button (default is the LED thumb button). Altrhough it’s marketed for making quick 180 degree turns you could use it to lower your DPI for sniping. 

Onboard Memory for storing up to 3 profiles

The gaming profiles are stored locally on the mouse itself so you will take your DPI, LED and macros with you from rig to rig once they have been saved to the mouse. The only way to save them to the mouse is in the software but this means that you only have to use the software on one PC. The profiles can be selected by a button on the mouse

Software

As with the KB-460, the software is consistent in design – so it’s plain but functional.

I’d call it easy to use but the best thing is that the profiles are stored on the mouse itself and if you map the profiles to different colours for your games, you can switch between the profiles without the software installed by simply using the button in the front right corner of the mouse (very top right of the right mouse button). The profile switch is out of the way enough not to get pressed by mistake. You can store up to 3 profiles on the MS-32. Macros are also available and can handle up to 255 actions per macro via the software based macro editor.

We were using the Func MS-3 Settings software V1.26 and Firmware rev. 1.1c on our ASUS ROG Test bench but I also used the mouse without the software on my personal gaming rig without the software installed. We didn’t notice any issues with the software or profile switching during the review period.

The polling rate was verified at or slightly above 1000 Hz using a tool called Mouserate. 

I’d really like to see the software functionality extended here to include game detection if you have the software installed.

Build Quality

As with the KB-460, there were no concerns in terms of Build Quality. The MS-32 was well packed, appears to be durable, has a high quality braided cable that matches the KB-460 pattern and the mouse coating survived our test period without any visible signs of wear despite being used by a number of people over 8 weeks. Func back the MS-22 with a 2 year warranty and list their use of ‘high end’ components as a key feature. The USB connector is gold-plated.

General feedback

The feedback was very positive overall with everyone who used it appreciating the wider design and placement of the thumb buttons. The MS-32 seemed to suit the male and female gamers with a wide range of hand sizes.

Personally, it took me a while to get used to the wider mouse. Keep in mind that I’ve been using slimmer gaming mice like my “old faithful” – a 6 year old Logitech G5 and the more recent Corsair M65. I found the MS-32 harder to use initially, and unnatural to lift off the mouse mat but persevered with it. After a while, I went back to gaming away from the test bench on my personal rig with the Corsair M65 and it’s profile felt strange and my pinkie finger missed the groove on the MS-32.  The thumb buttons on the MS-32 are perfectly placed for my hand and although the mute thumb switch is handy, I’d be mapping it to something more game related and useful such as push to talk or ‘Melee’ attack in FPS games like Battlefield 4 or Call of Duty.

I liked the notched mouse wheel in that it was tactile without making a ratchet like clicking noise and also has a customisable LED underneath it to either match your desktop theme or indicate which profile is active.

Specifications

Tech. Specs.

  • MCU/Processor: WT6573
  • Switches: Omron
  • Sensor: Avago ADNS 9500
  • Memory: Onboard, 512 kB
  • Resolution: 90-5670 DPI
  • Frames per second: 12 000
  • Tracking speed: 5.1 m/sec (150 ips)
  • Max Acceleration: 30 g
  • Image processing: 10.6 megapixels/sec
  • Report rate: Adjustable, up to 1000Hz
  • Lift-off distance: Adjustable
  • Upgradable firmware: Yes
  • Connection: USB. Goldplated (2 m braided cable)

Dimensions & Weight

  • 126.92×100.69×42.38mm / 4.99×3.97×1.69in
  • Net weight: 127g / 0.28lbs.
  • System Requirements
  • Windows® compatible
  • Available USB port
  • 10 MB free space on hard drive

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