ASUS Republic of Gamers Sica Gaming Mouse Review

ASUS introduced its ROG Gladius last year, the first gaming mouse that offers a quick and easy solder-free solution to replace a faulty switch. While it is a great idea, the ROG Gladius isn’t as budget-friendly as many hoped it would be. Enters the ROG Sica, ASUS’ 2nd gaming mouse to offer the very same soldering free switch replacement feature at almost half of the price of the ROG Gladius. Many thanks to ASUS Malaysia in making this review possible!

ASUS has taken the usual approach to keep things as simple as possible without losing the premium and elegant touch of ROG.

Prominent features and specifications of the mouse can be found on the back of the box.

Unlike the packaging of the ROG Gladius, ASUS has decided to include more useful information on the lid of the box.

Content

The content is rather simple, what’s included is the ROG Sica gaming mouse, 2 pieces of ROG sticker and a user’s guide. We’re quite surprise to find out that there are no extra Omron micro switches is provided, given that the most common used D2FC-F-7N switch are obtainable for less than $1 each if taken in large quantity.The ROG Sica
The size and ambidextrous design of the ROG Sica did somewhat reminded us of the Razer Abyssus at first glance. It’s good to know that ASUS never adapted the rubber coating for the Sica, as rubber coating is often followed by the infamous disastrous stickiness if not taken care properly.

Many claimed that gold plated USB connector has better polling rate /refresh rate compared to the ordinary USB connector, but those were all false claims and marketing gimmicks. The only fact you should know here is that gold plated USB connectors has better resistance against corrosion compared to an ordinary USB connector.

Although we’re not really a big fan of a small-sized gaming mouse, the ROG Sica turns out to be pretty comfortable to hold on to for a gaming mouse despite its size.

The ROG logo that gives the similar pulsating glow on the ROG Gladius and can be customized in the ROG Armoury software.

While it comes in at a lower price, there are quite a few features that have been sacrificed in order to keep the price down. DPI toggle buttons being one of the “must-have feature” for a gaming mouse, is absent from the Sica.

The Avago 3310 optical sensor used here is capable of up to 5000 dpi.

ASUS did a wise decision in having the screws hidden under easily removable rubber caps so you don’t have to tear off the mouse skates every time when you wanted to replace the switches.

Once the screws are removed, the top cover slides off easily without any additional prying needed.

A simple and comprehensive approach to the software interface allows us to breeze through the configuration with ease.

Clicking on the label of each button allows you to configure the behavior of the button – make it a Windows shortcut, multimedia function, assign recorded macro, keyboard function.

Macros can be recorded and assigned to the mouse button easily.

Customization option in the ‘Performance’ tab seems to be lesser for the ROG Sica. Significant changes – no angle snapping adjustment, sensitivity adjustment is limited to a drag bar due to the fact that the Sica doesn’t comes with any DPI toggle button.

The ‘Lighting’ tab allows you to customize the lighting effect on the ROG Sica.User Experience 
We’ve tested the ROG Sica on one of our favorite FPS game, Far Cry 4 and here’s what we think about it, tip to the end:

• Glide: There’s nothing much we can complain here, the ROG Sica glides smoothly on both cloth mat and hard mat.
• Grip: The grip is pretty good in overall but it’s more preferable for claw grip users compared to palm grip users, due to its smaller size.
• Weight: We consider the ROG Sica as a lightweight gaming mouse and it’ll do well for users who requires fast movements and doesn’t want any hindrance from the additional weight of the mouse itself.

Verdict
Build quality is good overall, the surface of the ROG Sica isn’t rubber coated, which makes it less prone to wearing out / turns sticky over time.

Performance-wise, the ROG Sica is able to fulfill most of our needs with a wide range of selection in terms of DPI preferences, all thanks to the Avago 3310 optical sensor used. While we’re not really a big fan of a small-sized ambidextrous gaming mouse, the solder-free switch replacement design makes it a gaming mouse worthy to consider for the long run.

The ROG Armory is a pretty decent software that is very easy to use, but there’s still something that bothers us – we’re a little picky when it comes to the software. While using the ROG Armory, we’ve noticed that some windows always stay in a fixed position and cannot be re-positioned no matter how hard you try. Not entirely mind-boggling but ASUS might want to look into this matter as it does affect the overall user experience in a negative way.

So here’s the question: is the ASUS ROG Sica worth the money? Well, it’s not that often for one to pay RM149 for a budget gaming mouse that allows you to replace broken switch this easily. While there are quite some features that we think shouldn’t be left out in the first place, but the ASUS ROG Sica is still a budget gaming mouse that is worthy to consider for the long run.

Pros

• Reasonably priced for what it has to offer
• The Avago 3310 sensor provides a wide range of DPI, up to 5000 dpi
• Tracks well on both cloth and hard mat
• Easy to use software (ROG Armory)
• Solder-free switch replacement design

Cons

• Minor issue with the ROG Armory software (some windows stays in a fixed position)
• No DPI toggle button
• No extra Omron switches provided