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New $30 Halo-Themed PC Mouse Is Oddly Not a Gaming Mouse

Microsoft announces a new, limited-edition version of its Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500.

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Should the prospect of owning what Logitech calls the "world's fastest mouse" not entice you due to its distinct lack of Master Chief-ness, Microsoft has just the mouse for you. The company today announced the limited-edition Halo-themed Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500; for $30, you can own a mouse adorned with the Halo name and the Master Chief himself.

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Strangely, considering the target demographic for this is presumably people who play games and are fans of Halo, this is not a gaming mouse. The 3500 is a fairly run-of-the-mill wireless mouse that carries an MSRP of $30, but is sold for as little as $16 on Amazon if you're willing to make do with one whose color is officially described as "Loch Ness Gray."

By most accounts it's a fine mouse, but it lacks the sort of gamer-centric features you'd expect from one that carries the Halo branding. Even something as simple as extra side buttons (the 3500 has only the two in addition to its mouse wheel) that I can't imagine living without are nowhere to be found.

Microsoft claims the mouse lasts up to eight months with a single AA battery, offers a slot for transporting its USB receiver, and uses the company's BlueTrack Technology. This is said to provide "remarkable tracking on virtually any surface" including carpet, though it won't work on mirrors or clear glass.

The wireless Halo 3500 mouse goes on sale in October, and can be preordered now through GameStop. When it launches, it will also be available through the Microsoft Store and other retailers.

Halo's presence has never been especially heavy on PC; there was a two-year gap between the Xbox and PC releases of Combat Evolved, and a two-and-a-half-year wait before Halo 2 made it to PC from Xbox. Since then, of the seven Halo games released, only Halo: Spartan Assault has made it to PC, with not even Halo Wars--a seemingly perfect fit for PC as a real-time-strategy game--being released on computers. Neither of the next two Halo games, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo 5: Guardians, has been confirmed for any platforms but Xbox One.

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