Orbital Pathfinder review

Just when you think we’ve seen it all, a brand fresh gaming mouse company comes along and launches a product that completely redefines what a good mouse should be. That’s a bold statement to start with, but Orbital Pathfinder is unlike anything I’ve ever tested.

I’ve been a part of this weird and wonderful world of PC gaming for the better part of three decades, and the dominant trend that’s growing almost exponentially year over year is the desire for PC gamers to customize things to their needs. Exactly how they want them to be. To what is right for them. It started with custom PCs, moved on to keyboards, and now has spread to almost every area imaginable in this humble hobby of ours.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen custom mice; those with interchangeable plates and mounts existed before the Pathfinder, but no other one comes close to matching what Orbital provides in this configuration. It’s completely astonishing.

Is this the best wireless gaming mouse of 2025? Honestly? Probably. There are so many ways to customize it, tailor it to exactly how you want it to perform, that if it’s not perfect for you, you probably just haven’t found the right set of parts yet. But I’m moving forward. So what exactly is it?

Orbital’s Pathfinder is a high-end, fully customizable wireless gaming mouse. It gives off Logitech G Pro vibes in more ways than one, and is powered by Pixart’s latest PAW3950 optical sensor, features Omron switches, a 300mAh battery, and supports up to 8000Hz polling rates in wireless mode (though, oddly, not when wired).

But that’s not the most impressive thing. Once you place your order and decide whether you prefer the black or white version, you’ll receive a enormous rectangular box that looks suspiciously like a keyboard. Open it up and you’re greeted by two boxes, one with the Pathfinder case and the other with an absolute arsenal of hot-swappable modular panels in a variety of forms, shapes and sizes, ready for you to build.

Orbital comes with no less than seven separate panels on the right side for you to play with, and four panels on the left side (sadly, it’s really only for right-handers). Also included are four separate backplates, all with different ergonomic shapes, designed for each grip type, with finger rests and protruding protrusions to aid maintain your grip, all properly labeled and compartmentalized within the box. They are all uncomplicated to operate and slide on and off easily from the main housing of the mouse itself. Installing them is velvety enough that it doesn’t cause too much worry, but with enough friction that they will stay in place no matter how many times you throw them at the desk in a fit of rage because Google Sheets’ IF formula works it just won’t work properly.

Orbital has also thought about sizing for the hand, and although the core body is smaller, the company has included some additional spacers that allow you to extend the entire unit or widen the side handles accordingly. Stick a few pieces into the back before putting on the hump and the total length will raise by about 15mm.

And that’s the beauty of this thing, regardless of grip style. If you are a palm boy like me, have claws, fingertips, or some mutant hybrid of the above, you have such a wide range of play items to configure this item exactly the way you want, you will inevitably find a solution that works for you.

The ergonomics are just damn impressive.

Orbital doesn’t stop at the body, as it has worked with the X-Raypad to provide a plethora of interchangeable feet, from diminutive PTFE dots to full, velvety runners covering most of the base. When it comes to connectivity, you have the choice of a wired connection using a velvety, lightweight braided USB-C cable, or you can opt for an 8000Hz wireless adapter instead.

As for the software, well, it too is impressively solid and extremely minimalistic; similar in ethos to everything else in Pathfinder. No account or data download is required, just a uncomplicated and quick settings menu. DPI control, hotkeys, macro recording, sensor tweaks – it’s all here. Performance is good too, and Pixart’s PAW3950 doesn’t disappoint, though that’s not terribly surprising given how crazy its specs are, as it’s expected to deliver 30,000 DPI, 750 IPS, and 50G acceleration.

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And then there’s weight. This mouse weighs just 56 g in its maximum configuration, including the wireless battery. In my tests, it lasted about six days of fairly massive operate (a mix of office work and WoW gaming) on ​​a 1000Hz configuration, but that number drops quickly as the polling rate increases (about 24 hours at full tilt). But it’s 56g. But how?

The quality of workmanship is also at the highest level. It is low-flex and has no unwanted noises or clangs from the Omron switches. The overall plastic finish seems smudge-resistant and is relatively supple to the touch, a departure from the sandblasted-like textures we’ve seen on similar mice in the past. To be clear, it’s not perfect. While its long list of benefits and buffs is immense, there are a few caveats to keep in mind.

My first cut of beef with this is that it is rather diminutive. I’m not ashamed to admit that I probably have smaller than average hands and grips, and yet I had to include both rear hump spacers on the Pathfinder to really feel comfortable with it.

There’s no RGB lighting either, and the design is so incredibly unobtrusive that sometimes it doesn’t feel like you’re using anything This bonus. The problem comes when the retail price is $189. And yet, in a strange way, this understated design somehow works. There’s no nonsense here, no noises interrupting your playing, no questionable lighting or weird tricks; it just works. It’s absolute form and function combined in a way I’ve never seen before. Although at a price.

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That’s the point though, although the range of parts is huge and it’s a welcome addition, once you’ve established your preferred style, just stick to it. That’s all. You’re done. This makes the rest of the set feel a bit redundant after a while. It looks like Orbital needs some sort of configurator instead of shipping all these parts as a whole every time. Perhaps at a lower price.

Let’s say we’re two or three generations in the future, you’re an Orbital fan, you know it’s going to be good and you want a fresh Pathfinder V3 Ultra Luna model or something (I don’t know, I don’t work in marketing), but you want improved hardware, fresh tricks and features, will we need every part again and again? I’m not so sure about that.

Still, Pathfinder is incredibly unique. It’s almost objectively close to the perfect gaming mouse, or it will be for you if you take the time to set it up (as long as you’re right-handed). It’s not inexpensive at $189, but for the price and what you get, it’s truly something special. When it comes to a first-ever flagship product, Orbital is the winner here and I think they know it.